This text made me realise how bad social and racial prejudice used to be and how far we as human beings have come since the 1930’s where harper lees’ novel To Kill a Mockingbird is set. The Author uses many different aspects to show how horrible this prejudice was. She uses Symbolism, Character and setting successfully in my popinion to give myself a greater understanding of the important idea that social and racial prejudice is bad.
In the novel a black man (Tom Robinson) is accused of rape and instantly, the entire fictional town of Maycomb say he is guilty, not a single question is asked. This in my mind is outrageously unfair, every man or women in the world should be entitled to a fair trial. “When it’s a white man’s word against a black mans the white man always wins”. This quote for the book says it all, White men rule the world and treat the ones who should be their equals like dirt. Racial Prejudice is horrible and when the jury find tom Robinson guilty it makes me so angry. And then he is shot trying to escape which puts the icing on the cake. If not for the likes of Martin Luther king Jr and others alike, we would still be living in a backwards world when the innocent black man is found guilty, and the guilty white man is full of charge. I felt very sorry for all those discriminated in this time period for this reason.
With Tom Robinson Being an important character who helped to deliver the message of racial prejudice; another character in the novel helps us to under the effects of social prejudice. Atticus Finch is the voice of reason in the book and through a clever piece of symbolism makes me think deeply about the world in connection to social prejudice and judgment. I liked this character a lot as he showed me even one man alone can stand up and do the right thing even if known supports him, My admiration for Atticus grow when the town wont shoot a dog with rabies but nominates Atticus to do so. The irony of this is genius as the rabid dog is a symbol for the towns white population, the rabies represents the prejudice in the town, Atticus the only person brave enough to defend a black man i.e. fighting the prejudice. He is the only one that the sheriff seems fit to kill the dog. This is a powerful message and lesson that I know got through personally to myself and I’m sure many other readers too. The message that it only takes one man to stand up and speak up for what he believes is right to make a huge difference. The message also shows how corrupt this town is thus the meaning of racial prejudice. The way the town treats Atticus after accepting the case of tom Robinson is appalling and makes me feel sorry for his character and angry at the entire of prejudice at the same
