Prejudice to Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example for Free

Prejudice to Kill a Mockingbird EssayPrejudice denotes a prejudgement and negative opinion formed without adequate knowledge or justification. Individuals who are prejudicial are often biased and act unfavourably to other groups, especially those of differing race and socio-economic status. Ideas and themes about prejudice are powerfully evoked through Harper Lees 1960 novel To Kill a Mocking-bird and the poem The nestling by Valerie Church. To Kill a Mocking-bird explores the prejudices associated with the coloured and underprivileged community group in a small town of the central Alabama which contrasts to the simplistic genius of a mentally-disabled boy in The Child. Through the juxtaposition of ideas conveyed in both texts, audiences are confronted with a greater understanding of the differing aspects of prejudice. Racism is and continues to be unity of the most common types of prejudice experienced and exercised inside the international community. Traditionally, the im portance of race and skin tones was believed to signify the wealth or superiority of an individual or group. Written in the 1960s America, Lees novel concentrates on the negative impact and effect of the orthodox prejudices held a educest the coloured community.Derogative connotation to the minority sullen community as niggers, award the constant racial prejudice experienced by them at heart the small town of. Although the protagonist family are of Anglo descent, they overhaul victims to racial prejudice in their attempt to defend a black person in the court of law. The importance of skin tone is expressed through imagery, where genus Atticus explains the need to symbolically climb into someones skin to consider the light of their circumstances.Further, the repetition of nigger lover connotes the negative attitude Atticus and the Finch family experiences in response to helping Tom Robinson, one of the mockingbirds in the text. Lees employment of the mockingbird as a motif symbo lises the harmless and pity nature of the black community who never annoy you but are heavily prejudiced against simply because of the colour of their skin. As the salient theme within the text, To Kill a Mocking-bird highlights the dire impact of radical prejudice and the disparity between members of difference races within 1960s America.Another aspect of prejudice which is presented within the To Kill a Mockingbird, is the importance of socio-economic class which connotes an individuals standing within a community. Within the text, the town of Maycomb is divided into three unequivocal socio-economic classes from the well respected white working class, the white trash to the African American community. The classes are about the same as each other as they have the same type of people in each, the pricey and the bad. Scout soon realises, theres just one kind of folks. Folks. charge the children in Maycomb are aware of the socio-economic class between the groups of people in the to wn. It is most noticed on the first day Scout went to school Walter did not bring his lunch and Miss Caroline tried to lend him a quarter. As the Cunninghams did not borrow what they could not lend back, Walter refused and Miss Caroline became discomfited until Scout responded with hes a Cunningham which reveals however adolescents in the community actively categorise individuals into stereotypes. Lee has used the freedom of the black community to portray a small towns reaction to their freedom.Those from the black community fortunate enough to have an education were well respected as they had good jobs compared to the rest of the black community. There is a fourth social class briefly mentioned as there only a couple of them. Children of Dolphus Raymond, they are one-half black and half white. They do not fit in either the black nor white community as they have blood of the other race. As Jem says Around here, once you have a drop of Negro blood that makes you all black, refers t o the townsfolks thoughts and beliefs on people with a black heritage.Physical and emotional separation is a prominent theme conveyed in both The Child and To Kill a Mocking-bird. Churchs The Child opens with the lineaments use of third person to recount their sight of a small boy with an incomplete brain. The use of the metaphoric connotation to the boy offers audiences the view that child is mentally- disadvantaged and is subject to prejudice of the general public with their cruel eyes. This representation emphasises the importance of material appearance especially in a society which often judge and assess an individual by their exterior.As Church conveys that the boy experiences mocking voice of the other boys, this emphasises the importance of physical appearance to become accepted in the community even though traditionally, adolescents are presumed to be innocent and free of prejudice. Although physically, the young boy has a dewy-eyed exterior, Church highlights that the bo y is subject to prejudice due to his physical appearance which reveals his disabled nature. Further, this poem also highlights circumstances in which individuals deal with prejudices as the young boy reverts to smiling simply at the onlookers.Whilst totally happy in his world, Church use of imagery emphasises the positive responses to prejudice even though he is still physically separated from civilisation as he is standing on the opposite kerb being mocked by the other boys. The repetition of the young boys physical separation from the others assists in emphasising the physical aspect of prejudice. Valerie Churchs The Child, is an emotive poem which strongly addresses the physical nature of prejudice and the simplistic views by a young boy to combat issues of prejudice.Prejudice is both a physical and emotive plan which is prevalent within society. Harper Lees To Kill a Mocking-bird and Valerie Churchs The Child are texts which offer insight to the effect of prejudices ground on both race and physical appearance. Both texts address the dire consequences of prejudicial acts and comments which continue to separate those in a society. Thus, the study of both texts has allowed audiences to gain a deeper and more extensive insight in the various aspects of prejudice. Word Count 1,000