Final answer:
The correct option is 2) Racism can drive people to commit injustices against their own neighbors.
In Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird', racism is shown as a force that drives people to commit injustices against their own neighbors, rooted in power structures and societal institutions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird powerfully illustrates that racism can drive people to commit injustices against their own neighbors. The story, set in the deeply segregated American South, unpacks the consequences when societal power structures, amplified by racist beliefs, enable and facilitate the oppression and mistreatment of black Americans. Characters in the novel demonstrate that racism is not only blatant acts of hatred; rather, it's the subtle, pervasive force that manipulates power dynamics in favor of one race over another. This toxic reality can compel individuals and communities to turn against their own neighbors, compelling acts of discrimination and injustice.
Through this lens, the most accurate statement about racism as shown by Harper Lee in the novel is that it can drive people to commit injustices against their own neighbors. Lee highlights that racism permeates through power structures, even among those who might not outwardly appear to harbor racist thoughts. It is a social fact, woven into the fabric of institutions, affecting education, justice, and economic opportunities. Therefore, it's the systematic aspect of racism, powered by the majority and perpetuated through both covert and overt racism, that enables these injustices, making the struggle against racism a collective societal responsibility.