Prejudice is defined as a preconceived opinion not based on actual experience or reason. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many types of prejudice. The most important ones pertaining to this novel are racial prejudice, religious prejudice, and social prejudice. Prejudice leads to many things, such as hateful speech, acts of violence, and in some cases, murder. Prejudice today is focused mainly on religion, race, and sexuality. This is similar to the prejudices during the Great Depression, but during this time period the biggest prejudice was, without a doubt, racial prejudice. In the wonderful novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee touches on many kinds of prejudice; such as racism, religious prejudice, and social prejudice; and their effects
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In the novel, there are many examples of social prejudice. The social tiers of Maycomb can be described as average white folk, who look down on the Cunninghams, who look down on the Ewells, who look down on the colored people. An example from the novel of social prejudice would be aunt Alexandra refusing to let Scout play with Walter Cunningham, because she believed the Cunninghams were not social equals to the Finches. One of the most interesting examples of social and racial prejudice all tied into one is the case of Dolphus Raymond. He pretends to be a town drunk, so people would blame the “alcohol” for why he is in an interracial marriage, when really it is because he loves his wife. He says, "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--that's why he won't change his ways... that's why he lives the way he does." (pg. 268 : ch. 20) In the case of the Ewell’s, they were dirt poor and looked down upon, yet the town gave them special privileges just so they could survive, such as letting them break laws about hunting and truancy at
In the novel, there are many examples of social prejudice. The social tiers of Maycomb can be described as average white folk, who look down on the Cunninghams, who look down on the Ewells, who look down on the colored people. An example from the novel of social prejudice would be aunt Alexandra refusing to let Scout play with Walter Cunningham, because she believed the Cunninghams were not social equals to the Finches. One of the most interesting examples of social and racial prejudice all tied into one is the case of Dolphus Raymond. He pretends to be a town drunk, so people would blame the “alcohol” for why he is in an interracial marriage, when really it is because he loves his wife. He says, "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--that's why he won't change his ways... that's why he lives the way he does." (pg. 268 : ch. 20) In the case of the Ewell’s, they were dirt poor and looked down upon, yet the town gave them special privileges just so they could survive, such as letting them break laws about hunting and truancy at