Preview

Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird, And Of Mice And Men

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
693 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird, And Of Mice And Men
Discrimination Essay Everyone in the world will experience discrimination at least once in their life. It is something that has become so accepted in the world today, not many people notice it even happening anymore. The famous quote by Roger Staubach, “Discrimination is a disease,” is one of the truest things I have heard. The families that discriminate the most often pass it on to their children, until everyone around them feels that way too. It just feeds off of itself until everyone tends to think that way. The three most examples that stick out to me is the holocaust, the book To Kill a Mockingbird, and of Mice and Men. “Without memory, there would be no culture. Without memory, would be no civilization, no society, no future.” exclaimed Elie Wiesel a holocaust survivor. Many innocent people were killed during this awful time, the jews were discriminated against by Adolf Hitler. It is sad to think about that one man could do this much damage to the …show more content…
Tom Robinson was a very nice man who did nothing to deserve to die, but he got accused of something he didn’t do and there was no way of proving a black man innocent in that day and time. Although most of the unfair treatment was mostly towards the African American race, Scout and Jem experienced it when they went with Cal to the black church. They told Scout and Jem “to go to their own church.” Atticus was one of the best people in the book to not judge others by appearance, this helped him love everyone and get along with most people no matter where they came from. The quote from Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it.” (3. 85-87) This quote from the book symbolizes that we all cannot judge people because we do not know their story or what is going on in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is a major character in the story, and a crucial part of the main plot. Tom is a kind and giving person. Much like a mockingbird, Robinson only wanted what is right for everyone involved. To the author of this essay, Robinson could be considered a mockingbird. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson symbolized a mockingbird because he was not given a fair chance, he was kind, and he was honest.…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee focuses more on the aspect of racial discrimination rather than “poor white trash” discrimination (Hovet 187). It is so conspicuous that a man loses his life because of it. While the discrimination is more prominent regarding race, the Finch family is also greatly discriminated against throughout the novel. Racism is very prominent in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, as evidenced when Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping a white woman in the 1930s South; because of his innocence and untimely death, all lives in the novel will be changed forever, including Atticus Finch.…

    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    If Harper Lee had limited her portrayal of prejudice and discrimination merely to the trial of Tom…

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Stereotyping is an act that many might do out of ignorance or intentionally. It plagues society today, for it causes many individuals to hate others based on a personal opinions. In Webster’s New World Dictionary, the word “stereotype” is defined as “a way of thinking about a person, group, etc. that follows a fixed, common pattern, paying no attention to individual differences”. In “To Kill A Mockingbird” there are many examples of stereotyping between Whites and Negroes. In the book, Lulu, a fellow negro, says, “You ain't got no business bringin’ white chillun here- they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church ain’t it, Miss Cal?” (136) Certain races might have conflicts between each other, causing them to have a negative thoughts…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the start Tom Robinson is going against society. “Mr. Finch, If you was a nigger like me, you’d be scared, too” (Lee 261). This proves that Tom is going against everyone else because he is black this being a detriment. That society disowns him because of his skin color, and if Atticus walked in his shoes he would see how society would treat him differently. Another quote that shows how…

    • 653 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the first optimistic points that can be found in this novel is found in Scout and Jem's father, Atticus Finch. There are many times throughout the novel in which Atticus represents the good in the American society at the time the book was published. Mr Finch was not a racist man. He held equal views of both races, which is why he had no problem with accepting the Tom Robinson case. The moral and ethical lessons taught to Scout and Jem by Atticus throughout the novel, were not meant to only assist in telling the story, but to help teach those reading the novel valuable lessons in life about equality and people's rights. One of the most important lessons taught by Atticus, was to "shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." This is a valuable lesson for people of all ages to learn, and is conveyed in many contexts throughout the book. Harper Lee expressed optimism in this quote, as she believed that she could teach the people some good, and that they might learn from her novel. Through Atticus, Harper Lee showed the good in the world, and the good that the world could achieve.…

    • 808 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus believes in treating people fairly. For instance on page 100 Atticus says the reason he defends tom robinson is “I couldn’t hold my head up in town, I couldn’t represent this town’s legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or jem not to do something again”. This is an example of how Atticus treats Tom Robinson equally no matter the color of his skin by defending him like how he would defend a white man when the rest of the town will despise Atticus because of it. Also on page 39 Atticus and scout are having a…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atticus taught Jem how to be very tolerant of others. Atticus said in court while he was defending a black man, "Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson's skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white” Jem understood what his father taught him and when the black man, Tom Robinson was found guilty, Jem broke down in tears. “His face was streaked with angry tears as we made our way through the cheerful crowd. “It ain’t right,” he muttered, all the way to the corner of the square where we found Atticus waiting.” (Lee 215) This shows how empathetic Jem was to Tom even though Tom is looked down upon in their prejudice town.…

    • 660 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A connection so strong that allows readers to be impacted by the material inside the book. Harper Lee’s character, Atticus, not only had an impact on his children or the community, but also the readers. Readers were affected by Atticus’s stand for justice and equality. In the book, Atticus says, “Which, gentlemen, we know is in itself a lie as black as Tom Robinson's skin. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing” (273). As a reader, it is comprehended that Atticus is saying not to judge people because everybody has made a mistake at least once in their lifetime. Nobody is perfect, and the sooner people start to realize that, the better. Blacks are always perceived as the villains, but whites make the same mistakes as blacks. Blacks are equal to whites! Race does not matter. Both races should be treated with the same respect and equality. Atticus also says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (39). After Scout's rough first day at school, Atticus tells her how she won't understand anyone unless it is from their point of view. From looking at somebody’s point of view, it allows for people to understand why they act the way they do. This piece of moral advice was not only directed towards Scout, but to the readers. The message is to live with sympathy and attempt to understand others by “standing in their shoes.” Although somebody may be different, that does not mean that they should not be treated with justice. Everybody deserves to be treated with justice, regardless of the situation that they are in. In the…

    • 1844 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the biggest illustrations of this in the book is the Tom Robinson case, which is assigned to Atticus. Atticus supported Tom Robinson in the trial, even when everyone else despised Tom because of his race. Although they lost the trial in the end, Atticus had worked his hardest and showed compassion at a time when nobody else did. He recognized that, just like himself and everyone else in the courtroom, Tom was human and should be treated with equality. In the novel Atticus says, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-“.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To begin with, Atticus demonstrates empathy towards African Americans when he agrees to defend Tom Robinson, an African American, who is being falsely accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Atticus explains to Scout that everyone is equal despite their skin color and is the reason why he is defending Tom. Also, Atticus defends Tom because he is trying to fight for equality in his town Maycomb that is known for great discrimination. Atticus understands the fear and pain Tom Robinson and his family feel about the case, regardless if they are African American.…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    However, after Tom Robinson is convicted for a crime that he clearly did not commit, Atticus’ mercy for humanity begins to waver. Even though he knows that this case was inherently against Robinson, he still feels distraught that the jury was prejudiced enough to declare a man guilty, only because of the color of his skin. After the verdict, Atticus “... left the courtroom, but not by his usual exit. He must have wanted to go home the short way, because he walked quickly down the middle aisle toward the south exit… He did not look up.” (Lee, 215). Throughout the novel, Lee has created Atticus as the wise figure who seeks the goodness in everything.. He teaches Jem and Scout to walk in one’s shoes before judging them and that the surface of one's life does not accurately portray what is within. This scene shows that human malevolence can change Atticus’ attitude, despite how strongly he feels that every human has a part of them that is pure. Lee’s juxtaposition of Atticus’ character gives the reader insight on how an incident that involves the abuse of human virtue can change one’s attitude and…

    • 635 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of a little girl, scout, growing up in a small town south of Alabama during the 1930’s. Scout, with her brother Jem and friend Dill, grow up in a town that has prejudice, racism, and hierarchy. Along the way, they learn how bad racism and prejudice can get. Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, teaches the children about right and wrong. Atticus gets assign to a case about a negro, Tom Robinson, convicted of rape. Through Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, and Boo Radley, Lee suggests that when compassion for another becomes greater than the consideration of self, will endanger one’s life and ruin his/her reputation.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Discrimination in our world is a common thing. It comes in all types of forms from the way we look, what religion you practice or the color or your skin. Throughout history this shows to be true with the Jews during WWII all the way to the African Americans in South Africa. Discrimination is a horrible event that has caused pain and suffering to even good people just based on the different ways people do things and the way some look.…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of Atticus’ best traits is his fairness to all people. He treats any man no matter young, old, skinny, fat, ugly, beautiful, or even ethnicticity. Although the best thing for himself to do was not to take Tom Robinson’s case, he knew it would not be fair so he…

    • 772 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays