Examples of Stereotyping in to Kill a Mockingbird

While racism is the most common form of discrimination in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many more forms of injustices in the book. From the beginning of the book, we read sly remarks about Scout’s blatant tomboyish nature, from her brother Jem. Later, however, we hear the white citizens of Maycomb county use very offensive racial slurs towards the African American citizens; but racial slurs aside, the other forms of disrespect that most of the whites show towards their colored counterparts in the story is appalling.

Although it is certain that racism towards blacks is way more prominent than other forms of racism there is a case of a black person discriminating against Jem and Scout because of their race. In Chapter 12 and on Page 48 a character named Lula said, You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal? Now this form of racism is a little more understandable, because Lula was usually treated with ill contempt by most of the whites, but it is a form of racism, nevertheless.

Apart from racism, sexism is also an unfortunate pattern within the novel. As previously mentioned, Jem teases Scout of because of her tomboyish appearance. Jem also goes one step further by blaming some of Scout’s failures on her gender. Aunt Alexandra is, if anything, worse then Jem. She is always telling scout how women should act. As if your gender or race Classifies you to act a certain way.

I believe we can and should learn from To Kill a Mockingbird. We should not act like many of the white Alabamians in the 1930’s. We shouldn’t be biased in our decision based on age, sex, sexuality, or race. We shouldn’t judge people based on their background or appearance, but to reserve your opinion of them until you truly get to know them. In addition, we shouldn’t tell anyone how their supposed to act based on fruitless assumptions of their culture.

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