Discrimination: Intolerance towards ToleranceDiscrimination, its very existence, can be considered one of the ugliest and most permanent scars of civilized society. Like most other sins of this type, which have their roots in the potential moral corruption of the person, discrimination has no preferences or boundaries. Discrimination is a poison to humanity that manifests itself in many forms, including racism, prejudice and ignorance. In a bold attempt to reveal discrimination in the contemporary, Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird, exposes forms of discrimination through the eyes of her novel's main characters, as well as through the mutual behaviors and ideals of the fictional Maycomb society. While the plot of the story may be fiction, the lessons about discrimination are not. Discrimination and its effects are not bluntly proclaimed, but rather expressed through the motions of Arthur Radley, Atticus Finch, and Tom Robinson; whose lives and destinies are marked by it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay While discrimination comes in many forms, one of its most pernicious forms is racism; the false belief that one race is superior to another. No one in the novel faces more discrimination than Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson, a loyal and honest worker, is convicted by Mr. Ewell, the trashiest white man in town, for raping his daughter Mayella. Being convicted solely out of hate and not because of evidence of crime labels it a racist act. Tom Robinson also gets no mercy in court. While on the witness stand, Tom Robinson attempts to maintain his innocence in his testimony, even under pressure from Mr. Gilmer's prosecution. He courageously gives his testimony until an error marks his words: “'Yes, suh. I really felt sorry for her, she seemed to try harder than the others: Did you feel sorry for her, did you feel sorry for her?" (Lee 264). During his testimony, Tom insists that he does the extra work for Mayella out of sympathy. But in Mr. Gilmer's eyes, no black man can say he feels sorry for a white woman; this statement dictates that black men are superior. Tom has never had a chance to win the case for his own innocence he begins at the idea of a white man accusing him of something, with no chance of keeping his word. Atticus tries to explain this Jem after the trial: “There is something in this world that makes men lose their minds: not they could be honest if they tried. In our courts, when it comes to a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins'” (295). deemed superior to the honesty of a black man. Tom's suffering is unnecessary. It's not out of justice, but out of hate. Judgment does not pass through peace, but through discrimination. In this way, Tom represents the black community in general who also suffer from the law and the like due to unjust persecution. Discrimination costs Tom's life, and almost that of Atticus, his defense lawyer. Atticus is a white, humble, well-known lawyer from Maycomb County. So the fact that he defends a nigga really turns heads. That same Atticus of whom the people are proud as a lawyer and friend, stoops to be a negro's defense attorney; and the people do not hesitate to be hostile. With this in mind, Atticus is discriminated against just as if he were black: “'Your father ain't.
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