Prejudice is a problem that exists in societies around the world. Whether it is gender, class, family, religious, or racial prejudice, it exists everywhere. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a book that takes place in the 1930s that illustrates many different types of prejudice, especially in race, class, and family. Prejudice is portrayed on various occasions including when Tom Robinson is put on trial for a crime he clearly did not commit, when Aunt Alexandra explains to Scout Finch that she is not allowed to invite a boy whos family is not in their social hierarchy, and when Scout must explain to her new school teacher that Walter Cunningham and his family can not afford to have lunch. People tend to judge others in different situations based
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When Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, many citizens are quick to decide that he is guilty just because of the color of his skin. It does not matter to them that there is concrete evidence pointing towards Tom’s innocence. The jury ultimately decides that Robinson is guilty, even though it is plain that he is not. After the trial, Atticus says to Scout and Jem, “In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins.” (251-252) He must explain to the children that it was an unfair trial because Tom Robinson was black, which confuses and enrages them at the same time. Everyone in Maycomb knew the Tom had been falsely accused of rape, but no one seemed to care about this fact. He was a black man, therefore in their opinions deserved what he got. Even the sheriff of Maycomb County, who had testified against Robinson, knew that he had not done anything wrong. “There’s a black man dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it’s dead.” (316-317) A large portion of the book is about Tom Robinson’s trial, which is why racial prejudice is most clearly explained prejudice
When Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, many citizens are quick to decide that he is guilty just because of the color of his skin. It does not matter to them that there is concrete evidence pointing towards Tom’s innocence. The jury ultimately decides that Robinson is guilty, even though it is plain that he is not. After the trial, Atticus says to Scout and Jem, “In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins.” (251-252) He must explain to the children that it was an unfair trial because Tom Robinson was black, which confuses and enrages them at the same time. Everyone in Maycomb knew the Tom had been falsely accused of rape, but no one seemed to care about this fact. He was a black man, therefore in their opinions deserved what he got. Even the sheriff of Maycomb County, who had testified against Robinson, knew that he had not done anything wrong. “There’s a black man dead for no reason, and the man responsible for it’s dead.” (316-317) A large portion of the book is about Tom Robinson’s trial, which is why racial prejudice is most clearly explained prejudice