Discrimination and its Effects on Schools, Towns, and Homes in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example

“Discrimination is not done by villains. It is done by us“(Vivienne Ming). Most of the time, discrimination occurs between the normal residents of a town rather than the felonious. Discrimination is a pervasive factor that can derange a community. Additionally, Race and gender can determine one's behavior, connections with others, and even a court's ruling on a controversial case. In the historical novel To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the main characters are involved in the act of unjust behavior, whether it is given or received. In the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, discrimination is evident throughout the schools, the town, and even the homes of the community.

Throughout the single school in Maycomb, Alabama, the teacher and her students express discriminatory behavior and actions towards each other. For example, Miss Caroline ridicules Scout for being able to read, even though she was the only one in the class who knew how to read and write. This is an act of discrimination, as Miss Caroline judges Scout due to her education level being more advanced than the other students. Instead of congratulating Scout for being an advanced student, Miss Caroline tries to make Scout feel guilty for being able to read and write. While Miss Caroline expresses discriminatory behavior towards the students, the students also expressed this same behavior to each other. For instance, Scout pummeled Walter Cunningham for the fact that he informed the teacher about one of her actions. Miss Caroline smacks Scout with a ruler because she spoke out about Walter and how poor he was. Scout retaliates by attacking Walter during one of their breaks. This exhibits discrimination, as Scout expresses unjust behavior towards Walter because he was in a different wealth class than her. Furthermore, Cecil Jacobs makes fun of Atticus Finch in front of his daughter, purely because Atticus assisted an African American man. During school, Cecil Jacobs announced, “‘Scout Finch's daddy defended N-words”’(Lee 85). Cecil Jacobs makes fun of Atticus, since he was going to defend an African-American man, who was seen as inferior compared to the average white man. This indicates discrimination, as Cecil Jacobs expressed unjust treatment towards Atticus Finch because he accepted the case and wanted to prevent an innocent African American man from going to jail. Discrimination within schools is clearly demonstrated by the actions of the teacher and her students.

It is evident that the town of Maycomb, Alabama is flooded with discrimination. In particular, Bob Ewell accuses Atticus Finch of being an N-word lover. Ewell expresses this accusation as his reputation was on the line of becoming even worse than it already was. This is due to the fact that Atticus persuaded many people that Tom Robinson, the African American man who was charged with a rape crime, was innocent. This is an example of discrimination, as Bob Ewell expresses hatred towards Atticus Finch because he was affiliated with an African American man. Additionally, during the court case, discrimination was conveyed as the African American people were segregated into a different group than the white people. The African American people had to sit on a balcony, while the others were able to sit in front of the jury. During this time, white people were considered more important than black people, and segregation of the jury was a way to show this to everybody. This shows discrimination as a specific group of people had to sit away from the others because they were of a different race than them. Furthermore, the jury did not believe Tom Robinson's testimony, even though the evidence showed that he was innocent. In a conversation before the case, Tom Robinson's lawyer explained “‘Atticus, are we going to win… No”’(87). Atticus knew long before the trial that Tom Robinson would not win the case, as he had melanized skin compared to the other citizens of the town. Even though Atticus and Tom Robinson stated facts that proved Robinson was innocent, the jury still believed the opposing side for the reason that she was a white lady. This is an example of discrimination, as an innocent African American man was convicted, due to the fact that he was pitted against a white lady. Discrimination is clearly evident in the town, as demonstrated by the townsfolk.

Amongst the homes in Maycomb Alabama, family members express discriminatory behavior towards each other. For instance, Jem Finch tells Scout that she was acting too much like a “girl”. Scout had an abundance of masculine influence growing up, causing her to act like a tom-boy. Jem purposely insults Scout as she wanted nothing to do with the act of feminism. This indicates discrimination as Jem was ridiculing Scout for the fact that she was acting more feminine than he was used to. Additionally, Aunt Alexandra advised Scout Finch to become more feminine as she acts like a tomboy. Aunt Alexandra declared “‘We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence“‘ (145) Scout had no true feminine influence in her life as she did not have a mother. She had a different upbringing than most of the other girls, as she grew up trying to be like her brother instead of a mother figure. As soon as Aunt Alexandra came to live with the Finches, she continuously found faults in Scout, stressing the fact that she did not act feminine enough. This is an act of discrimination as Aunt Alexandra treated Scout unfairly, as Scout did not act on the grounds of being a feminine girl. Furthermore, Cousin Francis discriminated against Atticus Finch, as he scorned him for the fact that he took on the case of an African American man. Cousin Francis thinks that any affiliation with an African American person is a shame on their family name. Francis also stressed that Atticus was an embarrassment to their family for the fact that he was helping someone who was seen as inferior compared to the others in the town. This is an example of discrimination as Cousin Francis bullied Atticus for the fact that he wanted to help an innocent African American from getting convicted. Discrimination within houses is evident based upon the actions of the family members.

The harsh reality of discrimination causes a lack of compassion and empathy within the schools, communities, and even the homes of a city. In today's society, one's race or gender can have a pivotal role on how one gets treated. Harper Lee makes clear that discrimination occurs daily reaching from a student and their teacher to even a child and their parent. Regardless, discrimination still occurs today, on a global scale and impacts the lives of many. 

Works Consulted Page

Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.  Harper Perennial: New York. 1960.