Themes of Prejudice and Racism in to Kill a Mockingbird Essay

On page thirty one of Harper Lee's To kill a mockingbird Atticus Finch states to his youngest, Scout, the following; “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”  This particular quote follows themes such as prejudice and racism as well as empathy and finding the good in people regardless of their race which are key elements and essentially the heart of Lee’s novel. This short snippet of a conversation between the two highlights the injustice in the world and the empathy that certain people hold in wanting a world where people are not treated based on the colour of their skin which is what helps makes up the baseline of the novel.

At the beginning of the novel, the audience is introduced to Scout as a young innocent, rather immature young girl but her character only grows tremendously from there. The key experience leading Scout to develop as a character and in her world is the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. After the case was introduced to Scout’s life with Atticus being assigned lawyer it forced her to come face to face and open her eyes to the prejudice in the world and especially the prejudice in her home, (the fictional town of Maycomb located in Alabama). Scout’s young innocence allows her to be bewildered as to why anyone would notice or treat others differently simply because their skin was a different colour from theirs. When Tom Robinson is still found guilty even after the immense amount of proof that shows he ought to be innocent, a significant change occurs within Scout, she realises just how deep the racism and hypocrisy is that exists in Maycomb, "Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." Throughout the trial Scout’s innocence due to her age allowed her to hope Tom Robinson would receive justice but instead that all came crashing down when she realises that no matter the evidence he would never have a fair chance simply because he is black and deemed as unequal to the white Maycomb residents and court system.

An additional crucial occurrence in Scout’s development in regards to learning about the racism and prejudice in the world is when she is introduced to Dolphus Raymond along with his family (children and girlfriend), Dolphus is in a relationship with a black woman whom they have multiple children together therefore who are mixed race. Scout alongside Dill learns this truth regarding Dolphus when he reveals to them that he in fact is not an alcoholic like everyone believes, but instead uses it to distance himself and his family from the rest of Maycomb and the prejudice the town holds, “Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, ever, understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.” He explains that he feels he is able to tell Scout and Dill the truth about himself as they are still both young and carry the innocence of not understanding racism and the prejudice that comes with the harsh reality of the world and society which is something the majority of the residents in Maycomb have already got used to. This moment between the three is significant in shaping Scout and her maturity to always treat people equally and not be prejudiced against people simply because of the colour of someone else’s skin or what other people may say.

Many audiences would agree that throughout the length of the novel Scout is the character to develop and mature the most, the moment leading to the growth of her character as well as understanding the world around her is that vital first moment in the third chapter during a conversation with Atticus where he states, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Only from then did Scout learn the truth of how the world she was to grow up in really works and entirely changes her viewpoint of the world in allowing her to have all these different experiences granting her to understand how the black people of Maycomb are treated simply for existing which as it would with any young child, completely baffles Scout and changes how she perceives and understands everything around her and the people. Towards the ending of the novel the maturity change in Scout is evident just by focusing on the way which she speaks and the opinions she is able to form, especially on never judging someone as you will likely never understand what they are going through. "Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough."

Atticus’ early on lesson to Scout regarding never judging anybody as you are never aware of what they may be going through evidently is the trigger point in the growth of Scout and her character who only continues to have similar lessons and is able to understand different peoples point of views, namely the Tom Robinson case and the truth in regards to Dolphus Raymond, both teaching her about the challenges black people have to go through in the town of Maycomb and the ways in which they are treated for doing nothing but existing. The advice Scout receives throughout the novel is something audiences can see stick with her and assist her with growing up and shaping her character.