How Does Lee Use Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Prejudice is the irrational suspicion and hatred of a social group, usually towards race. Evidently, the social hierarchy upon which we build society promotes hate and injustice. In Harper Lee’s depression era novel To Kill a Mockingbird, she illustrates the different types of mindsets of the southern people of Maycomb County, Alabama. In the early 1930’s, unemployment and poverty were spreading quickly during the years of the Depression and the quality of living had dropped substantially. Maycomb had been severely affected by the Depression, and the people were forced to adapt to the new changes. Even though Slavery had ended in 1863, the people of Maycomb sill despised african americans. The prejudice of class, gender, and color is displayed …show more content…
The only way that Mr Raymond can survive without the town bombarding him or his family is by indirectly forcing the town to insinuate he has a drinking problem. Since his children are mixed, most people in Maycomb avoid the children because “they don’t belong anywhere” (Lee 215). This assertion means that the people of Maycomb reject the idea of a white man and a colored woman together because of one’s skin color. Therefore blatantly ignoring Mr. Raymond’s children because they are neither white nor black. The people of Maycomb remain ignorant towards the idea of mixing races. One other example of racial prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird is the racism presented towards the population of colored people in Maycomb. Mrs. Farrow is a woman in the local Missionary Society who attends a meeting with Scout, the daughter of Atticus. There is also Mrs. Merriweather, a devout Methodist, and a few other women who attend the meeting. Mrs. Farrow believes that the black people of the town will never progress, and giving them a proper education is just a vain attempt (Lee 311). Undoubtedly, the amount of prejudice displayed by Mrs. Farrow appears to be publicly accepted and this
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