Kill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee, Fear, Gossip And...

Francis Jeffrey once said, â€Å"Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.† This cannot be closer to the truth, especially in regard to the treatment of black people in the United States during their fight for equality in the 1900’s. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the early 1900’s. The story is told from Scout’s point of view and follows the lives of her, Jem her brother, Atticus their father, and their friend Dill. Atticus is a lawyer and is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, against charges of beating and raping a white girl. Jem and Scout witness and are subject to prejudice on account of race, gender, and social class. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, fear, gossip and stereotyping play a major role in the creation of discrimination and unjust prejudice between people, but these same people seek out common ground with others despite differences which is often times found by crea ting a common enemy which is observed and developed throughout the story by the main character, Scout. The town s prejudice against the Radleys makes them subject to gossip all because when Arthur (Boo) Radley was younger he was charged with â€Å"disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, assault and battery,† (Lee 12) then locked up inside their house, â€Å"to give no further trouble†, by Mr. Radley. Scout, Jem, and Dill use Maycomb’s talk of Boo to fabricate their game of the Radley s lives, â€Å"It was a melancholy little drama, wovenShow MoreRelated The Extent To kill a Mockingbird critiques the cultural values of Maycomb Society3208 Words   |  13 Pages‘To kill a Mockingbird’ is a strong reflection of Harper Lee, the author’s, upbringing. Having been raised in the small town of Alabama in the 1920’s she was frequently exposed to prejudice and this inspired her to write a book, her only to date, loosely based on her early day s. Tom Robinson’s trial, set in Maycomb County, is a parallel to the Scottsboro Trial, which was an infamous case during Lee’s childhood, where a ‘negro’ was accused of rape. However the emphasis is based more on the lawyerRead MoreThe United States Department Of Defense2228 Words   |  9 Pagesprinciple that â€Å"all people are created equal†, the Pentagon, a national headquarters, discriminated against its employees for their race. Despite being the country’s center for defense, it could not protect itself from stereotyping and prejudice. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, highlights the unjustness of discrimination by following the trial of a black man accused of raping a white woman. The story is told from the perspective of two children, Jean Louise (Scout) Finch and her brotherRead MoreThe Voice Of Prejudice By Nelson Mandela2024 Words   |  9 Pagesan internationally acclaimed figure in the fight against racism, d escribes this idea as, â€Å"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Harper Lee’s renowned novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic of American literature, explores a story of prejudice through the lives of some small town Southerners in the early 1930’s. The book is narrated by Jean Louise Finch, also known as Scout, a tomboy who prefers to solve