To Kill a Mockingbird Essay free essay sample

Discrimination is a topic many authors have focused on for a long time. It has been the basis of many arguments, and has been around for thousands of years. Prejudice still currently affects our society today. In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill A Mockingbird, prejudice is evident in the form of social, and racial discrimination through the characters of Scout, Atticus, and Tom and some other characters in the novel. The most prominent form of racial discrimination in the book is Tom’s trial. Tom, a black male, was wrongly accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Bob Ewell comes up with this story to convince the jury that Tom is guilty, and to cover his tracks of domestic abuse. Mayella Ewell was attacked by a person who is left handed, and Tom’s left hand was crippled by an accident with a cotton gin. Although Tom had a reason for being perfectly innocent, the jury sentenced him just because it was a white woman’s words over a black male’s. This creates the author’s effect because it helps Scout think about Miss Caroline’s point of view. The author may use this to develop the theme of racism because it shows that you should think about what other people may be thinking. This scene has an importance in characterization because it leads to having Scout learn coming of age. For example, â€Å"She had learned not to hand something to a Cunningham, for one thing, but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part. † We realize Scout is learning about Miss Caroline and why she would want her to stop reading at home. This creates the author’s effect because it shows Scout is growing up and she is thinking of other people’s point of view. The author may use this to develop the theme of coming of age because it shows that Scout had realized that she should think about the other person’s perspective. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses conflict to have Scout realize to understand a person’s choices. For example, â€Å"Bit by bit, I told him the day’s misfortunes,† Scout had said. â€Å"If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. † Atticus had informed Scout. This creates the author’s effect because it shows Scout conflict resulted in her learning about other people’s point of views. The author may use this to develop the theme of coming of age because it shows Scout realizing about Miss Caroline’s point of view. Harper Lee used setting, characterization and conflict to develop one of the major themes of the novel: in order to understand a person, you must look through their eyes. This important theme is shown throughout the whole novel.