In the 1930’s, African-Americans made up more than 25% of the students in schools, but received only 12% of all education revenues and only 3 percent of funds budgeted for school transportation (www.loc.gov). This statement proves how prejudiced the country was at that time period. Racism wasn’t just person to person, but it was institutionalized from companies and organizations. It affected everyone, whether it benefited you or hurt you. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee deals with it because the book is based on a family that directly sees racism happen and it changes their perspectives. The story is about two kids, Scout and Jem, and their father, Atticus, who happens to be a lawyer that’s taking a case in which he defends a black man.
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It occurs many times throughout the book, even if it’s just small remarks by men. A prime example of sexism is the way Aunt Alexandra (Scout and Jem’s aunt, Atticus’ sister) forces gender expectations onto Scout. Aunt Alexandra believes in the traditional ‘Man goes out to work, woman stays inside and cleans’ mentality. This mindset was harmful to all the women and girls that wanted to express themselves and have the same opportunities that a man has. Aunt Alexandra believed that Scout needed a better female role model in their house than Calpurnia (the Finches’ maid/cook) because Cal is of a lower class. She also tells Scout that she should stop wearing overalls and sneakers and start dressing like ‘lady.’ There was also institutionalized sexism because the government still refused to allow women to be on jury for a trial, and in To Kill A Mockingbird’s case, the trial for Tom Robinson. Miss Maudie (the neighborhood woman who teaches Scout and Jem lessons and gives them cake) wanted to be on the jury, but wasn’t able to because of her sex. Many people ignored the issue of sexism because that’s always how it had been. If a woman declared anger towards the system, her opinions were seen as a joke. Also, sometimes Jem and his best friend Dill treat Scout like she is fragile and even exclude her from playing with them: “I declare to the lord you're getting more like a girl everyday (Lee, 119).” Jem says this to insult Scout, …show more content…
Racial prejudice is shown mostly through Maycomb's famous Tom Robinson case. Class prejudice is shown throughout Maycomb’s social groups and how the wealthy people control the town. Lastly, gender prejudice is shown through most of the women in Maycomb, especially Scout. During To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee displays tragic events that prejudice led Maycomb through, and how this could happen to any town if everyone had prejudice flowing through their streets. The lesson learned in To Kill a Mockingbird is that harming events will occur in any community that shows prejudice. Atticus asks Scout to climb in someone’s skin and walk around in it, and see their point of view, before judging them. People today still need to think about this before they make
It occurs many times throughout the book, even if it’s just small remarks by men. A prime example of sexism is the way Aunt Alexandra (Scout and Jem’s aunt, Atticus’ sister) forces gender expectations onto Scout. Aunt Alexandra believes in the traditional ‘Man goes out to work, woman stays inside and cleans’ mentality. This mindset was harmful to all the women and girls that wanted to express themselves and have the same opportunities that a man has. Aunt Alexandra believed that Scout needed a better female role model in their house than Calpurnia (the Finches’ maid/cook) because Cal is of a lower class. She also tells Scout that she should stop wearing overalls and sneakers and start dressing like ‘lady.’ There was also institutionalized sexism because the government still refused to allow women to be on jury for a trial, and in To Kill A Mockingbird’s case, the trial for Tom Robinson. Miss Maudie (the neighborhood woman who teaches Scout and Jem lessons and gives them cake) wanted to be on the jury, but wasn’t able to because of her sex. Many people ignored the issue of sexism because that’s always how it had been. If a woman declared anger towards the system, her opinions were seen as a joke. Also, sometimes Jem and his best friend Dill treat Scout like she is fragile and even exclude her from playing with them: “I declare to the lord you're getting more like a girl everyday (Lee, 119).” Jem says this to insult Scout, …show more content…
Racial prejudice is shown mostly through Maycomb's famous Tom Robinson case. Class prejudice is shown throughout Maycomb’s social groups and how the wealthy people control the town. Lastly, gender prejudice is shown through most of the women in Maycomb, especially Scout. During To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee displays tragic events that prejudice led Maycomb through, and how this could happen to any town if everyone had prejudice flowing through their streets. The lesson learned in To Kill a Mockingbird is that harming events will occur in any community that shows prejudice. Atticus asks Scout to climb in someone’s skin and walk around in it, and see their point of view, before judging them. People today still need to think about this before they make