Racism and prejudice have been around for centuries and never seem to go away,
unfortunately. It can be observed in many shapes and forms, such as literature. Harper
Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird does an exceptional job of illustrating how atrocious
human nature can be, as well as highlighting the more gracious aspects of it.
The book’s setting is the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the mid-1930s.
While generally being amicable, most of the inhabitants of Maycomb have a negative
perception of African-American people and their lives. One lady, Mrs. Dubose, verbally
harasses the main characters, Jem and Scout, saying, “‘Your father’s no better than the
niggers and trash he works for!’” (Lee 117). Mrs. Dubose loathes the …show more content…
When strolling downtown with his kids, Atticus elaborates on an example of racism and
teaches Scout about the inhumane acts a person could commit, saying, “‘As you grow
older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you
something and don’t you forget it [...] that white man is trash.’” (Lee 252). Atticus tries to
make sure that his children do not grow up to be like the rest of the town and does his best
to ensure that they are not biased or racist.
In addition to personal beliefs, an immense influence on a person’s opinion on
African Americans in the novel is their background and family’s heritage. Atticus’ family, the
Finch family, has been in Maycomb for generations and feels very strongly about race.
Scout’s cousin Francis says to her “‘Grandma says [...] now he’s turned out a nigger-lover
we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s
unfortunately. It can be observed in many shapes and forms, such as literature. Harper
Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird does an exceptional job of illustrating how atrocious
human nature can be, as well as highlighting the more gracious aspects of it.
The book’s setting is the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama during the mid-1930s.
While generally being amicable, most of the inhabitants of Maycomb have a negative
perception of African-American people and their lives. One lady, Mrs. Dubose, verbally
harasses the main characters, Jem and Scout, saying, “‘Your father’s no better than the
niggers and trash he works for!’” (Lee 117). Mrs. Dubose loathes the …show more content…
When strolling downtown with his kids, Atticus elaborates on an example of racism and
teaches Scout about the inhumane acts a person could commit, saying, “‘As you grow
older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you
something and don’t you forget it [...] that white man is trash.’” (Lee 252). Atticus tries to
make sure that his children do not grow up to be like the rest of the town and does his best
to ensure that they are not biased or racist.
In addition to personal beliefs, an immense influence on a person’s opinion on
African Americans in the novel is their background and family’s heritage. Atticus’ family, the
Finch family, has been in Maycomb for generations and feels very strongly about race.
Scout’s cousin Francis says to her “‘Grandma says [...] now he’s turned out a nigger-lover
we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruinin’ the family, that’s