Preview

Examples Of Intolerance In To Kill A Mockingbird

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
463 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Examples Of Intolerance In To Kill A Mockingbird
Prejudice and intolerance towards people because they are of a different race has been notorious in America since the early 1900’s. In Harper Lee’s “ To Kill a Mockingbird”, in a town called Maycomb, intolerance is superabundant against black people and any affiliation with them. In the story Tom Robinson is being indicted of rape and Atticus Finch steps up to defend him. With this situation lingering in Maycomb,of course the town’s people express the intolerance they have towards an innocent black man and a white man helping him. Of course, when it’s revealed that Atticus is going to defend Tom for the rape of Mayella Ewell, the townspeople become infuriated. Predictably, the people don’t think for a second that Tom really didn't

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Based on perspective, Atticus Finch considers that Maycomb is a racist, yet an atrocious town; due to its racialist/intolerant behaviors that the citizens practice towards different skin complexions. For instance, an example of this bigotry can be demonstrated by Tom Robinson’s case; as this was clearly shown/said throughout the arguments during the court trial. As a single parent and a lawyer, Atticus Finch receives a lot of negative attention in Maycomb for representing Tom Robinson's case; which also, happens to have a negative impact on his children. They are talked about, made fun of, and their lives are even threatened at some points.…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the story, To Kill A Mockingbird, there is a town called Maycomb, that experiences racial prejudice, I know this because of what some of the characters say or experience.…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Being a Black man in Maycomb, Alabama was difficult; Maycomb was a racist town with people who did not want the Blacks to be equal to the Whites. People discriminated Robinson’s race to the point where his race was what defined his character. The Whites in Maycomb had a mentality that all blacks were not to be trusted. This affected Tom Robinson because during his rape trial his lawyer, Atticus Finch states “. . . 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.” [Lee, 48] Atticus was trying to say that we need to judge people as individuals rather than by their race. Robinson’s race caused him to be discriminated against by the Whites in Maycomb, in particular Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell had seen that his daughter had kissed a Black man and was very upset. He said "I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" [Lee, 84] Because Robinson…

    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The book To Kill A Mockingbird can be about many things, all depending on how you understand it. The main theme is prejudice because no matter where you look in the book you are sure to find some sort of prejudice. Everybody looks down on the blacks and automatically looks down on the white people who talk to or try to help them. Just like how they all look down on and make fun of Atticus because he is helping Tom Robinson and his family. Another big form of prejudice is between men and woman.…

    • 224 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    “To Kill A Mocking Bird” is one of the greatest known pieces of literature written by Harper Lee. Every piece of literature has its own stance or shows the reader their perspective on a certain topic. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mocking Bird” shows a sense of intolerance. There are several ways this novel shows intolerance.…

    • 98 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    “To Kill a Mockingbird” takes place in 1930’s Alabama, where racism and segregation were accepted as social norms. Lawyer Atticus Finch defended “Negro” Tom Robinson in court, whom Mr. Ewell accused of raping his daughter. People considered defending a black man in court against a white man as a disgrace to the lawyer, his family and community. While Atticus talked to his brother Jack, he mentioned that “The only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word against the Ewells‘. The evidence boils down to you-did—I-didn’t. The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells”. (Lee, 116-117) Atticus tells Jack that they don’t have enough data to prove Tom’s innocence in the case. The Ewells were not as respectable people as Tom Robinson, but according to the social hierarchy, dishonorable white people were above…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Prejudice towards different people is a huge part of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird novel. Nearly every little mishap in the book has been somehow linked or caused by prejudice. Naturally, the town of Maycomb is affected by it, and the effect isn’t for the best. Prejudice is a destructive force in Maycomb, bringing nothing to the town. The cause of Maycomb being destroyed is prejudice spreading hatred throughout the town, separating the people, and excluding and enabling members of the town to fully get what they need.…

    • 966 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Race relations have evolved over the course of the 20 and 21 century. It seen through the book, To Kill a Mockingbird. It is also shown through famous trials such as the Scottsboro trials, the Emmett Till murder trial, the Sacco and Vanzetti trial, and the Nuremberg trials. Although it is found a lot between African Americans, race relations have evolved between other races as well.…

    • 1385 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In most societies, there are standards that help protect the citizens. However, when the standards are set by people who are prejudiced and bigoted the outcome can potentially be harmful to those whom the society deems “unacceptable” or “different”. To Kill a Mockingbird by the famed author Harper Lee is a novel that allows the audience to reflect on significant social issues and values in our society. The poem by Abel Meeropol titled Strange Fruit also reflects on the tragedy of discrimination. The novel deals with many issues that involve racial injustice, the destruction of innocence and class in the American Deep South. The poem, in just three verses, powerfully deals with the outcome of the social issue of racism in its most extreme form. The prejudice and bigotry are embedded in the social values and laws of a society. It is not until individuals and groups rally against the prejudice that change occurs.…

    • 996 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Caste Sytem

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In To Kill A Mocking Bird, Harper Lee portrays racial bias from low class whites to maintain their position above blacks in the social hierarchy. After Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a mob of white men goes to the Maycomb jail to lynch Tom Robinson. “ You know what we want,’ Another man said. ‘Get aside from the door Mr. Finch.” Tom Robinson has been accused of rape, but he has not been put on trail, but these men decide to take it into their own hands and kill him just because he is black. These men do not personally know Tom Robinson, but if he were to win this case then these men would be at the bottom of the social hierarchy because of their socioeconomic status and respect in the community so they have want to lynch Tom Robinson to show their superiority over blacks. People like the Ewells are terrible people, and a disgrace to the community and the only thing keeping them from the bottom of the social hierarchy is the fact that their white. “Every town the size of Maycomb had families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status people like the Ewells lived as guests of the county in prosperity as well in the depths of a depression.” The Ewells are a disgrace to the community, and live off of everyone else but they still have a slightly higher status than the whites only because of the color of their skin. The blacks in Maycomb are a hard working people and should have more respect than the Ewells in the community so people like the Ewells try so hard to put the blacks down to keep from the bottom. In Maycomb the Blacks are better harder working than many of the whites, but the whites have more respect just because of the color of their skin.…

    • 598 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Racism, the belief that some races are better than other races, it destroys society and it lowers one's freedom of speech, it was present in To Kill a Mockingbird from start to end. Most of the white community had a biased opinion about black people and their community,you see that when Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to the black church because their father Atticus was away, but when they tell him about that their visit aunt Alexandra was not happy about it that there is segregation. Tom Robinson (a young innocent black man) falsely accused of raping a white girl Mayella Ewell, after him arriving at Macomb County there were some people from town that wanted to kill him before trial and later dies after the trial. Africans-American also served as slaves during that time, were given not much respect and if the white folks did not like them they would have been falsely charged and sent to jail or killed. Overall racism was active at all times in the novel and it got worse as the book proceeds and it shows how hard life was as a black person back then.…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hatred is a harsh word but everyone has hatred towards people because they’re different. Racism and hatred are both alike. To be racist someone has to have hatred or dislike towards who is of different color. Back in 1930’s Alabama, people who are white are more respected than people who are black because they think white men are more superior. In that time people were judge for defending a black man and were called a “negro-lover”. Being called that was like poison to anyone’s ears. If someone was to have a mix child they would be an abomination. In the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson, Atticus, and Dolphus Raymond are affected by racism because of skin color, for defending a black man, and having a mix children.…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Imagine a world in which the tall people gave orders to short people. In this world, tall people got the best of everything and short people essentially got their rejects. Of course, short mates with short and tall mates with tall, creating a never ending cycle. Black people experienced this every day.…

    • 835 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome.” (Rosa Parks) This quote is a very accurate representation of what life for people is like today. Yes, you heard that right. Today's society is not truly equal like it is portrayed to be. There are several authors that have written about what their life has been like, such as, How to Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian are all good examples of stories that portray how the world today is different, but still similar in many ways.…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Racism and injustice and violence sweep our world, bringing a tragic harvest of heartache and death,” Billy Graham once said. In Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus is a father and a lawyer, who lives with his children, Jem and Scout, and their cook, Calpurnia, in a town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a town populated with black and white people, where racism is apparent. White people feel they are superior than the black people and treat them poorly. Racism is evident when Tom Robinson lost the trial to Bob Ewell, because he was black, even though he is innocent. People were also being judged on appearance, or being treated improperly, like how people see the kind of person Boo Radley is in the beginning of the story. Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” is about injustice.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays