Essay Sample on Injustice in To Kill A Mockingbird

The self-deprecating feelings that injustice causes are overwhelming. Could you imagine living your life and getting judged for just being you? Imagine being judged just because of how you look or because you prefer being alone. Being judged for just being you is something that nobody should need to go through. In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson both show how injustice was shown in the book. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is wrongfully accused of rape and loses the court trial due to the color of his skin since this book takes place during the great depression. Boo Radley has numerous rumors created about him due to him never leaving his house and preferring to stay inside. People had made Boo seem like an awful person, though, that is not true. Boo had cared for everyone and took care of Jem and Scout even though he did not know them. Injustice can mean multiple things whether that means to be judged for who you are, betrayal, or even the feeling of losing hope because you know you may never find the justice you have hoped for. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird explores the motif of injustice through the experiences of Boo and Tom.

For example, Boo experiences injustice several times throughout the novel. Boo shows injustice when he is being judged for not wanting to come outside of his house. Boo had been judged numerous times for not leaving his house. This was until, Jem realized that he "Think[s] [he's] starting to understand why Boo Radley stays shut up in [the] house all this time.. It's because he wants to stay inside" (Lee 259). This shows injustice because Boo is being judged for not wanting to leave his house. This is unfair to him because he was someone the whole neighborhood judged even though he was just an old guy who preferred to stay inside. Another way Boo shows injustice is the rumors that have been created about him. Boo has also shown injustice due to the number of times he has been judged and all of the rumors created about him. The most well-known rumor caused a lot of dislike towards Boo. Many people disliked and feared Boo due to "Boo [driving] the scissors into his parents’ leg, pull[ing] them out, wip[ing] them on his pants, and resum[ing] his activities" (Lee 12). This is another way that Harper Lee uses Boo Radley to show injustice. Boo shows injustice here due to the fact that rumors are being created about him. This turned multiple people against him and had even made people afraid of who he was as a person. Though, none of this was true. During the novel, Boo goes through experiences that he encounters injustice. 

Furthermore, Tom suffers injustice in multiple situations throughout the novel. Tom shows injustice by getting shot. Tom had shown injustice and unfairness. Tom’s injustice begins due to him getting shot. It was a normal afternoon until everyone found out that “Tom’s dead” (Lee 268). Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson to show injustice in this novel by Tom not getting treated equally. Tom never had the life that a regular white kid would have had. Due to the way society was decades ago, Tom was set up for failure since he was born which was unfair to him. Tom had a disadvantage due to the color of his skin and was subsequently shot as a result of that. Another reason Tom shows injustice is due to getting taken advantage of and being betrayed. The horrible truth is that "Tom was probably the only person who was ever decent to her. But she said he took advantage of her and when she stood up she stood up and looked at him as if he were dirt beneath her feet '' (Lee 218). This caused injustice towards Tom. Tom had been taken advantage of multiple times and he could not defend himself due to the color of his skin. Tom shows injustice by the betrayal he receives. Mayaella took advantage of him and knew that she had more than him and she took advantage of that. Tom Robinson was nice to Mayaella but she ruined that in less than a few minutes. This showed injustice due to Tom not being able to live a normal life due to his appearance. Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson in multiple ways to demonstrate injustice. Harper Lee illustrates many examples of injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird. Injustice is shown in multiple ways throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee uses Boo Radley and Tom Robinson to demonstrate injustice. Injustice is something that has always been around and will never vanish. This has a major effect on society. Injustice affects society due to there being multiple unfair disadvantages to people to this day. Nobody is treated equally and that may be something that may never change. Society should learn to treat everyone equally because, without this, the world will be set up for failure. I believe that if we start to educate the younger generation on equality, then history will not repeat itself.