Topic > Social injustice as a recurring theme in To Kill a Mockingbird

In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee focuses on social inequality in a few different forms throughout her novel. Most of the social inequality we see in Lee's story is due to the mentality of the people of Maycomb and their reluctance to change their ways. This view that Maycomb residents have is due to the time when there were many cases of discrimination that included not only race, but also wealth status and gender. Acts of social inequality are seen throughout To Kill a Mockingbird for reasons of color and wealth, especially in black communities who are considered inferior to white social classes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Social injustice is one of the most recurring themes in Lee's novel. The idea of ​​social injustice is “a situation in which the dominant population is made aware of the unfairness it brings to others due to their relative position in the power structure” (Isioma). To Kill a Mockingbird provides an example of the southern culture found in America in the 1930s. Lee focuses on the social injustice of three people in his novel, Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell's daughter who was the victim of her father's abuse. Finally, Boo Radley, a young man who never goes out and who piques the interest of both Jem and Scout. Harper uses To Kill a Mockingbird to show examples of social injustice through different race, gender, and class characters and how they are considered inferior to other residents in Maycomb. During Tim Robinson's trial, there are some instances where Lee describes social injustice. There are examples seen in the trial that show Robinson was not guilty but instead showed evidence against Mr Ewell. Proving that Mr. Ewell abused his daughter Mayella. By having him write his name, "You're left-handed, Mr. Ewell" (Lee 201), he showed everyone in the courtroom that the bruises and black eye were from Mr. Ewell and not Tim Robinson. Even though the evidence was in favor of Tim Robinson, the jury still decided to vote against him, “Guilty…guilty…guilty…guilty…” (Lee 240). Since the jury plays an important role in this process, we can understand how the jury uses their own beliefs rather than the evidence provided during the case. This part of the novel really shows how unfair the justice system is. Going to court and being in front of a jury shows that this is a step forward in the progression of social injustice. The jury took a long time to decide whether Robinson was guilty or not: “That jury took a few hours. An inevitable verdict, perhaps, but usually it only takes a few minutes” (Lee 253). Even though the jury took this step forward, they still found Tom Robinson guilty of the actions committed by Bob Ewell. Everyone knew this decision was wrong, but no one argued. Jem was the only person who cried at the verdict: "How could they do it, how could they?" “I don't know, but they did. They've done it before and they've done it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it, it seems like only the children cry” (Lee 243). Atticus explains that he has to explain to Jem what the people in Maycomb are like and that, because of their mentality, they assume that the black community is lower on the social ladder. The second act of social injustice that Lee displays concerns the Ewell family. Social injustice is not about race, it is also about social hierarchy in a community. The Ewell family was truly affected by this type of injustice..