Prejudice And Civil Rights During The Great Depression

In today’s society, we face prejudice every day in many forms. Most people in today’s society have either been victims of prejudice or are guilty of exhibiting prejudice towards others. The book I will be discussing is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This book mainly explores concepts of prejudice and civil rights during the Great Depression in the United States. Prejudice in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a very common problem in the society Maycomb; prejudice does not only harm an individual but also a society. Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch and Boo Radley are all victims of prejudice, and all three characters are affected by this. The prejudice exhibited towards them traps them, kills them or makes them stronger. In this†¦show more content†¦Hasn t anybody got any business talkin like that—it just makes me sick. (Lee 266). Tom Robinson is a victim of prejudice due to his race. Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Being a black man during the decade of the great depression was very difficult, especially in a southern state like Alabama. Tom is a victim of racial prejudice because the jury chose to believe the contradicting and false testimonies of the Ewells, just because the Ewells are white and Tom is black. The jury was biased, and their conviction showed how prejudical people in Maycomb are. Even if the people did believe he was innocent, they had to convict him guilty, as they would risk being insulted and disgraced by the community. During the trial it was very obvious that Bob Ewell was a cruel man, and that he abused his daughter. Atticus knew that it was not Tom who hurt Mayella but that its was Mr. Ewell. Tom is also treated unfairly on the witnes s stand. The prosecuting attorney was very rude and disrespectful towards him. He treated Tom like a child, and refferd to him as â€Å"boy† and â€Å"nigger†. Atticus explains that â€Å" when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins,† and that â€Å" people have a way of carrying their resentments right into the jury box.† (Lee 295) . Tom’s life was ruined due to the racial prejudice he faced, by the end of the trial he was convicted guilty and was shot to death by theShow MoreRelated Mockingbird Essays1232 Words   |  5 PagesMockingbird The prejudice seen in the fictional novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee corresponds with the narrow-mindedness of many people during this time period. Due to this prejudice, a fair trial would be unlikely between a white and a black man. In the novel, Tom Robinson was presumed guilty because of his race and did not receive a fair trial because the jury had formed adverse opinions of him prior to the presentation of any evidence. Prejudice is â€Å"an adverse opinion or leaningRead MoreDiscrimination Effects from the 1930s1530 Words   |  7 PagesStaunbach. 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