Racism And Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird And Mississippi Burning

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Racism and Prejudice Essay Prejudice is an unfavourable opinion or feeling while racism is the outworking of this feeling, it is the actions that come from prejudice. Racism is a belief that inherent differences exist among the various human races, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule others. Racism is used as a form of power and control over people. It is shaped by people’s upbringing and experiences. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and the movie Mississippi Burning the foundation and outcome of racism are explored. Segregation, institutional racism, hypocrisy and symbols that are all observed in To Kill a Mockingbird and Mississippi Burning. Segregation is significant aspect of racism…show more content…
It occurs because of people having prejudice and stereotypes or generalised opinions about others. In To Kill a Mockingbird there is racial separation between the Negro and the white population. Negroes are pushed to the worst areas “Outside the southern town limits across the old sawmills tracks” (pg 122). We see that a Negro family The Robinsons lived “Beyond the town dump” (pg 83). The white population are separated because they believe the Negroes are filthy and are worthless. Mrs Dubose says “Your fathers no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (pg 101). Segregation is also revealed in the school. The novel it implies that Scouts class and school doesn’t contain any Negro children. The churches are also segregated; when Calpurnia takes scout to church we take notice what Lula a Negro member of the church says. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here – they got their church, we got our’n” (pg 131). At Tom Robinson trial almost the whole town witness the final verdict. In the crowded court house the spectators are separated. There was a place for the white spectators and another place for the Negro spectators “the coloured balcony ran along the walls of the courtroom, like a second story veranda” (pg

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