Important Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird

Race and Prejudice

• Tom Robinson's Trial: Highlights racial tensions in Maycomb.
  • Demonstrates the racial divide through separate facilities for blacks and whites, indicative of the Jim Crow South.
  • The town's newspaper publisher, while exposing racism, also shows evidence of it.
  • Characters like Aunt Alexandra and Ms. Green make racist comments.
• Children's Reaction:
  • Shaken by exposure to prejudice during the trial.
  • Their perspective highlights the illogical, petty, and immoral nature of adult racism.

Class

• Class Divisions:
  • Evident from Scout's first day at school.
  • Atticus is against these divisions, whereas Aunt Alexandra upholds them, viewing some families like the Cunninghams and Yules as unworthy.
• Struggle with Class:
  • Jem and Scout frequently discuss class in terms of family background.
  • They gradually understand the role of class distinctions in society.

Equality vs. Inequality

• Differential Treatment:
  • Mr. Gilmer treats Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson differently due to race.
  • Wealth disparities also highlighted: old community families vs. newcomers.
• Gender Inequality:
  • Women are not allowed to serve on juries.
  • Jem teases Scout about her gender occasionally.

Morality

• Central Role:
  • Interlinked with racial issues and inequality.
  • Questions how characters can be both moral and racist.
• Moral Conflict:
  • Jem and Scout's moral ideas clash with the realities of Maycomb.
  • Atticus believes in the inherent goodness of people, deserving respect regardless of reciprocity.
  • This belief is tested during Tom's trial and conviction.