Aspects Of Prejudice In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” Maya Angelou Prejudice refers to the prejudgement reached before relevant information has been collected or examined, making it inadequate or imaginary evidence. Having a prejudice can block any idea a person or thing produces creating a hostile environment. The author communicates many negative ideas about prejudice, these ideas are ones about racism, gender and status. The first example of prejudice given in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird is about racism. Tom Robinson’s case show’s how racism is present; Tom was convicted and also proven guilty. After, he was sent to prison, where he was shot seventeen times. Which was not necessary …show more content…
There is the top of the list the Finches, the next one’s down are the Cunningham’s and finally the Ewell’s. The Finches are far from being rich but are one of the more wealthy families in this novel. The Finches owned a car but did not use it frequently. They lived in a middle class home with a low fence separating their house from the neighbours. They were able to eat a meal every night which sometimes included maple syrup which Walter Cunningham was not accustomed to; “Don’t matter who they are, say-let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high a mighty! Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but if you don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em—if you can’t act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen !” (29) Cal told Scout that she may be wealthier than the Cunningham’s but that is no reason for her to judge the way he eats. Next in line would have to be the Cunningham’s, they never have a lunch for school and are not able to pay back their debts in money but in other ways they are able to pay. “He didn 't forget his lunch, he didn 't have any. He had none today nor would he have any tomorrow or the next day. He had probably never seen three quarters together at the same time in his life.” The Cunningham’s did not have enough money to afford a lunch and knew that when Miss Caroline offered to give him a quarter which he would never be able to pay back he did not take it. Atticus did some work for the Cunningham’s and they paid him back with things other than money such as chopped wood. The lowest family on the list other than Negroes would be the Ewell’s.The Ewell’s had to fetch water from a well and had a water bucket in the corner. The cabin’s plank walls were supplemented with sheets of corrugated iron, it’s roof shingled with tin cans hammered flat. Mayella was the one exception to the family. She made in effort to keep herself clean and had