Divisions And Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the major themes that author Harper Lee highlights are the divisions and inequality in society. The story is set in the 1930’s in Maycomb, Alabama when class, gender, and racial discrimination were highly prevalent. In this time Jim Crow laws were in effect. Jim Crow laws mandated the segregation between black and whites. Consequences of questioning Jim Crow laws were violent and people were rejected from society and their family. The 1930’s is also the time during which the great depression was taking place. Many families were hit hard by the great depression. Maycomb was not a poorer, small, Southern, town. Also in this time, women were not given equal rights and they were expected to fulfill†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"‘But I want to play with Walter Aunty, why can’t I?’ She took off her glasses and stared at me. ‘I’ll tell you why,† she said. ‘Because-he-is-trash, thatà ¢â‚¬â„¢s why you can’t play with him,’† (301). Aunt Alexandra says Scout cannot play with Walter because he is trash. She believes Walter is trash because he is lower class than them. She is discriminating against Walter and his family due to their social class. That is another way how Lee shows that there are divisions and inequality in society. Lee shows that there are divisions and inequality in society due to social class. Gender roles are another cause of social divisions and inequality the Harper Lee teaches about. Scout defies gender roles and she is looked down upon by many of the women in her community for doing so. Scout’s Aunt Alexandra is one woman who looks down upon scout for this. â€Å"Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches; when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants,† (108). Aunt Alexandra believes ladies are not permitted to be taking place in activities that require pants. She disapproves of how Scout likes to participate in activities she sees as unladylike. This shows the inequality in this society due to gender roles. Another woman who challenges Scouts appearance as a lady is her neighbor Miss Stephanie. When Aunt Alexandra has aShow MoreRelatedTo Kill A Mockingbird Political Theme Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird,† which is based on the Harper Lee novel by the same title, the movie explores and condemns the controversial political theme, especially controversial at the time of the movie, racism. Racism is defined as Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that ones own race is superior, according to the Oxford Dictionary. 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