The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, written in 1960 by Harper Lee characterizes the issues that affect the folks in the film. The major social concern in the novel is that of racial discrimination against the black community. The principal subject of this injustice in this film is Tom Robinson who is falsely accused of having raped a white girl, Mayella Ewell. Other victims include Ewell family who are branded “white trash” and Arthur Radley (Boo) who is a scapegoat of rumors and undergoes a lot of misery in the Maycomb community. This film revolves around the events before, during, and after the hearing of Tom Robinson case. It showcases how children are given a perspective that enables them to ascertain that indeed life is not straight-forward and that at times people react differently when they are forced to choose between their prejudice and right. What is largely seen as a Southern state of Alabama issue, prejudice and discrimination against the black race had gotten its root into the Maycomb society. This paper seeks to illustrate how social injustice is addressed in To Kill a Mockingbird novel.

Tom Robinson is rendered a subject of social injustice. He is discriminated due to his black skin color. He was also accused of raping Mayella Ewell and the trial he was supposed to engage in was just for formality. His could escape conviction because black people were considered powerless. The superiority complex between the blacks and the whites offered the atmosphere for racial discrimination to triumph. The feeling for white entitlement explains why black people underwent struggle and suffering for a long time in the quest of being equal to the whites. The blacks had limited freedom; they could not take action nor express themselves. Tom Robinson’s last struggle for liberty is seen when he attempted to escape incarceration and tried to escape from the guards. Unfortunately, the guards shoot him dead. The primary intention was to kill Tom Robinson rather than stop him from escaping. Heck Taste confirmed this when he said that the murder of Tom was the best case of how social injustice faced the black people (Cook, 2017).

Besides the discrimination against the black community, there is also enough evidence to justify discrimination in the white society based on social class. The Finches family and Miss Maudie Atkinson have an outstanding social status; holding high-level positions and being educated. The typical town people follow Their class, for example, Mr. Avery and Miss Stephanie Crawford who holds a lower social status in society. The poor people including the Old Sarums are those at the far down the rank, while the Ewells are right at the bottom of the class. The Ewells, being in a poor financial state and ill behavior are branded “white trash”. Mayella Ewell, despite young in the Ewell family, is forced to look after her younger siblings. She is also involved in an abusive relationship with her father which can be inferred as social injustice to her by her father.

Moreover, Boo Radley (Arthur) faces social injustice. He was involved in numerous misfortunes when he was young resulting in his parents locking him inside. He was named a murderer ever since. His life is similar to one a prisoner lives because he is not allowed to get out of the house he is locked in. Seen through Scout’s eyes, the rumors about Boo appears to be nothing but a simple story. They indicate the prejudice of the Maycomb society against a youth who had unintentionally made a mistake. While describing Boo’s life, Scout states that “the sheriff did not have the heart to jail him together with the blacks.” This shows that although Boo faces discrimination, she still believes that the black community stands on a lower social class than the white. Besides being locked in the house, Boo is also burdened of a ghost that gets into his room and walking around during night time glancing at small children. Interestingly, Boo’s deliverer comes along at the end of the story but was vindicated, and Boo was pardoned from an investigation. Boo’s move became his source of liberty and he concluded his fight for social justice.

In conclusion, therefore, this paper has demonstrated that according to the film To Kill a Mockingbird all the persons in the Maycomb community face social injustice in spite of the different problem origins. Social injustice is manifested through characters in different ways. The black people are viewed as sub-human and have nothing much to do in life. Tom Robinson can be used to represent the evil deeds of the whites against the blacks while Boo Radley represents a community’s false accusations and the Ewell family are suppressed due to their social class.

References

Lee, H. (2006). To kill a mockinbird. London: Arrow Books.

Cook, T. (2017). “Well, Heck”: Confounding Grace in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Christianity & Literature, 66(4), 656-674. doi: 10.1177/0148333117697453.

Milică, I. (2012). Racial Violence in William Faulkner’s Dry September and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Linguaculture, 2012(1). doi: 10.2478/v10318-012-0019-1.