The Triad of “Othering”: A Postcolonial Analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird

Abstract

To Kill a Mockingbird exposes the operational logic of systemic oppression within 1930s Southern US society through the judicial injustice suffered by the Black man, Tom Robinson. Utilizing the “Othering” theory from postcolonial studies as its core framework, this paper systematically analyzes the mechanisms of exclusion and their interactions across the triple dimensions of gender, class, and race depicted in the novel. Gender “Othering” manifests in Mayella Ewell’s patriarchal discipline and Scout’s identity anxiety, revealing the marginalization of women within the courtroom space. Class “Othering” is demonstrated through the “white trash” stigma attached to the Ewell family and the economic exclusion faced by the Cunninghams, showcasing the symbolic expulsion of impoverished groups. Racial “Othering” is embodied in the judicial system’s presumption of Tom Robinson’s guilt, exposing the structural violence of white supremacy. The analysis demonstrates how these three dimensions reinforce the social hierarchy through intersecting oppressions, confirming the fundamental nature of power: maintaining hegemony by constructing a “Self-Other” binary. This examination not only deepens the deconstruction of the novel’s power mechanisms but also provides historical reference points for contemporary struggles within identity politics.