In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, gossip plays a major role in creating and feeding prejudices that isolate members of society. The main character of the book, Scout, was a child when her father became involved in a controversial case in their hometown. What people said about her father quickly took precedence in her life, and the lives of the family her father was defending.
Before her father became involved with the case, Scout was introduced to the neighborhood gossip the story of Boo Radley, the neighbor’s son. Boo Radley was a mysterious figure that spiked the curiosity of her and her brother, Jem. “People said he existed, but Jem and I never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them” (9). Boo Radley was made into a monster and isolated from what people said about him, creating a layer of fear in the community.”Miss Stephanie Crawford said she once woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her” (13). Fear gets spread around very easily and can quickly create …show more content…
No, child. That darky’s wife. Tom’s wife. Tom-’
‘Robinson, Ma'am’” (264). Grouping everyone with dark skin up and stereotyping them as terrible people is what this gossip is doing, isolating people who have nothing to do with what happened and trying to say ‘they’ are all terrible people.
Even in their own family Scout’s father was put into a separate category and shamed,
“‘If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your fault… He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’” (94). Gossip plays a huge part in feeding lies and prejudice in the novel, isolating people and putting them into groups. Gossip feeds the prejudice so much that Tom Robinson does get convicted because of the buildup, talk, and controversy that plays such a big role in
Before her father became involved with the case, Scout was introduced to the neighborhood gossip the story of Boo Radley, the neighbor’s son. Boo Radley was a mysterious figure that spiked the curiosity of her and her brother, Jem. “People said he existed, but Jem and I never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he had breathed on them” (9). Boo Radley was made into a monster and isolated from what people said about him, creating a layer of fear in the community.”Miss Stephanie Crawford said she once woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her” (13). Fear gets spread around very easily and can quickly create …show more content…
No, child. That darky’s wife. Tom’s wife. Tom-’
‘Robinson, Ma'am’” (264). Grouping everyone with dark skin up and stereotyping them as terrible people is what this gossip is doing, isolating people who have nothing to do with what happened and trying to say ‘they’ are all terrible people.
Even in their own family Scout’s father was put into a separate category and shamed,
“‘If Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that’s his business, like Grandma says, so it ain’t your fault… He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s what he’s doin’” (94). Gossip plays a huge part in feeding lies and prejudice in the novel, isolating people and putting them into groups. Gossip feeds the prejudice so much that Tom Robinson does get convicted because of the buildup, talk, and controversy that plays such a big role in