To Kill A Mockingbird Prejudice
An Analysis on the Theme of Prejudice in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Prejudice is defined as “an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.” It occurs when people assume things towards others based on false or misleading information and external influences, leading to unfair and unjustified biases. Since the dawn of time to the modern age, humans have been creating false preconceptions of each other, leading to conflict, war, blood, and gore. A time in American history where prejudice is particularly distinct ranges from the post-civil war era to prior to the start of the African-American civil rights movement (1865-1954). Set in the South during the Great Depression (1929-39), To
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As pointed out by a pondering Jem, “There are four kinds of folks in [Maycomb]. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.” (Lee, 302). The difference between these groups of people is based on their social class, their wealth, as well as their connection to the Finch family (as per Aunt Alexandra). This four tier system begins with the Finches and the townspeople at the top. These are the upper to middle class working people of Maycomb that contribute the most to the town. The second tier below that is the Cunninghams. The Cunninghams are poor farmers with an inbred, incestuous family tree and Aunt Alexandra refers to them as “trash” because of this. The third tier is the Ewells, who can also be referred to as “white trash” by their lifestyle and them literally living nearby to Maycomb’s dump. The fourth tier are the Negroes, which are despised by all because of typical Southern racism. These people are connected together by Jem’s explanation: “The thing about it is, our kind of folks don’t like the Cunninghams, the Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells, and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks.” (Lee, 303). The natural hierarchy that this creates is due to prejudice, since the majority of every layer dislikes the layers below them and so on. They form assumptions in their head based off of the limited information they receive on the topic, leading to the ideology created by this demographic ranking system. This is how prejudice divides people in Maycomb’s
As pointed out by a pondering Jem, “There are four kinds of folks in [Maycomb]. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.” (Lee, 302). The difference between these groups of people is based on their social class, their wealth, as well as their connection to the Finch family (as per Aunt Alexandra). This four tier system begins with the Finches and the townspeople at the top. These are the upper to middle class working people of Maycomb that contribute the most to the town. The second tier below that is the Cunninghams. The Cunninghams are poor farmers with an inbred, incestuous family tree and Aunt Alexandra refers to them as “trash” because of this. The third tier is the Ewells, who can also be referred to as “white trash” by their lifestyle and them literally living nearby to Maycomb’s dump. The fourth tier are the Negroes, which are despised by all because of typical Southern racism. These people are connected together by Jem’s explanation: “The thing about it is, our kind of folks don’t like the Cunninghams, the Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells, and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks.” (Lee, 303). The natural hierarchy that this creates is due to prejudice, since the majority of every layer dislikes the layers below them and so on. They form assumptions in their head based off of the limited information they receive on the topic, leading to the ideology created by this demographic ranking system. This is how prejudice divides people in Maycomb’s