To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mocking Bird, written by Harper Lee contains many issues about prejudice and justice, which are reflected on our daily lifestyles and cultural history. It portrays the dream that black people were not permitted to have in American society. It is a classic novel that has still contains relevance in today's young society.

The key theme in To Kill a Mocking Bird, which also forms the backbone of the story, is Prejudice. The definition of prejudice is Unreasoning opinion or like/dislike of something, or to harm someone's rights. Prejudice takes its from in the book through racial prejudice against Negroes. Prejudice in To Kill a Mocking Bird shows how black people were treated before 1960. It still exists in today's society between different cultures and people comparing themselves to others. In To Kill a Mocking Bird Atticus sums up what the Negro people had to endure by comparing them with himself to show Jem why everyone one hated their family, and why he felt it a once in a life time case to defend this Negro; to stand up for his opinion and promote Negro rights. Pg33 quote "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into their skin and walk around in it." This shows that Negro people are no different from the white people and if you witnessed what white people were doing to the Negro people from the Negroes point of view, then you could see how wrong the society was and how prejudice white people were to Negroes. This statement shows how prejudice is an important issue in the development in To Kill a Mocking Bird.

The theme justice is widely used in everyday society and forms the plot in To Kill a Mocking Bird. Justice is fair treatment, usually applies in court and is a theme in the second half of To Kill a Mocking bird during the trail of Tom Robinson. Justice is a morally important issue and holds our justice system together. If justice doesn't apply then our legal system is wrong. In To Kill a Mocking Bird there is no justice during the trial of Tom Robinson. Quote pg225 " what did she do? She tempted a Negro. She was white and she tempted a Negro. She did something in our society that is unspeakable" " confident with you gentleman would go along with them on the assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted with our women."