Everyone put groups of people into categories some time in their life. This is called stereotyping and is a way simplify our social world and respond to new situations rapidly, because we may have had a similar experience before. Stereotyping can lead to prejudice, an opinion of someone that is not based on actual experiences. This prejudice appears a great deal in the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The charters within the novel will judge someone just based on age, race or sex. This leads conflict within the small community of maycomb county, within the days leading up to a major trial between an african american and white man. Society often will label people based on age, sex and race; leading to stereotyping and a false prejudice …show more content…
They use create false stereotypes about everyone leading to prejudice. This is shown in chapter 4. “...but Jem told be I was being a girl, that girls always imagined things, that why other people hated them so, and if I started behaving like one I could go off and find some to play with,” (Lee 41). There is a stereotype around women and how they should act. Jem is pointing this out in this quote. He believes that girl things are bad and boy things are good. Scout also believes this same thing, thinking if she acts more like a boy and less like a girl she can avoid the stereotype. Despite this Mrs. Dubose says “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!” (Lee 101). The prejudice of how woman should be follows scout around and causes negative comments towards her. Jem tell scout after Mrs. Dubose comment, "Don't pay any attention to her, just hold your head high and be a gentleman," (Lee 101). This almost sexis from Jem shows the stereotype around women, and girls at the time. He dislikes girls and wants his sister to act more like a boy/man. He has a prejudice about him that is shown thought his remarks to his sister. As he grows up he doesn’t fully understand girls and thinks they should act his