Prejudice in To Kill A Mockingbird
Prejudice is preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Prejudice comes in many forms and varieties too. There are three main types of prejudice in the book To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee. The three types of prejudice are Sexism, Classism and Racism. Sexism was a big problem back in the time of this story, but it is still a problem today.
Too lead off, the first kind of prejudice is Sexism. One way sexism is used in this story is how Aunt Alexandra comments about how scout dresses and acts like a tom girl. This shows that Aunt Alexandra thinks there is a certain way a girl should dress and act. Next, Sexism is shown when the boys stop playing with her, and criticize her because …show more content…
In this story there are three levels of white social hierarchy. The first level is the middle class whites who get by pretty easily like the Finch’s, next are the poor whites who do there best to get by like Boo Radleys family, and the last level is the “white trash” which is the poor, whites who barely get by and are dirty like the Ewells. An example of classism being used is no one cares if the Ewells go to school because they are dirty and they are in the bottom class. The Ewells don't even have shoes to wear to school the first day this shows how poor they are. Classism is also shown when Aunt Alexandra tells scout she cannot play with Walter Cunningham. When Scout asks why Aunt Alexandra says “i'll tell you why because he is trash, that's why you can't play with him”(225). This shows Aunt Alexandra judges based on family name and class. Racism is also a very big prejudice in the …show more content…
Just to begin with this topic, on the social hierarchy blacks are on the bottom below everyone in every situation. One time when racism is shown is the experience Scout and Jem get when they go to Calpurnia's church. The church is very old and run down inside and it is very empty, they don't even have books or bibles. The reason they don't have anything is because they can't read from not being able to go to school and they don't have very much money. Also when they get back from church with Cal one day Aunt Alexandra tells them that they are not allowed to go back to church with her. One of the biggest examples of racism in the story was the case of Tom Robinson. There was no evidence to prove Tom guilty and there was plenty of evidence that showed Tom was innocent but he lost the case just because he was black. There was so much proof showing he was innocent that it took the jury the longest it ever did for a case with a black man, but yet he was still guilty. Lastly Dolphus Raymond is an outcast because of his black family. Also even though his kids are part white they will still be considered black. Dill asks Mr. Raymond why he is crying and he says, “cry about the simple hell people give other people without even thinking, cry about the hell people give black folks without even stopping to think that they are people too”(201). Racism is by far the biggest prejudice throughout this
Prejudice is preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Prejudice comes in many forms and varieties too. There are three main types of prejudice in the book To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee. The three types of prejudice are Sexism, Classism and Racism. Sexism was a big problem back in the time of this story, but it is still a problem today.
Too lead off, the first kind of prejudice is Sexism. One way sexism is used in this story is how Aunt Alexandra comments about how scout dresses and acts like a tom girl. This shows that Aunt Alexandra thinks there is a certain way a girl should dress and act. Next, Sexism is shown when the boys stop playing with her, and criticize her because …show more content…
In this story there are three levels of white social hierarchy. The first level is the middle class whites who get by pretty easily like the Finch’s, next are the poor whites who do there best to get by like Boo Radleys family, and the last level is the “white trash” which is the poor, whites who barely get by and are dirty like the Ewells. An example of classism being used is no one cares if the Ewells go to school because they are dirty and they are in the bottom class. The Ewells don't even have shoes to wear to school the first day this shows how poor they are. Classism is also shown when Aunt Alexandra tells scout she cannot play with Walter Cunningham. When Scout asks why Aunt Alexandra says “i'll tell you why because he is trash, that's why you can't play with him”(225). This shows Aunt Alexandra judges based on family name and class. Racism is also a very big prejudice in the …show more content…
Just to begin with this topic, on the social hierarchy blacks are on the bottom below everyone in every situation. One time when racism is shown is the experience Scout and Jem get when they go to Calpurnia's church. The church is very old and run down inside and it is very empty, they don't even have books or bibles. The reason they don't have anything is because they can't read from not being able to go to school and they don't have very much money. Also when they get back from church with Cal one day Aunt Alexandra tells them that they are not allowed to go back to church with her. One of the biggest examples of racism in the story was the case of Tom Robinson. There was no evidence to prove Tom guilty and there was plenty of evidence that showed Tom was innocent but he lost the case just because he was black. There was so much proof showing he was innocent that it took the jury the longest it ever did for a case with a black man, but yet he was still guilty. Lastly Dolphus Raymond is an outcast because of his black family. Also even though his kids are part white they will still be considered black. Dill asks Mr. Raymond why he is crying and he says, “cry about the simple hell people give other people without even thinking, cry about the hell people give black folks without even stopping to think that they are people too”(201). Racism is by far the biggest prejudice throughout this