Theme Of Prejudice In Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

946 Words4 Pages
To Kill a Mockingbird Brittany He The idea of loss of innocence when exposed to the harsh reality of the world and the corrupted evil of humanity is one of the main themes in Harper Lee’s well renowned novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Scout becomes aware of complex issues in the Maycomb’s community. These complex issues are about a variety of different things including the gender debate, discrimination, prejudice and racism. The awareness of these issues leads Scout to become aware of what is happening in the community of Maycomb. The wisdom and significant actions taken by Atticus also helps Scout learn that although there is a lot of evil in…show more content…
The trial raises questions that shake the town and its people, and some are left wondering whether racism and unjust treatment or the truth will prevail. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee shows how such events affect the way Scout grows over the course of the story. She becomes aware of the unfair treatment and injustice in the world, for example, when she witnesses the racial prejudice and discrimination as Tom Robinson is wrongly accused for a crime he did not commit. Bob Ewell uses Tom as a scapegoat to cover Mayella’s shame and guilt, and their actions reveal their own racism as well as the idea that racism that exists in town. They know that if Tom is accused, he is likely to be convicted because the jury will be all white and it is likely that they will not be able to see the truth but for the racist perspectives handed to them by their ancestors. Lee, through the narration of Scout, states, “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads- they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s word, the white always wins. They’re ugly, but these are the facts of life.” This narration is told from an older grown up perspective of Scout, which shows her growth as she experiences and understands the prejudice of
Open Document