To Kill A Mockingbird_Discrimination essays

To Kill A Mockingbird_Discrimination essays What is discrimination? Its an unjustifiably different treatment given to different people or groups. In To Kill A Mockingbird, discrimination was emphasized as a destructive force in the society by the author, Harper Lee. She proved that racial discrimination has a more severe consequence than social discrimination by comparing the treatment, appreciation and consequences of the two victims, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Arthur Radley, who never emerged from his house, was a victim of social discrimination. He was arrested in his teenage years along with a gang of boys for locking Maycomb's beadle in an outhouse. The judge decided to send him to the state industrial school as the punishment against him. Despite the discrimination against him and the trouble he caused, Arthur did not lose his privileges of having fair trials in court. He received a reasonable sentence and was given an opportunity for a better education and future by the society. The consequence of the social discrimination was that Arthur became a source of strange evil and gossips for a limited number of individuals in Maycomb. Jem and Scout made Arthur and his familys lives into a little dramatic re-enactment as Miss Stephanie Crawford spread rumours about him. However, most of the adults in town distinguished the differences between rumours and facts. Atticus told his kids, What Mr. Radley did was his own business. If he wanted t o come out, he would. If he wanted to stay inside his own house he had the right to stay inside free from the attentions of inquisitive children ... (Lee, 1960, 53) The adults encouraged their kids to leave Arthur alone and respect his privacy. Although Arthur never associated with his neighbours, he was treated well by Dr. Reynolds, Atticus and other town people. Arthur, while saving Jem and Scout, killed Bob Ewell with a kitchen knife. When Mr. Tate found out the death, he insisted to cover up for Arthur by telli...