Prejudice is a prejudice formed about something or someone, but is it also much more than that? This complex idea is highlighted in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the picture book Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack (illustrated by Jerry Pinkney). The picture book is set in 1950s Nashville and features a young African-American girl named Tricia Ann, who experiences many prejudices and eventually reaches a place of integration: the public library. Both of these texts offer deeper ideas about prejudice, which challenges our society past and present. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Prejudice is a group perception that marginalizes. In To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the main characters who experiences prejudice and is isolated from the rest of Maycomb is Arthur ("Boo") Radley. At the beginning of the novel, Jem and Scout explain to Dill who Boo is, or at least what they have been told. “People said it existed, but Jem and I had never seen it. People said he went out at night...' The repetition of 'people say' emphasizes that these anecdotes are purely based on rumour, not fact. Maycomb's characterization of Arthur is that he is inhuman, hence the derogatory term "Boo Radley" is used. Lee makes it clear that Arthur is marginalized from the rest of society. “The shutters and doors of the Radley house were closed on Sundays, another thing foreign to the ways of Maycomb…” The use of the term “alien” reveals that prejudice is about difference. This contrast that Lee created between Maycomb and the Radleys emphasizes that prejudice forms in a group, dividing a person. Goin' Someplace Special conveys the same concept but in a very different way. An example is when Tricia Ann accidentally walks into the crowded lobby of a hotel where "colored people" are prohibited, an example of racial prejudice. Unlike in the novel, Tricia Ann is not secretly prejudiced, like Boo Radley. McKissack writes, “What is he doing here?” It seemed like the whole world had stopped talking, stopped moving and was just staring at her.' This climatic phrase involves the hissing of “st” which emphasizes that these sudden movements occurred in groups. In a double page spread, Tricia Ann wears a bright blue and contrasting yellow being highly saturated, while with all the white people, the color palette is limited to white and cream. Similar to Boo Radley who was "alien", Tricia Ann appears and dresses differently. Additionally, Tricia Ann is much smaller than everyone else, making it clear that prejudicial individuals are seen as inferior by an entire group. The vectors of human hands provide a reading path in which we are led to look at Tricia Ann's isolation. Bias is recognized through education and experience. Therefore, unlike children, it is adults who transmit prejudicial attitudes. We see Scout's understanding develop throughout the novel. For example, during the scene where Scout was in Maycomb Prison, running towards her father who was surrounded by a crowd of prejudiced farmers, she says "I pushed my way through dark, smelly bodies and exploded into the circle of light." The motifs of darkness and light are seen where prejudice is symbolic of evil and Atticus is the metaphorical circle of light, representative of goodness. The scout begins conversing with Mr. Cunningham: 'Hey Mr. Cunningham. How are your commitments going?' This provides comedic humor where her childish behavior is dominant and the comparison conveys Scout's misunderstanding and how she has not yet.