In this novel, Harper Lee depicts the prejudice and hate of a time period through the eyes of a young person, while portraying the contrasting ways of thinking within society. So much so, in fact, that a white boy is brought to tears because of the palpable hate emanating from community members. The book has a number of instances in which African-Americans are either displayed as inferior to or are scorned by whites. So much so that in 1935 Alabama, laws were in effect that meant blacks were legally discriminated against, albeit with a pretence of equality. The point of view of the book is of a child who doesn’t understand the concept of discrimination and has begun her climb onto the hatred bandwagon. However, the family of the main character does not support racism, and different views on the subject are on display.
In 1935 the American south was openly racist. This is most obvious with the Jim Crow Law that was enacted between 1876 …show more content…
She demonstrates this while conversing with her father about his decision to actively defend Tom Robinson in the court trial, saying, “Well most folks seem to think that they’re right and you’re wrong...” in chapter 11. She believes that the majority is always right, and as she’s learned how to do things by watching those around her (such as speak and walk) she figures that the community is much more likely to be correct than one person, even if that person happens to be her wise old father. However, Atticus teaches her one of the most important lessons in the book, which is that “The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s