How Does Harper Lee Use Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Racism In To Kill a Mockingbird and America
Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. Black people in America have been discriminated against since the start, although lessened, it is still happening to this day. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, racism plays a key role. A black man named Tom Robinson, is framed for the rape and assault of Mayella Ewell. The jury takes a surprisingly long time to reach a verdict, and Robinson is sent to prison, then later on killed by guards while attempting to escape. To Kill a Mockingbird shows how racism greatly affects a community.
Black people used to be seen as dirt, as far as the late 1900’s. Most people thought they were the lowest of the low. “Yes suh. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em-” “You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?”(164). Tom Robinson makes the mistake of saying he felt sorry for Mayella. When he said that, he made himself to be above her, but in Maycomb, even the poorest, trashiest, whites are superior to blacks. Atticus had proven that Robinson wasn’t guilty of raping and assaulting Mayella, and everyone had felt sorry for her. However, the fact that
Robinson, a black man, felt sorry for Mayella, a white lady, was despicable enough to convict him.
Racial slurs were commonly used in To Kill a Mockingbird. A slur is a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Every race has words like these, but the “N word” is used very often in the book, and in today's society. “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!”(135). Most characters use the “N word” at least once in the book. Some use it just as a simple term, such as Scout asking his father what it meant, while others use it as discrimination, like when Mr. Ewell used it to describe Robinson during the trial. Back then the term was used daily when talking about colored folks. Today few bigots use it as an attempt to insult them. Blacks were unable to defend themselves against the word. If they tried, it could result in their death.
There is an aspect of police brutality in To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom had finally lost all hope, and decided to make a run for it. Instead of shooting him once or twice, they shot him seventeen times.“They fired a few shots in the air, then to kill. They got him just as he went over the fence.” “Seventeen bullet holes in him.”(315). Police brutality is big today like it was back then; it just wasn’t seen as that. “An unarmed black therapist is suing the Florida police officer who shot him in the leg while he tried to protect his autistic client.”(dailymail.co.uk) A therapist in Florida was trying to coax a severely autistic man back into his group home when police arrived, armed with guns and assault weapons. Kinsey, the therapist, was told to get on the ground and obey officers, which he did, and tried to explain the situation lying down with his hands up. He then got shot at three times, one entering through his knee. When he later asked why he was shot, one officer’s response was “I don’t know.” This just shows how some police have been abusing their power for a long time.
Racism has been going on in America since it was “discovered” by Columbus, and slaves were brought over from Africa.
All races endure racism, but blacks are most prominently affected in To Kill a Mockingbird. The prosecution and death of the innocent Tom Robinson, shows how racism affects a community. Many people of Maycomb believed that black people were barely human, and treated Robinson and his family as such. From the mistreatment, the disgusting racial slurs, to police brutality, black people have been through a lot in our history. In today’s society, all people are seen equally for the most part, but racism and discrimination will always be a part of our
world.