Through the usage of irony and characterization in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee demonstrates the racial prejudice that becomes ingrained into some people’s very personalities. Several of the less-wise characters make ironic and hypocritical statements throughout the novel. Harper Lee uses these characters to show how a person born and raised with a racist background can become unknowingly a racist themselves.

This teaching of racial bias starts at home and in school. Children in the county of Maycomb are raised prejudice against African-Americans so casually that they may not ever realize it is happening. Miss Gates, a teacher at the local school, is a prime example of this. After being asked about Adolph Hitler, part of her explanation is cruelly ironic: “‘That’s the difference between America and Germany. We are a democracy and Germany is a dictatorship. Dictator-ship,” she said. “Over here we don’t believe in persecuting anybody. Persecution comes from people who are prejudice.’” This statement is false and misleading; the people of Maycomb county are clearly racially biased. Blacks are treated very poorly compared to whites. However, when the children are told that they do not persecute anyone, and they are not prejudice, they cannot realize that they are. When they are told they are not racist, they will never associate racism with their own behavior. They will never learn better.

Mrs. Merriweather is another character who is unaware of her own racism and the prejudice of the people around her. She sadly tells the plight of “those poor Mrunas”, and how horrible life is for them. The irony is that she never once stops to consider the fact that she should feel just as badly for the blacks in Maycomb. They are badly mistreated as well. Unfortunately, Mrs. Merriweather was raised racist and barely notices that the blacks around her town exist. She certainly does not realize the circumstances they are in. Instead of feeling sorry for people she cannot help, she should help those around her. However, she will never understand this and she will never give them any aide.

More of this unawareness is shown through the narrator, Scout. Often Scout notices blacks being treated differently than whites. However, this is behavior that she is used to and basically expects to happen, and she thinks nothing of it. On page 120, she passively notes the many poor qualities that the blacks’ church has: “First Purchase was unceiled and unpainted within. Along its walls unlighted kerosene lamps hung on brass brackets; pine benches served as pews. …There was no sign of piano, organ, hymn-books, church programs- the familier ecclesiastical impedimenta we saw every Sunday.” Here, the irony is that the African Americans’ church is inferior to that of the whites. Scout does not make any connection with racism and does not seem to be affected by the appearance of the church. She does not realize this is another indication that the blacks in Maycomb are treated poorly and unfairly.

The majority of the white people in Maycomb are racist. They are prejudice against blacks, and treat them poorly. However, they are not consciously aware of their actions. They do not realize what they are doing to fellow human beings. Simply because they were raised in a society in which blacks are looked down upon, most of the population is incapable of seeing African Americans in a different light. They cannot change because they do not realize that change is necessary.