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Skylar Raitt
Ms. Riggan
Writing Literature 6th Hour
15 December 2014
Prejudice In The 1930s

Prompt: How does Harper lee's affect the reader's view of the time period in
which it is set?
Prejudice is an opinion that is not based on experience but created by race,
religion, or social class. During the 1930s a tragic event occurred in history. The event
was called The Great Depression and it sparked an increase in prejudice. Although
defeated, the white people of the former Confederacy considered African Americans
inferior (Carson and Bonk 1). Even though the Civil War had ended slavery, African
Americans were still not treated as equals. African Americans were now allowed access
to public facilities, however the creation of the Jim Crow Laws created a racial caste
system. The caste system was where persons of color were relegated to second-class
status and denied access to the public education and transportation institutions (1).
Society thought the Jim Crow Laws were going to make life separate but equal but this
time in history was known to be separate and not equal (1). During the Great
Depression, Wall Street had lost most of its investors. This caused most of America to
become unemployed and many banks had failed (1). The Great Depression brought
suffering to regions all over the world, but especially for African Americans in the South.
Maycomb, where the story takes place, is located in the Southern Region of the United
States. Harper Lees novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, affects the readers view of the 1930s

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through her illustration of prejudice towards Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.
One way that Lee showed prejudice is by demonstrating how Tom Robinson is
looked down upon, based solely on his African American heritage. When Tom Robinson
is called up to the stands to be questioned he says,
Yes, suh. I felt sorry for her...
You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her? Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to ride to
the ceiling.
The witness realized his mistake and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. But the
damage was done (Lee 264).
Right after he states that he feels sorry for the girl, whose name is Miss Mayella; he
realizes he made a mistake. In the time period of The Great Depression whites were put
on a pedestal. It was not socially acceptable for a black man to feel sorry for a white
woman, let alone any white person. When Mr. Gilmer hears Tom Robinsons remark he
becomes furious only based on the fact that Tom Robinson is an African American. Mr.
Gilmers reaction, along with the jurys, conveys a sense of prejudice. Without knowing
who Tom Robinson is they look at him as if he is nothing. Later in the story, when Tom
Robinson is asked if he pities Miss Mayella he contradicts himself and says, I cannot
pity her: she is white She is white and she tempted a Negro. She did something that
in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. (272) Here, based on society's
rules of what is inappropriate, he feels the need to deny himself feelings of sympathy or
pity because the color of his skin. She is a white woman interacting with a black man so
he has to hide his true feelings in fear of the outcomes. Thus, the jury rules Tom
Robinson guilty solely on the fact that he is an African American going against a white

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womans accusations.
Another exhibit of Harper Lees demonstration of prejudice as a motif is by
displaying how society paints a negative picture of Boo Radley, regardless of the fact
that people have simply not met or seen him. This display of prejudice portrays insight
to the readers as to how people were wrongfully judged and labeled in the 1930s.
When Scout is expressing her curiosity about Boo she says, Inside the house lived a
male phantom. People said he existed but Jem and I had never seen him. People said
he went out at night when the moon was down, and peeped in windows. When peoples
azaleas froze in a snap, it was because he had breathed on them (10). Because Boo
rarely comes out of his house, over the years, the community paints a negative image of
him. Scout says that she has never seen Boo, but because of the gossip that is spread
around the community she begins to believe the rumors. Just because Boo doesnt
want to get caught up in society's drama by stepping into the outside world, he is known
to be dangerous and ghostly, hence the nickname Boo. Later in the story, when Scout
comes face to face with Boo for the first time, she describes him and says, He was still
holding my hand and he gave me no sign of letting me go. Will you take me home? He
almost whispered it, in the voice of a child afraid of the dark (372). When she walks him
up to the side of his house he gently let her hand go and slips inside. She never saw
him again. Scout describes Boo as being afraid and gentle. She realizes that the rumors
about Boo were inaccurate and based on prejudice. Boo wasnt a harmful man; he was
just afraid. The community barely sees Boo around town so they compile rumors until
most of Maycomb starts to believe them.
To Kill Mockingbird portrays prejudice through the eyes of an 8 year old,

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therefore changing the readers view of the 1930s and highlighting the mistreatment
and prejudgment of anything outside what is considered mainstream. By using prejudice
as a motif, Lee exemplifies the importance of stepping into someone elses shoes
before gaining a perception. During The Great Depression African Americans were
treated unfairly. Through Scouts point of view, the reader is able to see how wicked the
community acts towards Tom Robinson, a black man. He is truly innocent but because
he is a black man he is found guilty. He is a black man in a white persons world during
the 1930s. Boo Radley is also treated with prejudice. Just because the community
rarely sees him they spread rumors about him lurking around and doing evil. Further
into the story, when Scout meets Boo for the first time, she notices that all of the rumors
were based on ignorance. The rumors are made up because the people of Maycomb
never get to know truly whom Boo is. Scout begins to realize that Boo is not locked up
for doing evil, but that he tries to stay in his house to escape the prejudice outside
world.

Works Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1960.
"Jim Crow Laws." Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History. Ed. Thomas Carson
and Mary Bonk. Detroit: Gale, 1999. U.S. History in Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2014.