Examples Of Social Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, it is commonly agreed that the major theme is racial segregation, but the much larger and much more present theme is the social inequality, prejudice, and differences to which Maycomb is built on.
Throughout the novel, we are shown clear and present signs of the social prejudice in Maycomb County. In Chapter 23 of the novel, Jem says, "There's four kinds of folks in the world. The ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, the Cunninghams, the Ewells, and the Negroes" (Lee 226). Do to the Great Depression, most of MAycomb falls under the category of ‘ordinary people.’ Scout herself says,“There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and nothing to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself” (Lee 5-6). It is hard for there to be a plethora of social classes when everyone is just barely scraping by. After the ‘ordinary class’ we are left with three groups. The Cunninghams, who are still a part of society, but merely suffering worse than anyone under The Depression. The Ewells who are
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The major descriptions of characters and their social standing are lost in the film, and it is difficult for one to pinpoint the different social classes. The film however, did provide a better understanding of some of the characters. One character whom you find yourself empathizing with much more is Walter Cunningham Sr. THe film does an acceptable job of displaying the emotions and hardships of this man, even though he is on screen for only a few minutes. I myself originally thought of Walter being a rude and brutish character, but now think of him as the victim that he truly