Theme Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Prejudice is an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason. In the story, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem and Scout Finch are two young kids that live in Maycomb, Alabama, that have to endure many events throughout their childhood such as the mad dog incident, the Tom Robinson trial, and Bob Ewell's attack on them. They finally realize why Atticus, their father, raised them the way he did after learning many life lessons like not harming innocent people, the importance of equality, and many others. Scout and Jem discover that their society runs on prejudice. Lee uses her symbolic style to show prejudice is a pervasive part of society.

Camellias are one symbolic way that shows prejudice is a pervasive part of society. After chopping the camellias Mrs.Dubose died, Lee describes, “Jem opened the box … was a white waxy, perfect camellia”(129). The white camellias resembles racism in society …show more content…
After the stories told about Boo, Lee writes, “A Negro would not pass the Radley Place at night, he would cut across to the sidewalk opposite and whistle as he walked...Radley pecans would kill you. A baseball hit into the Radley yard was a lost ball and no questions asked”(43). The kids had a set of superstitions about the Radley place and even the African-Americans seem to have their own set of superstitions around the Radley place. It occupies a specific place in the community, a stand-in for all the fears of the unknown. This unknown can stand for a society that has no racism. They fear the place because it is new and unknown just how people are not willing to try to strive for a land without racial prejudice because it is new and unknown. It shows how people are not willing to overview the stereotypes making prejudice greatly pervasive. Also, the snowman burning in the fire resembles prejudice being pervasive in their

Show More