Prejudice is a contagion. It only takes one person to exhibit it, and then more will follow. This ignorant falsehood corrupts our minds into believing that it is acceptable to not to treat our neighbour as we would ourselves. As a result- society then becomes victim to its own prejudice. We see this in the short story ‘On the train’ by Fiona Kidman, ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak, ‘The Pianist’ which is directed by Roman Polanski and also in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee. These texts highlight the fact that stereotyping is only for those without the perception to see people as they are instead of being like someone else they understand, but also that prejudice does not only harm an individual but also contributes to a larger
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Though both texts are set in different circumstances, their characters all face some sort of prejudice which is caused due to the behaviour of the society in which they live. Both texts are distinctively narrated in first person which further immerses us readers into the impact injustice can have on an individual. An example of this in the short story is when Dick contemplates “So what is it? Something in the composition of skin, tissue and muscle that I can’t see but this girl can”. Using this technique, Fiona Kidman is able to position us readers in a way that we have no choice but to empathise with Dick. In contrast, we see the acceptance and innocence in Scout as she observes “why i think there’s just one type of folks. Folks.” She brings hope to the society of Maycomb as, unlike the rest, she decides to see people for who they are, not the colour of their skin. Scout is willing to stand up for what she believes is right and to make sure everyone is treated equally. Her voice juxtaposes the cruel, bigoted opinions of the rest of the white society of Maycomb and, in the same way, the Grannies on the train. Whether it be disability or race, we have pushed those whom we have condemned to the fringes of our society and this behaviour has continued to prevail into our lives today. Who are we to make assumptions on others based solely on their
Though both texts are set in different circumstances, their characters all face some sort of prejudice which is caused due to the behaviour of the society in which they live. Both texts are distinctively narrated in first person which further immerses us readers into the impact injustice can have on an individual. An example of this in the short story is when Dick contemplates “So what is it? Something in the composition of skin, tissue and muscle that I can’t see but this girl can”. Using this technique, Fiona Kidman is able to position us readers in a way that we have no choice but to empathise with Dick. In contrast, we see the acceptance and innocence in Scout as she observes “why i think there’s just one type of folks. Folks.” She brings hope to the society of Maycomb as, unlike the rest, she decides to see people for who they are, not the colour of their skin. Scout is willing to stand up for what she believes is right and to make sure everyone is treated equally. Her voice juxtaposes the cruel, bigoted opinions of the rest of the white society of Maycomb and, in the same way, the Grannies on the train. Whether it be disability or race, we have pushed those whom we have condemned to the fringes of our society and this behaviour has continued to prevail into our lives today. Who are we to make assumptions on others based solely on their