Prejudice, Racism and Gender Stereotypes in To Kill a Mockingbird

Prejudice, racism and gender stereotypes are all values far from uncommon in the Deep South. Harper Lee, having written To Kill a Mockingbird during a time of change, challenges said stereotypes. She greatly reflects the progressive values through Atticus, Scout and Jem. Through her excellent characterisation of these three and the portrayal of justice, empathy and prejudice, Lee successfully applies context to the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Harper Lee effectively demonstrates the injustice in the 1930s by clearly portraying the issue of how prevalent the issue was to a high extent. The issue presents itself through the thorough depiction of the relationship between man and the justice system. In the 30s, prejudice was largely common in courts. Due to the Civil Rights Movement, awareness was brought to the lack of justice in court. Harper Lee uses the trial of Tom Robinson to represent the injustice that plagued courts in the 30s. For instance, Atticus uses metaphor to play into the jury’s patriotism, “in this country, our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts, all men are created equal” to hint that American courts are the one place that ensures man equality. There is irony as Robinson loses the case despite the overwhelming evidence in his favour and gets shot. The injustice of his death compels the reader to stop and ponder the immense injustice. Another quote that displays this is when Atticus says to Jem, “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom…but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box”. Through personification, Atticus sheds light on how a jury can't come to a truly fair decision when their grudges consistently lead them to injustice. After the trial Miss Maudie adds on, “Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that”. With repetition, she emphasises how structural unjust made it, so Tom Robinson was destined to lose the case from the start. The quote stresses that social change does not occur quickly but accumulates over time. However, the continual display of injustice is not a thing simply of Lee’s imagination. The Scottsboro trial and To Kill a Mockingbird share many parallels. Mockingbird, like Scottsboro, is about rumours of a black man raping a white woman, a felony punishable by death in Alabama now. Another similarity is that in Tom Robinson's trial, as in Scottsboro, the jury was racially prejudiced.

Empathy is another key value that Lee utilises compellingly to a hefty extent, to mirror changing values in America in the 50s. Atticus Finch is a direct representation and reminder to Scout and Jem to empathise with others. When Atticus employs emotive language, “You never really understand a person … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” he teaches Scout how crucial it is to look at situations from other people's point of view. It is this advice that sets off Scout’s slow yet steady development throughout the novel. Another quote where Atticus displays empathy is “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial …so if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take.”. By implementing metaphor, Atticus displays that despite Ewell’s bitter actions towards him, he still puts himself into his shoes. He knows that although he was not able to bring Tom to justice, the least he can do is help Mayella, no matter how temporary. Atticus is not the only one who teaches Scout and Jem empathy. Calpurnia is another reminder for the children to be empathic. For example, the quote “Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny” applies colloquialism. Calpurnia scolds Scout, telling her that no matter how poor, old or strange a person is, they deserve to be treated with respect. These quotes undeniably paint Atticus and Calpurnia as notable representations of changing values in the 50s. 

Lee conveys the changing attitudes even further through the constant theme of prejudice. The novel is set in the mid-1930s when prejudice was normalised. Many white people prejudiced against other groups because of their race, wealth, gender, religion and many more inadequate reasons. Likewise, Atticus and Mrs Dubose are each characterised to juxtapose the other, each representing both of their values. Mrs Dubose exhibits Deep South values, Atticus as progressive and open values. For instance, when describing Mrs Dubose, Lee expertly employs synecdoche and imagery, “Her face was the colour of a dirty pillowcase … inched like a glacier down the deep grooves enclosing her chin” to personify her as old school beliefs; the ‘ugly’ part of Maycomb. Atticus is a stark contrast, which is especially evident when he questions "Maycomb's usual disease"; when there is "anything involving a Negro," reasonable people go "stark raving mad”. The use of metaphor refers to Maycomb’s inherent leaning towards prejudice. Atticus is baffled why people are so prejudiced against black people for no reason. He believes in the equal rights of all people no matter who they are. With this, he perfectly demonstrates the changing ideas in the 50s. A second quotation that furthers this is, “The older you grow the more of it you’ll see”. Atticus is referencing how the older you grow, the more frequent you see prejudice in everyday life. Prejudice is just one of the many ways that Lee expertly expands on the changes in the 50s. 

Hence, Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird effectively teaches the reader how crucial it is to open your eyes to the impact that injustice and prejudice against others. With Lee's continuous implementation of changing values from the 50s, we realise how society once was. By empathising with the people around us, we can stop ourselves from bringing our resentments "into a jury box" so that we can continue to move past the prejudiced society we once were.