Australian International Academy

Kellyville

Assessment Task
Cover Sheet
2020
Name: Lina Hawli
Year Level: 10 Date: 13/6/202

Subject: English Word Count: 1360

Task To Kill a Mockingbird
Name: Multimodal Text
Words That Changed the
Unit Name:
World

Student Checklist and Declaration:

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 This process is in accordance with the School’s Academic Honesty and Assessment
Policies.
yes
I confirm that this is my own work and is the final version.

yes I have acknowledged each use of the words or ideas of another person, whether written, oral or
visual.
yes I have completed and submitted all work requirements for this tasks.
All work has been submitted online via Managebac.
Teacher Declaration:
I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge, the individual oral commentary submitted is the
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authentic work of the candidate.
TEACHER NAME: Ms. Azam

Prejudice

Prejudice, as an innately toxic aspect of the human experience, taints justice and causes loss
of innocence within the texts To Kill a Mockingbird and When They See Us. Written by
Harper Lee in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel set in the early 1930s, that follows Scout
and her awakening to the severity of the racial injustice through the case of Tom Robinson.
Directed by Ava DuVernay, the T.V. series, When They See Us is a true story of false
conviction based on racial prejudice set in 1989. It follows the story of Korey Wise, Kevin
Richards, Raymond Santana, Antron McCray and Yusef Salaam (also known as the Central
Park Five). The two texts convey how prejudice impacts discrimination, loss of innocence
and the justice system. This essay will outline how preconceived concepts within society
affect victims of false accusations.

Prejudice influences racism and discrimination towards black people. Characters in To Kill a
Mockingbird and When They See Us are confronted with these pre-judgemental views. In To
Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, says to her: “you never really understand a
person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and
walk around in it.” He uses this analogy to explain the situation through someone else’s
position, before arriving at a conclusion. In response to Dill crying during the trial, Mr
Dolphus Raymond says: “Cry about the simple hell people give other people –without even
thinking. Cry about the hell white people give coloured folks, without even stopping to think
that they’re people, too”. Through repetition, Mr Raymond alludes to the relentless
discrimination and the constant dehumanising that black people face within their society. In
When They See Us, the four boys wait in a holding cell at the precinct after being brutally
interrogated. Reflecting upon the violence and the forceful tactics they were shown by the
police officers, Kevin asks: “why are they doing us like this?” To which Raymond replies:
“what other way did they ever do us?” The close up shot used for this scene creates an
emotional connection with the audience to emphasise their pain and conflicted feelings. The
low lighting portrays the intense and dramatic mood. Through dialogue, they indicate that
their illegal and unethical treatment while in police custody was the result of racial
prejudice. In both texts, the violence and mistreatment referred to and shown toward black
characters was on account of pre-judgemental views surrounding young males of colour.

Within the court system, acts of prejudice often lead to the loss of innocence of children.
Whether the character is an audience member or directly involved in the case, a trial in
court can be a traumatic experience, especially when the defendant is innocent. Jem
struggles to comprehend why Tom Robinson was found guilty, when the evidence clearly
states otherwise. Knowing Tom has been sentenced with death, Jem asks his father, “how
could they do it, how could they?” To which Atticus replies, “I don’t know, but they did it.
They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it –
seems that only children weep.” The repetition used by both Jem and Atticus, exhibits their
disbelief toward the trial outcome. Jem doesn’t understand how the prejudice within
Maycomb influenced the jury’s verdict. While explaining this to him, Atticus comments that
only children cry and feel remorse toward the injustices they witness, due to their
innocence. In When They See Us, an episode is dedicated to show how the boys, who were
between the ages of 13-16 when they were convicted, changed after going through the
justice system. Eventually, they finish their time and leave prison. Upon his release, Kevin is
driven home by his sister, Angie Richards, and they begin to discuss places he can visit, now
that he is a free man. “I know you seen things, maybe had to do things, defend yourself,
survive, whatever might have happened. But in the end… you have the same heart.”
Through dialogue, she expresses her feelings and love for her brother’s kind spirit. She
alludes to his innocence and how the traumatic experiences would stay with him. He was
not guilty, yet he had to serve his sentence. The lighting in this scene is dim, and it
juxtaposes with the freedom Kevin has been granted. The heavy use of shadows in this
scene suggests that despite the opportunities awaiting him, he has a devastating past and
these dark colours are contrasted with the light colours from outside, setting the mood. The
blue hues visible in the background, create a melancholy feeling. The audience can see the
calm after the storm and appreciate this scene after all the suffering Kevin endured. Both
texts are examples of the loss of innocence displayed by two young characters. Prejudice
that resulted in the Central Park 5 and Tom Robinson being falsely accused, forced Jem and
the boys to soon learn about the harsh realities within society and the aftermath it has on
communities.

Preconceived judgement was the cause of an unfair trial and a breach in the justice system
in the two texts. While lawyers can prove their clients are not guilty, the jury’s verdict and
the Judge ultimately decide their fate. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus explains to Jem: “The
one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any colour of the
rainbow, but people have a way of bringing their resentments right into a jury box.”
Atticus’s analogy helps Jem understand that although court is supposed to be a place for
everyone to get a fair hearing, this is not always the case as the jury can let their prejudices
influence their decisions. Similarly, Peter Rivera, a lawyer defending Raymond Santana in
When They See Us, informs the parents and lawyers of the Central Park Five about the
disadvantage they have hanging over their heads. “You need to understand, all of you, that
this case was assigned to Part 59 of the New York State Supreme Court. Judge assignments
are supposed to happen by spinning a wheel, so it’s random. They didn’t do that with this
case. They gave it to Galligan. 10 times out of 9 he sides with the state. They don’t plan to
lose this case.” Through dialogue, Peter informs them of the biased audience they will have
to present their case to. In this scene, the dark orange lighting creates a heated mood, filled
with tension. The use of blue, sets the dramatic mood as the lawyers discuss the case.
Further on in the series, the truth comes to light and Matias Reyes confesses to the murder
by providing a detailed recount that confirmed the facts of the investigation. The case was
opened again and his DNA matched the sample found at the crime scene. The Central Park
5’s innocence was proved nearly 14 years after they were sentenced. They sued the City of
New York for malicious prosecution, racial discrimination and emotional distress. One of the
last scenes of the series places the Korey, Yusef, Raymond, Kevin and Antron presenting
themselves in front of Harlem at a press conference. This is an emotionally uplifting scene as
these five adults faced many injustices toward them, and overcame it. The low camera angle
puts them in a powerful position to display their strength as they are united once again. The
perfect symmetry indicates that everything is right in the world because they were finally
given justice. Tom Robinson and The Central Park Five were innocent, however due to a
failure in the justice system, both cases were convicted with a sentence, for a crime they did
not commit.

In conclusion, prejudice possesses a huge influence over the human behaviour. It influences
the manner in which other people are treated, it brings about loss of innocence and light to
the harsh realities that children face as they learn of the inequality present within society. It
affects court hearings and creates biased trails. Both texts, To Kill a Mocking Bird and When
They See Us explore the result of prejudice among communities and individuals.