While using stereotypes in a literary piece of work can be monotonous, it can be very effectual when getting a point across. Harper Lee accomplishes to get her moral condemnation of prejudice in a precise way by using stereotypes within the story. Lee creates the characters to be judged upon without any knowledge of what is really the truth. Arthur “Boo” Radley is a victim of the stereotype in the story. He is believed to be a crazy monster who should be feared yet his only sins are his lack of communication skills and shyness. This might be a result of his father’s treatment towards him as it is implied that his father abused him, “The things that happen to people we never really know. What happens in houses behind closed doors…” (Miss Maudie, …show more content…
In reality he was a victim of Bob and Mayella’s plan to cover up what truly happened, which was that Mayella tried to seduce Tom and Bob saw it. Atticus proved to the jury that Tom didn’t rape her and that he didn’t hit her, “… Mayella Ewell was beaten savagely by someone who led exclusively with his left… Tom Robinson now sits before you, having taken the oath with the only good hand he possesses-his right hand.” (Atticus, pg. 232). Atticus also implies that it was Bob Ewell who hit her when he saw what she was doing by asking a rhetorical question, “Her father saw it… What did her father do?” (Atticus, pg. 232). Even though the facts were clear somehow people still knew the jury would find him guilty. In a conversation Scout and Dill had with Mr. Dolphus Raymond, he foreshadows what was about to happen, “… you haven’t seen enough of the world yet. You haven’t seen this town, but all you gotta do is step back inside the courthouse.” (Mr. Raymond, pg. 229). This proved that the social code was stronger than the truth. Tom was found guilty of his charges and was later killed when he tried to escape prison, he was shot 17
Stereotyping is represented in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird through historical allusion. Tom Robinson, who was an innocent crippled handed and kind, was falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Consequently, he was put into trial. This trial, which alludes to Scottsboro trial, portrays white man’s stereotypical view of black man at that time.
Tom had to live a life in jail, up until his crucial death, because the town is biased. Atticus spoke out about their assumption during the court case, he stated: “... confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption- the evil assumption- that all … lie, that all … are immoral beings, that all … men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption once associates with minds of their caliber” (Lee 232). Atticus shows through that statement how the town thinks all of them are bad and cannot be trusted. This goes to show how they would not take into account Tom’s side of the case because he is an “immoral being”. This is an awful assumption made by the town, why would they want an innocent man put away for a crime he did not commit?
Not an old Uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.”(Lee 272). Therefore, Atticus proves to the court with the evidence that Tom was not Guilty and Mayella Ewell tried to kiss Tom, and when Bob Ewell saw this he beat her and blamed it on Tom Robinson. “Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levellers, and in our courts all men are created equal” (Lee 273-274). Instead the court does not want people to hate them so they say that Tom was guilty.
Stereotyping in To Kill a Mockingbird Which characters in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird experience the most discrimination throughout the story? Many people would say that Tom Robinson is the obvious choice when considering the characters that are most victim to prejudice and stereotyping; however, Scout Finch is repeatedly exposed to preconceptions and biases about her gender. Tom is faced with brutal racism that eventually resulted in his death. While the consequences he suffered due to his race were far more severe than what Scout dealt with, she was still largely susceptible to inequality. Both Scout and Tom were challenged with unreasonable and unfair standards in Harper Lee’s
Stereotypes in Maycomb rule the town. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, people are expected to be in a certain social standing, and to never cross the stereotypical line. Everyone knows their place, and people socialize within their assigned groups. If the line is ever crossed, there are serious consequences.
There were many characters in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird that were victims of stereotyping. Some of these characters include Jean Louise Finch, or Scout, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson. Scout is often stereotyped by her Aunt Alexandra, and by her neighbor, Mrs. Dubose for not being ladylike. Usually, Scout is wearing overalls, and is outside throughout the day with her brother Jem, and her friend Dill, instead of following the expectation for a lady and wearing dresses, and doing housework. Scout is aware of the stereotype that is held against her.
Atticus tells Scout “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” (p. 39). because he wants her to know that to understand the things Miss Caroline does, Scout must try and look at it from their perspective. Scout does this when she remarks, “She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it as an honest mistake on her part.” (p. 40). Atticus is attempting to make Scout realize Miss Caroline won’t know everything about Maycomb in a day.
Stereotypes influenced the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird by how Scout and the members of the Maycomb community viewed themselves and others, and impact readers by creating a sense of inferiority around the stereotyped group. The stereotypes in the novel influenced the characters and plot, as members of the Finch family felt the impacts of racial, gender, and behavioral stereotypes from Atticus’ court cause and Scout’s tomboyish behavior. To begin, Atticus stated: “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway
Appearance and stereotypes can make us judge someone, because of something such as skin color. These perspectives can keep people from seeing the consequences and results of their actions. By learning how to open our minds, we can broaden our own perspectives. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses conflict and plot to illustrate that judging someone without knowing them can eliminate the opportunity to understand their point of view. Lee shows this through Boo Radley and the theories that people have about him.
The Prejudice of Maycomb County Prejudice has plagued the United States of America for decades, and still plays an important role in the lives of everyday people today. Moreover, it can be in the form of racism, sexism, classism, or one of many other countless methods of presumption towards others. Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird, chooses to illustrate the prejudice of Maycomb County through the use of characters’ actions and dialogue. Aunt Alexandra may be full of pride, but she is prejudice nonetheless.
In the book ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee, the concept of fear is presented and based on stereotypes. Maycomb County lives are mainly based upon stereotypes and fiction stories. Besides, being scared of Boo Radley was all because of what the children have heard from others about the Radley’s past and present. Furthermore, fear is what we find in books because people will believe everything they see and read about.
Judgement is often placed on the people of Maycomb. Generally, the women of Maycomb gossip about the people in the town based on stereotypes. Subsequently, the men in the town then act on the statements that were made by the women. Because of the adults the children often join in the banter, which evidently makes the cycle continue even as they get older. People repeatedly judge others based on stereotypes.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee one of the essential questions is: how do our own personal stereotypes help shape how we experience the world. The stereotypes in this novel had affected the people of Maycomb’s thought process. Stereotyping is the process of generalizing people and broadly categorizing them based on narrow minded observations of characteristics that they have. Most people are stereotyped due to their race, gender, age, unknown identity, or social class.
Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the story of a small town named Maycomb Located in Alabama, highlighting the adventures of the finch children and many other people in the small town. The people in this town are very judgemental and of each other and it often leads to people being labeled with stereotypes and people think they know everything about that person however that is not reality. It is not possible to know the reality of a person 's life by placing a stereotype without seeing it through their own eyes and experiencing the things they experience. This happens often throughout the story with many people in the town. People are labeled as many things such a “monster” a “nigger” and many other things that seem to put them in their