Anusha Goswami

Per 7

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

The early 1930s dealt with many horrifying problems some people dont consider to be a
problem today, but the reality is: these issues are still a huge problem in society. Yet, society has
decided to remain ignorant to many of these predicaments. The fictional town of Maycomb,
Alabama encompasses many of these issues we are forced to deal with. The novel is focused
around the prejudiced trial of Tom Robinson. Atticus Finch was given the job to defend him, but
didnt succeed. All throughout this, Scout and Jem, Atticuss children, go through society and get
a better understanding of all the troubles they face. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper
Lee discusses many issues regarding social inequality, which resemble the issues we face today.
Racism is the most highlighted issue shown throughout the novel, and it remains to be
one of the larger problems we face today. For instance, after the trials result, naming Tom
Robinson guilty, Atticus states, In our courts, when its a white mans word against a blacks,
the white man always wins, (Lee, page 295). The novel shows an accurate description of the
unethical treatment minority groups face. All the evidence disproved the Ewells statement that
Tom raped Mayella, but the jury paid no heed to that evidence. They ruled against Tom solely
based on the color of his skin. A professor from the University of Chicago discusses the matter
of racism today and explains, A friend of mine, a black professor at a Chicago university who
drives an SUV told me that he is constantly being hounded by police officers who are apparently
unable to believe that a black man could possess such a big car and wonder whether he stole
the car. (Stan Cho Ilo). Todays society has labeled black men in a way that not only offends
them, but also separates them from society. The authors friend was seen by the color of his skin,
not as himself. The officers described immediately assumed he didnt make enough money to
afford a nice car, so he must have stolen it, just because of his race. Stan Cho Ilo shows that the

minority group faces unjust treatment, just because of their differences, just as Harper Lee
illustrates this in her novel.
Harper Lee incorporates the occurrence of sexism in the workplace, which is seen
throughout multiple jobs in the world today. For example, when the trial is over, Jem questions
why the jury is composed of only males and Atticus replies with, I guess it is to protect our frail
ladies from sordid cases like Tom, (Lee, page 296). Women were seen as weak, and they were
thought to only be doing housework. They werent allowed to get a well-paying job due to the
feminine stereotypes at the time. Although the hindrance of females being able to work has
decreased, the problem is still very prominent in todays society. An article discusses the
struggles women have to deal with by explaining, Research has shown that women do more
office housework in the workplace than their male counterparts; this means that administrative
tasks such as fetching coffee, note-taking, and planning holiday parties often fall on female
employeeseven when they have seniority over certain male colleagues, (Caitlin Flynn).
Instead of doing the job they applied for, women are forced to do daily tasks. The feminine
stereotype hasnt changed from what Lee has shown in her novel. Women are still portrayed as
they were in the past. Just as Harper Lee showed in To Kill a Mockingbird, it is seen that females
regularly have to deal with sexism while working in todays world.
The community of Maycomb is based off of many social classes, which affect the
treatment and equality of the population. An example being, once Jem attained the knowledge of
how society was set up, he explained to Scout, Theres four kind of folk in the world. Theres
ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, theres the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods,
the kind like the Ewells down in the dump, and the Negroes, (Lee, page 302). Jem illustrates
how society is split up into groups. The lower classes get treated with less respect, in this case

the Negroes, and the higher classes get treated with more. Throughout the novel, the classes have
certain expectations and stereotypes. This also forces people to follow with that stereotype,
otherwise they are regarded as unusual. Classism still exists in communities now. For example,
an article describes classism from personal experiences, and one situation stated, Those
fortunate enough to own their own homes are much higher up the social ladder than those who
rent. By this rubric, I should be on top. But what I was never told is that once I reach the top, I
would meet people there who judge how worthy I was to be there, (Harmer, Celeste). Society
ends up deciding what class everyone is and they treat them accordingly. Using the stereotypes
from each class, everyone is categorized and then forced to live up to these stereotypes. Harper
Lee describes classism in a way that relates to how it affects communities today.
To Kill a Mockingbird includes many issues we deal with today regarding social
inequality. Harper Lee shows how racism, sexism, and classism, affects the society, just as it is
affecting todays society. Racism is seen throughout the world, causing minority groups face
unlawful treatment. Sexism is seen in workplaces, forcing females to put up with the stereotypes
they are expected to follow. Classism is seen in a majority of communities, separating each
community into sections. If society chooses to learn from this novel, we may move on from these
struggles and become united.