Topic 5: How does Harper Lee highlight Maycomb's 1930s prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird? Harper Lee's acclaimed novel , To Kill a Mockingbird, demonstrates, through young narrator Scout Finch, the many prejudices of Maycomb in 1930. It is through Lee's creative approach to interpreting these prejudices that we, as readers, can feel the animosity of this particular period. Social prejudices in 1930s Maycomb are highlighted through the rigid class structure of the community. We also see the prejudice and gender stereotypes used against women in Maycomb, through the narration of the female protagonist. However, the most dominant issue explored in this novel is racism, brought to light through the trial of Tom Robinson. It is through Lee's unique analysis of social, gender and racial discrimination that she manages to accentuate these prejudices of 1930s Maycomb in To Kill A Mockingbird. The social prejudices of 1930s Maycomb are highlighted through the rigid class structure of the community. At one point in the novel, Jem describes Maycomb's social hierarchy quite accurately, a custom the community adheres to meticulously. He tells Scout, “There are four kinds of people in the world. There are ordinary people like us and our neighbors, there are people like the Cunninghams in the woods, there are people like the Ewells at the dump, and there are black people, "ordinary people" being those of the upper class. A person's position in Maycomb's social structure becomes the basis of people's opinions of them and their family and it is impossible for a person to advance within the inflexible class structure, so families like the Ewells will always be at the bottom of the social strata. When Scout asks to spend more... middle of paper ...... changes the white community's view of him, and in fact only further reinforces their stereotypes about him. blacks, saying that "Tom's death was typical...It's typical of a nigger who runs away and runs away...who has no plan, no thought for the future...they say he [Tom ] kept himself clean, went to church but when it comes to waiting in line... A nigga always comes out in there” This chauvinistic generalization further underlines how racism in the community will always be renewed, even after a disaster incident like that of Tom Robinson. Harper Lee reminds us through Tom's trial that racial prejudice is an important norm in Maycomb and can only be overcome with time. Maycomb's 1930s prejudices in To Kill A Mockingbird are heightened by Harper Lee's in-depth analyzes and descriptions of social issues, gender and racial discrimination, which allows the reader to experience the acrimony of that era.