Prejudice and Tolerance

“Prejudice and Tolerance.”

By Elizabeth Cassar, Laura Furze, and Angelica Newbond

During the 1930’s depression, there was a great divide between black and white America. There were many communities and groups who had been exposed to the same treatment and persecution as the Negroes in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee has used a small town setting, such as that in To Kill a Mockingbird, to illustrate America’s views on white supremacy and the inferiority of the black race. The author has illustrated view that are expressed world-wide through her characters in Maycomb county.

In the small town of Maycomb, prejudice towards Negroes was a common sentiment of white people. Prejudice is strongly evident between these cultures in To Kill A Mockingbird concerning the rape case against the accused Tom Robinson. Robinson’s case was to be tried in the Maycomb County Court. “…I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favour of a coloured man over a white man…” (p. 230). These are the words of Reverend Sykes. Rev Sykes emphasizes the cultural indifference in the town with this statement. Maycomb may as well have been divided in two. The strong views of the white people gave them the prejudiced opinion that they were of a greater calibre and class. People of a white background assumed they deserved the finest way of life. They treated coloured people without respect and believed this was acceptable. A white person’s lifestyle was seen as a superior one and regardless of their principles and values. The Ewell family is headed by a disorderly and drunk father. The many children in the family were all unwashed and unclean. Even though this family was seen as lower class in the eyes of society, they were still seen as better people than Negroes. The Ewell family is a great example of the automatic dominance and authority you gain over Native Americans for being white. “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” (p. 266). This observation was made by Scout about the Tom Robinson case. She was aware of the prejudice towards Negroes and that Tom Robinson would be treated unfairly in the court room. The mere fact that Tom was a Negro and Mayella was white gave Mayella the automatic edge to win the case. White dominance was a major role in society in the 1930’s. Being of a white complexion gained a person automatic superiority, power and advantages in life. Negroes were considered the bottom rank of society and not worthy of the same life and opportunities as white people.

In addition to prejudice shown to Tom Robinson and Negroes, the citizens of Maycomb formed preconceived ideas about an echo of a man that was a prisoner in his own home. Mr Arthur “Boo” Radley was hiding from a past that he could not forget. “From the day Mr Radley took Arthur home, people said the house died” (p.12). As with anything that has an involved background, different ways, and an uncertain future, the town was quick to gossip about him, and even quicker to condemn is character. Gossip was quick to circulate about him which influenced the games of Scout, Jem and Dill and added an element of fascination about him. “…. Miss Stephanie Crawford said she woke up in the middle of the night one time and saw him looking straight through the window at her….said his head was like a skull lookin’ at her….” (p. 13). The town took advantage of Boo Radley’s situation and spread rumours, and therefore formed opinions that were prejudiced, without any difficulty because he was not able to defend himself. Any crime that was committed in Maycomb that had no culprit was blamed on Boo and continuously put under suspicion, “Although the culprit was Crazy