Prejudice is a preconceived opinion or judgment without proper knowledge or examination of facts. I have learnt that prejudice is unjust and leads to intolerance, discrimination and racism. These aspects of prejudice are illustrated in the texts, "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee, "Obesity: The Last bastion of prejudice" by Sahale Flanagan, and "A Bridge to Wiseman's Cove" by James Moloney.
Intolerance of particular groups of people based on prejudice and racism is found in "To Kill a Mocking Bird" by Harper Lee. Atticus accepts a case to defend a black man in a town where blacks are segregated and despised. This makes the whole town turn against him and even his children because they cannot accept that one of their own is defending someone that they hate.
"Your daddy (Atticus) is a disgrace, an' that nigger oughta hang from the water-tank!" (p84)
Due to the extreme racism rooted deep in the community, public display of intolerant behaviour is accepted in the town.
President George W. Bush awards the Presidential M...
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matt-camera-2Similarly, the article Obesity: The Last Bastion of Prejudice by Sahale Flanagan, illustrates the intolerant attitudes towards the obese based on stereotypical views. She uses the personal experience of a woman who has experienced a sudden change in attitudes towards her due to a 150lb gain in weight.
"...my kids were embarrassed, friends felt sorry for me, and strangers were shamelessly disgusted by my presence." - Leslie Lampert
By using a personal experience, Flanagan shows the other side of the story and is able to emphasize the prejudice towards the obese by invoking guilt and sympathy into the reader. Flanagan also uses 2nd person to be confrontational and blunt in order to demonstrate the stereotypical, intolerant views of the obese. In this way, she makes the viewer feel responsible...