The Ideas of Hypocrisy, Prejudice and Dignity in Harper Lees To Kill A

The Ideas of Hypocrisy, Prejudice and Dignity in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird In Maycomb, the town in which Harper Lee's book 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is set, hypocrisy and prejudice are prevalent in most of its citizens. Although many of the characters morals are admirable, you soon realise that what people say and what people do are not always related. Mrs Grace Merriweather falls into this category. She is seen to be 'the most devout lady in Maycomb' and her eyes 'always filled with tears when she considered the oppressed' yet she is just as prejudiced to the black citizens or 'darky's' as the majority of the ladies of the 'Maycomb Alabama Methodist Episcopal Church South' are. Mrs Merriweather appears to be the most hypocritical character in this chapter. Throughout, she contradicts herself - she tells Scout about 'those poor Mrunas' and how she made a 'pledge in her heart' to help them and then shortly after she complains about how 'there's nothing more distracting then a sulky darky.' This is particularly un...