Examples Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

They think that this is why he doesn’t do the things that other fathers do. This fact is proved shortly after when it’s said that “He did not do the things our schoolmates’ fathers did.” To the kids, this means that he is weak, not that he just has different interests than the other dads. Although Atticus may be old,

In Harper Lee’s book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the Finch children begin seeing their father Atticus Finch differently as the story goes on. It has to do with how things are perceived vs. reality which The Truman Show touches on. Up until later sections of this book, the way the kids viewed Atticus was as a placid and innocent old man. The narrator stated, “Atticus was feeble… He sat in the living room and read.”

A parent's role in their child’s life can affect their morals and values as they grow up. In Harpers Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a single father who is trying his best to be a good parent and role model to his children, Scout and Jem Finch. By teaching them that racism is not okay and that everyone should be treated with respect no matter their age, race, or beliefs. Atticus, a lawyer, was given a trial where he has to defend a black man against a rape charge against a white woman.

Prejudice and Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird In her historical fiction novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee follows two young children, Scout and Jem Finch, as they witness the racism and prejudice within their "tired old town" (6) of Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus, their loving father, takes it upon himself to courageously fight these concepts outside the neighborhood Scout and Jem "[confine] their activities to." (132). Atticus, a lawyer, willingly accepts to "[defend] a Negro…[,] Tom Robinson" (100), who was convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman.

When it started snowing in Maycomb, Mr. Avery blamed the cold weather on the kids. “‘See what you’ve done?’ he said. ‘Hasn’t snowed in Maycomb since Appomattox. It’s bad children like you makes the seasons change’”

Some women were happy to do this while others like Scout, a character in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, dreaded the day that this would become her life. To Kill a Mockingbird brings to light the racist and sexist attitudes of the 1930’s

¨he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment.” (Ch.1). Atticus cares about his children. He also plays and worries about his children which shows how much he cares and loves them. He hardly treats his children like children more but like a very close friend and all children all ever wanted to be treated like is a adult.

During the great depression, the issue of racism was alive. There was active lynching of black men, unlawful convictions, and just an all-around extreme resentment. In To Kill A Mockingbird, a novel by Harper Lee, Scout is the key character. She is a young girl who needs to learn about the racism and hate in her community. Scout learns to be empathetic through her experiences and the experiences of the people surrounding her.

People were trying to kill Tom Robinson, and they would go through Atticus to do it. He realizes the situation his father is in. He decides not to budge after being told to leave. I see this as a sign of maturity because he has the knowledge and experience to know what is going on where, as Scout did not. During the trial, they see countless acts of racism, and not only that, but they are going through a rape trial.

No matter how things result, Atticus is always level headed, and takes a lesson from every situation. Atticus’s parenting style is quite different compared to how many parents raise their children. He treats his kids almost as if they are adults, and expects them to be just as mature as him or any other adult. At the same time, he is also aware that children make childish mistakes. But he expects them to be aware of their mistakes and learn from them.

Oftentimes certain genders are prone to be seen in a certain way due to this. In To Kill a Mockingbird, we often see women being treated differently than in our modern time. Though it’s not necessarily as horrid as racism, we often see hurtful remarks being said to Scout because she doesn’t “act like a lady”. Scout talked about how Aunt Alexandra made remarks about how she dressed and conducted herself. Also throughout the book, we hear many characters requesting for Scout to be taken home because the subject matter is unfit for a lady to hear.

Atticus treats his children at young age to be like adults. Atticus expresses that he wants his children to learn how to be respectful at a young age so they know that for the rest of their lives. He wants his kids to understand that not everybody in Maycomb has the same life as they do, so he teaches them to be respectful of others like he is.

In a time of racism and inequality Atticus defending a colored man in a rape case brought people to attention and caused negativity towards Atticus and his family. When Atticus accepted the Tom Robinson case he knew people would not view him in a good way and would give the Finch name a bad reputation. Atticus’s actions not only upset the public but also upset his family because of the choices he made, ‘’Just what I said. Grandma says it’s bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he’s turned out a nigger-lover we’ll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb again. He’s ruining the family, that’s what he’s doing ’’ (Lee, 83).

The children's perception of their father changes a lot. I think that the children’s perception of their dad changes because at first they think that their father was a boring old man. They think that he was boring because he never did anything interesting. He didn’t have an interesting job as well, so his kids think that he is just innocent. “Atticus was never too tired to play keep-away, but when Jem wanted to tackle him Atticus would say, “I’m too old for that, son.”

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the most well written novels about prejudice during The Great Depression that I have read. It tells a story through the point of view of a little girl names Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. Although she may not understand everything, we see the world through her eyes and see how prejudice has impacted her life. She seems to know the simple truth more than the elders around her and tends not to fall “under Maycomb’s usual disease” thanks to her father Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is a down to earth guy that just wants to do what is right.