Forms Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Pride blinds a vast amount of our population, leading them to view the black and white of the world. Only picking out the uncircumcised facts they view from their impaired eyes. Innocent and naïve children’s judgment is convoluted. It passes on like a disease, from person to person, until it infects most and isolates few. Prejudice negatively impacts and isolates generations of humans by letting fear of wealth, male dominance, and race influence. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee demonstrates the many forms of prejudice, the three most prominent forms were sexism, prejudice against status and racism. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates the cruel outcomes of prejudice through the characterization of the citizens in Maycomb …show more content…
Prejudice through status evidently burdens Dolphus Raymond, Walter Cunningham and Arthur Radley. Dolphus Raymond a wealthy white man is mocked for having a relationship and children with an African American woman. He reveals to Scout and Dill he dissimulates being drunk to salvage his reputation: “When I come to town [...] I weave a little and drink out of this sack, (so) folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey-that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself”.(Lee, ) Similarly, the Cunningham’s are a poor family often contradistinguished for their appearances and overall social status. Aunt Alexandra will not let Scout play with their youngest son, Walter because “they’re not our kind of folks, [...] you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem,”(Lee, ) Society views the Cunningham’s as inferior because they are destitute, causing him to have no friends. Lastly, Arthur Radley, an innocent and socially awkward adult is wrongfully identified as a monster by the town because he chooses to shield himself from corruption. He is described as “about six and a half feet tall, judging by his tracks; he dined on squirrels and any cats he could catch, that’s why his hands were bloodstained.”(Lee, ) The gossip in the town forces him to isolate himself. People evaluate others by assessing …show more content…
The novel demonstrated three types: prejudice against gender, status, and race all of which harms the characters mentally and physically. It isolates and limits those who do not fit society’s standards. Generations unknowingly pass it on to their offsprings keeping the speculations alive. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion based on no facts or experience, it is often used to protect pride which blinds