Prejudice And Stereotypes In To Kill A Mockingbird

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During the 1930’s in southern America the African Americans were still being mistreated by the opposite race. Numerous African Americans were thrown in jail with no evidence in doing the crime. The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” focuses on the prejudice surrounding the trial of Tom Robinson who was an innocent black man accused of raping and horrendously beating a white woman. Similar situations comparable to this trial were very common during the 1930’s due to the Jim Crow Laws being strongly enforced in Alabama. In the 1930s the trial of the Scottsboro Boys took place, the case in which two young white women unjustly accused nine young African Americans of rape. Both of these historical and fictional trials prompt the courage to stand up …show more content…
The book consists of racial prejudice throughout the trial of Tom Robinson, an innocent man being falsely persecuted for the rape of a white woman, Mayella Ewell. The racially prejudice nature of Maycomb is portrayed clearly through events and language in the novel. Atticus is accused by the town for being a “nigger lover” for supporting Tom’s case. He is also confronted by the lynch mob outside the jail because they had the intention to kill Tom Robinson as a fast way to skip the trial. As Mayella had a bruised right eye she alleged Tom of punching her even though he is right handed, and his left arm is at a condition where it can’t be used. Although Atticus revealed he was not guilty of raping or beating Mayella, the jury found him guilty because of how African Americans were perceived at that period of time. The prejudice is comprehensively apparent throughout the trial, as Atticus managed to prove the innocence of Tom but the jury still refused to declare the innocence of a black man over a white as the town of Maycomb held racial discrimination over justice. Atticus, a white lawyer defending Tom in court, becomes outlawed by some within the white community as he took the case. Atticus who is against the bias laws, disregards the comments made by the majority of the white population and still continued with the case. Atticus’ …show more content…
Both trials were located in the same place during the same period of relentless prejudice and bias, which is a major factor in the outcome of both cases. The common parallels are perceived in the trials of both cases where the defendants were falsely accused. In both cases the defendants were tried by white juries, “A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted, and when this jury came in, not one of them looked at Tom Robinson” (Lee, 1960, pg.229). The idea of no African-Americans in the jury influenced the outcome, because of the racial discrimination towards Negroes. Mayella and Victoria Price were similar in giving their testimonies, after they gave their story of the attacks, they eventually stopped answering questions ordered by the lawyers. Both Lawyers were intelligent and charismatic, in both cases they were enthusiastic in declaring the innocence of the accusers but both lost their cases. In each trial the defending lawyers cast doubt on their

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