Racism and Discrimination in to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Racism and Discrimination as the theme in To Kill A Mockingbird To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel, that offers a view of life through a young girl’s eyes. The novel is focused on two main themes which are racism and discrimination. Racism is probably the biggest theme of the novel. It comes in as an open and subtle manner that is being displayed through speeches and actions. Racism in Maycomb takes mainly the form of having white people against black people. There are many people in Maycomb that are racist because they think of Negroes are a disgraced race and are mostly unreliable and untrustworthy. The speeches and actions are the most common forms of racism however the layout of the†¦show more content†¦Despite the similarities, racism is slightly different to discrimination which will be the next theme being discussed next. Discrimination is the main focus of this novel. Racism may seem like the only form of discrimination present but there are many other varieties such as being outcast and ostracized. The Maycomb society in To Kill a Mockingbird finds it hard to accept people that are different from the average standard of the community. The people that do not fit in with the society are often cast out and demonized over time. The prime example of this in the novel is Arthur Radley. Arthur had an unfortunate history. He was â€Å"aquainted with some of the Cunninghams (pg 10)† in his teens and eventually ended up in court charged with disorderly conduct. He could not be locked up with Negroes because the Negroes could not cope with him so he ended up in the court-house basement for a period of time. He was eventually released but remained locked up by being â€Å"chained to the bed most of the time (pg12)† back at home by Mr. Radley. Since Arthur was absent from the Maycomb community, he was eventually condemned and known as the â€Å"malevolent phantom (pg9)† who â€Å"went out at night when the moon was high and peeped in windows (pg)† of the Maycomb people. â€Å"When people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap, it was because he breathed on them.Show MoreRelatedRacism, Injustice, and Discrimination in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird800 Words   |  4 PagesRacism, Injustice, and Discrimination in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird According to Shackleford, â€Å"The novel portrays a young girls love for her father and brother and the experience of childhood during the Great Depression in a racist, segregated society, which uses superficial and materialistic values to judge outsiders, including the powerful character Boo Radley† (Shackelford). The main character relates closely with her father because he is the superior role model in her life. Having herRead MoreAnalysis Of Harper Lee s Kill A Mockingbird 1491 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee’s ​ To Kill a Mockingbird ​ is a critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize winning novel that instantly attained its position as one of the greatest literary classics (Editors).The story of Scout Finch’s childhood has become one of the most notable narratives that addresses controversial issues present in the early 20th century. Lee’s novel depicts themes of race, justice, and innocence throughout the novel. Although ​ To Kill a Mockingbird​ is regarded as a literary masterpiece in AmericanRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird vs a Raisin in the Sun1396 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent authors, who wrote two very different works. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about how prejudice and discrimination can lead to an innocent man being convicted of a crime he didn’t commit just because of his skin color. A Raisin in the Sun is a play about how the value of a family can overcome racism in a new town and allow a family to prosper, even in the worst conditions. However, both of these works deal with racism and discrimination in similar ways. Conversely, Harper Lee, being a whiteRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Racism : Segregation And Violence1400 Words   |  6 PagesEffects of Racism: Segregation and Violence Racial discrimination affects many minority groups and this issue still occurs to this day. Racial discrimination is the act of treating others differently because of the color of their skin. Although there have been laws placed to prohibit racial discrimination, racism still occurs and continues to have many negative effects to minority groups today. The negative effects of racial discrimination are discussed in the fiction novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by HarperRead MoreThe South : Controversial Topics On Harper Lee s Kill A Mockingbird1475 Words   |  6 Pagesin Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a critically acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize winning novel that instantly attained its position as one of the greatest literary classics (Editors).The story of Scout Finch’s childhood has become one of the most notable narratives that addresses controversial issues present in the early 20th century. Lee’s novel depicts themes of race, justice, and innocence throughout the novel. Although To Kill a Mockingbird is regarded as a literaryRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird: Discrimination Essay873 Words   |  4 PagesDiscrimination is prevalent in the story â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, the most obvious being the excessive amount of racism (Lee). Racism is the easiest to see but there are more forms of discrimination (Lee). Boo Radley is ostracized from the community when truly nobody really knows him (Lee). People discriminate Scout for being a tomboy not a lady (Lee). The last one that no one ever thinks about is how reverse racism is seen when people threaten Atticus for defending Tom Robinson in court (Lee)Read MoreRacism, Racism And Discrimination1366 Words   |  6 PagesRacism and discrimination, with or without recognition or existence of the label that is tied to itself, has always been a large part of society that can be dated all the way back to the Fall of Man. It is apparent in books, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, and is expressed throughout the world today. In the early 1900s, racial discrimination was still very prominent, but has slowly digressed until recent years where it has taken new forms. The historical context, the distinguished novel To Kill aRead MoreRacism And Critical Disposition Of Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1415 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Racism and Critical Disposition in Maycomb County Racism was a tremendous issue in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. It was applied throughout the novel and was increasingly used to judge others in Maycomb’s society. Racism was revealed through the novel to characters Jem, Scout, and Dill who were young children that were learning about the good and evil in the small town they lived in. Racism was a constant and significant topic. There were many aspects that contributed to racism and provedRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee913 Words   |  4 PagesIn Defense of To Kill A Mockingbird Rough Draft To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been banned and/or challenged over thirty times since its publication in 1960. Effectively preventing many students from enjoying the novel and benefitting from its message. To ignore racism is no different than denying it ever existed. To Kill a Mockingbird is appropriate for mature adolescence/students and should not be banned from schools. Despite its sexual related content, or profanity, a valuable lessonRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird And Kindred Essay735 Words   |  3 Pagesor ethnic identity† (Ashe). Throughout the novels, â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† and â€Å"Kindred†, the authors address important issues like social and racial injustice, racism, and discrimination in our history. In â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird†, we follow young Scout and Jeremy as they began to discover the true meaning of discrimination. In â€Å"Kindred†, we follow a young woman as she travels back in time as a slave and discovers the true cruelty of racism. Although these novels were set in different time periods