Prejudice: Tom Robinson Essays

Submitted By Soldierman428
Words: 859
Pages: 4
Open Document
Dominguez 1

Jose Dominguez
Mrs. Webb
HS English 2: Period 6
6 May 2014
Prejudice
Are you the type of person that judges people by their looks, actions, or by their family?
Or are you the type of person that judges people by their personality? Many people judge others by just how they appear on the outside instead of actually getting to know the person. In "
To kill a Mockingbird
" Harper Lee shows that the County of Maycomb is an extremely prejudiced town, even though it looks very peaceful, the people that live there are not as nice as they look. The three main characters from the book that were being judged on were Tom Robinson, Atticus
Finch, and Arthur Radley.
Prejudice in “
To Kill a MockingBird
” is first shown and said by Atticus’s children, Scout and Jem. We first start of with Arthur Radley (Boo Radley). Throughout Maycomb Arthur
Radley is known as a “monster” because of stories they heard about him. “As Mr.Radley passed by, Boo drove the scissors into his parent’s leg, pulled them out, wiped them on his hands, and resumed his activities”(13). This shows that although this was a very awful thing to do, nobody really knows what was his purpose for this actions and the people of Maycomb don’t give
Arthur a chance to show what a nice guy he is. Also there are rumors about what Boo supposedly does at night such as peeking through windows or eating animals. “Boo was about six­and­a­half feet tall; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time”(15). This is showing the prejudice side to his story and what he has to live through, but in the end Scout finds out that none of these

Dominguez 2

myths were true, but because that is just one person the people in Maycomb still haven’t seen what he really looks like, so the rumors about him will still go on ad infinitum.
The second main character affected by prejudice is Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is an
African­American. We learn from the book that Tom Robinson was being accused of raping
Mayella Ewell, who is Bob Ewell’s daughter. “I see that black negro ruttin’ on my
Mayella”(173). This quote shows racism and prejudice because white people had more power over colored so whites would just accuse colored people of anything they didn’t do, just like what Bob Ewell did. He did his very best to make himself sound very convincing, and that he saw him raping his daughter. Atticus then pulls facts out of the evidence to prove Tom
Robinson’s innocence. At the end of the case the jury accused Tom Robinson guilty even though they didn’t have proof that he actually did it. When Tom Robinson died trying to escape the jail people were in shock but also they knew it was going to happen. “Typical of a nigger to cut and run”(240). This shows how white people think of colored people and how bad they are, but they are really not. They don’t realize that they are also people and they are just like them.
Last but not least there is the Finch family. Scout and Jem both are victims of prejudice when they first went to a colored church with Calpurnia. “You ain’t got no business
Show More

Related Documents: Prejudice: Tom Robinson Essays

How Does Tom Robinson Use Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

matter the race, black, white, or mixed, everyone faces a little prejudice. From the quietest to the loudest people, and the most well known people, they all face prejudice. Whether it be direct or indirect, everyone faces prejudice in one way or another. A mockingbird is an innocent person who is harmed, hurt, or killed by society through evil acts. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee makes the comparison of Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley to a mockingbird which shows how harmless…

Words 1649 - Pages 7

Examples Of Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

those who listened. The mockingbird symbolizes many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as Tom Robinson, Jem, Scout, and Arthur Radley. These characters appear completely innocent, similar to a mockingbird, however the town tries to hurt them. Maycomb attempts to ruin these faultless people, and they succeed in wrongfully convicting Tom Robinson of a capital crime. Racism, anger, and prejudice all manifest…

Words 833 - Pages 4

Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is described as a “preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.” Webster’s Rotary Canadian Dictionary & Thesaurus. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the horrendous impact that prejudice has on specific characters including Atticus Finch, Arthur “Boo” Radley, and Thomas Robinson. To begin, the unpleasant outcome of prejudice is indicated through Atticus Finch. Majority of Jem and Scout’s classmates have fathers that are youthful and…

Words 908 - Pages 4

Effects Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is a common theme seen throughout life and has a major effect on many people in today’s society. However, a half century ago prejudice was seen even more than it is today. People who experience prejudice are similar to a mockingbird because they are harmless yet they have a target on their back for no reason. Like shooting a mockingbird is a sin, so is judging other people. This theme is commonly referred to in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee’s characters of Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson…

Words 1013 - Pages 5

Prejudice In Tkam

An environment with prejudice may be difficult to overcome, but with the right intentions of morality it can be resolved. Harper Lee’s, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ portrays the struggles of racial prejudice through character Tom Robinson, who faced discrimination because of his skin colour. However, to a certain extent prejudice can be overcome through morality as portrayed through the character of Atticus Finch, who spoke up against the injustice of Tom Robinson. Thus, Lee’s TKAM conveys an environment…

Words 581 - Pages 3

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

defines prejudice as, “an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.” There has been prejudice known throughout history, mostly against the blacks during and before the time of Martin Luther King Jr. In The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there is clear evidence of prejudice against the blacks. In both of these novels, the readers are shown that Rosaleen Daise (The Secret Life of Bees) and Tom Robinson (To Kill…

Words 864 - Pages 4

What Does Tom Robinson Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

is Tom Robinson.The mockingbird is mentioned various times throughout the book, with it being used as a representation of innocence, as Ms. Maudie states, “ ‘Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’ ” (Lee 90). Tom Robinson is a mockingbird in this book,…

Words 834 - Pages 4

Conflicts In Pride And Prejudice Essay

history. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience. Discrimination is the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people of things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Prejudice and discrimination influenced by peers and sometimes parents causes feelings of shame, anger and sadness. Several characters in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee faced prejudice and discrimination. Several characters in Pride and Prejudice by Jane…

Words 526 - Pages 3

Examples Of Racial Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Racial Prejudice is a rigid and unfair generalization and assessment which is done by certain people toward the other people without knowing clearly about them. Prejudice is a common problem during the early quarter of the twentieth century. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird this problem is evident in Maycomb. Boo Radley, Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson are all victims of prejudice, and all three characters are plagued by this. It affects them all differently; crippling them and disabling them from…

Words 2008 - Pages 9

To Kill A Mockingbird Setting Analysis

of the Great Depression, racism, and segregation. Scout is a member of a poor, white family, and her dad is the lawyer for a colored man - Tom Robinson. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the setting strongly affects the conflict with innocent Tom Robinson, the prejudice of society, and the general mood of the story. The conflict with Tom Robinson wouldn’t be a conflict if it wasn’t set in…

Words 611 - Pages 3