Discrimination in to kill a mocking bird
The most important theme of the 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is author Harper Lee’s tenacious exploration of the moral nature of people. Lee tenaciously explores the moral nature of human beings, especially the struggle in every human soul between discrimination and tolerance. The novel is very effective in not only revealing discrimination, but also in examining the nature of discrimination, how it works, and its consequences. One of the ways it accomplishes this is by dramatizing the main characters’, Scout and Jem’s, maturing transition from a perspective of childhood innocence. Initially, because they have never seen or experienced evil themselves, they assume that all people are good by nature and tolerant of others. It is not until they see things from a more realistic adult perspective that they are able to confront evil, as well as discrimination, and incorporate it into their understanding of the world. The fight to eliminate discrimination is represented through Atticus’s efforts. Atticus Finch has experienced and understood evil throughout his life. He has been confronted with prejudice and racism, but has not lost his faith in the human capacity for goodness. Atticus understands . . .
Gilmer continuously refers to Tom as “boy” during the trial. from his own experiences and reflection that, rather than being simply creatures of good or creatures of evil, most people have both good and bad qualities. His father is respected and this shows society’s respect for the status quo. He goes on to say that he understands why Boo Radley’s stays shut up in the house all the time “…because he wants to stay inside”. In there opinion a black man is thinking too highly of himself if he has the audacity to feel sorry for a white person. Boo stays inside to avoid confronting ignorance and intolerance and is therefore alienated. Throughout the novel there are countless instances of societal discrimination toward these characters. To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in southern Alabama in the 1930’s, the time and place of an extremely segregated society. Tom is discriminated because he is black and is seen as a lesser human being. The people of Maycomb do believe in the stereotypes. Intolerance and ignorance in society is the cause of alienation. Scout and Jem are teased just because Atticus is representing a black man. The Ewells lived near the garbage dump and they are associated with it by the people of Maycomb. Mayella Ewell is disrespected and disliked by the people in Maycomb County.
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Acceptance Essays
