To Kill a Mockingbird
Lindsey Congdon
Mrs. Peterson
Period 7
December 1, 2009 To Kill a Mockingbird Essay The Dictionary defines prejudice as, “an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.” There has been prejudice known throughout history, mostly against the blacks during and before the time of Martin Luther King Jr. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there is clear evidence of prejudice against the blacks. In both of these novels, the readers are shown that Rosaleen Daise (The Secret Life of Bees) and Tom Robinson (To Kill a Mockingbird) are two characters affected the most by discrimination and prejudice. In both novels, the authors had one major scene showing how badly the discrimination against the blacks was during that time. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it was demonstrated during the court scene where Tom Robinson was charged for raping Mayella Ewell. Mr. Bob Ewell’s testimony included that “‘Mayella was raisin’ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and run as fast as I could but I run into th’ fence, but when I distangled myself I run up to th’ window and I seen… I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!’” (Lee172) In The Secret Life of Bees, it was when Rosaleen went to town to register to vote and took Lily with her. She was stopped by some white men that didn’t believe black people should be treated equally and have the right to vote. When Rosaleen responded to their insults by drizzling her spit on their shoes they beat her up and she was sent to hospital type jail. Both scenes resulted in unfair treatment of the blacks: Tom Robinson was pronounced guilty by a jury of white men even though the evidence suggested otherwise. Rosaleen was beaten, by having the men “lunge at her, and everything started to spin. There was Rosaleen, grabbed and thrashing side to side, swinging the men like pocketbooks on her arms, and the men yelling for her to apologize and
Mrs. Peterson
Period 7
December 1, 2009 To Kill a Mockingbird Essay The Dictionary defines prejudice as, “an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.” There has been prejudice known throughout history, mostly against the blacks during and before the time of Martin Luther King Jr. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there is clear evidence of prejudice against the blacks. In both of these novels, the readers are shown that Rosaleen Daise (The Secret Life of Bees) and Tom Robinson (To Kill a Mockingbird) are two characters affected the most by discrimination and prejudice. In both novels, the authors had one major scene showing how badly the discrimination against the blacks was during that time. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it was demonstrated during the court scene where Tom Robinson was charged for raping Mayella Ewell. Mr. Bob Ewell’s testimony included that “‘Mayella was raisin’ this holy racket so I dropped m’load and run as fast as I could but I run into th’ fence, but when I distangled myself I run up to th’ window and I seen… I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!’” (Lee172) In The Secret Life of Bees, it was when Rosaleen went to town to register to vote and took Lily with her. She was stopped by some white men that didn’t believe black people should be treated equally and have the right to vote. When Rosaleen responded to their insults by drizzling her spit on their shoes they beat her up and she was sent to hospital type jail. Both scenes resulted in unfair treatment of the blacks: Tom Robinson was pronounced guilty by a jury of white men even though the evidence suggested otherwise. Rosaleen was beaten, by having the men “lunge at her, and everything started to spin. There was Rosaleen, grabbed and thrashing side to side, swinging the men like pocketbooks on her arms, and the men yelling for her to apologize and