Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
Racism strongly affects the events that happen in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, and is seen constantly throughout the story. The novel starts out focused of Jem and Scout’s adventures in small town Maycomb. Both they and their friend Dill grow more curious of their mysterious neighbor. The kids try a number of times to see Boo Radley himself, getting in trouble time and time again. The novel then shifts to focus on Jem and Scouts’ father Atticus and his new trial. In this society, most people don’t bother with “Negros”, but when one colored man is accused of rape, the whole town gets involved. Atticus is assigned to defend Tom Robinson, the man accused of rape, and plans on trying his best to rightly defend him. During the trial you hear both sides of the story and see that Tom is innocent. But when the jury declares him guilty, the kids are confused. They are still trying to understand society, seeing no difference from a white man and a colored man. Tom
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Robinson was killed later when trying to escape; he was shot seven-teen times. The case was over and things in Maycomb calmed down until Halloween night when Jem and Scout were walking home. They were attacked by a dark figure, barley making it home. In the end their childhood boogieman saved them, and a common citizen was the villain who died trying to kill innocent. In To Kill a Mockingbird, racism strongly affects the events in the novel. There are many little situations having to do with racism, but there are some significant moments that stood out. Some of these include the children going to church with Cal, Mr. Dolphus Raymond having children with a colored women, and Atticus Flinch’s case involving Tom Robinson. Each moment shows a different form of racism and plays an important part to the story. While Atticus was away on business Calpurnious decided to take the kids to her church to insure that they wouldn’t get into trouble. They were greeted by a lot of the people in the community, many of them respecting Atticus for taking on the case. One women named Lula approached Cal and the kids, saying white folks shouldn’t be here. If blacks couldn’t go to their church then whites shouldn’t be going to theirs. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillin here- they got their church, we got our’n. It’s our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” (Lee 121). The other members of the community hush her up and welcomed into the church. This shows that all different members of Maycomb can be racist, no matter their race. Before the trail took place, Jem was explaining to Scout how mixed children were outcast in society.
Mr. Dolphus is always drinking during the day, and sits with the colored folks. He sent his mixed kids to school up North so they could be treated better. While Dill and Scout took a break during the trial, Mr. Dolphus offered the Dill a drink from his brown bag; it turned out to be only soda. He confessed to the kids that he simply acted drunk so that the community could make sense of why he would be with a black women. “Maybe being from an old, rich family allows him to live how he likes without worrying about what other people think.” (Shmoop Editorial Team) The racist people in Maycomb essentially brought Mr. Dulphus to act in such a manner. “Mr. Raymond's double life shows Scout the compromises people have to make in order to live in communities where they don't quite fit in”. (Shmoop Editorial Team) This shows the lengths people go through to protect their family and try to fit into
society. Finally Tom Robinson’s case is the main example of racism affecting the life of a young man. A black man is accused of rape, his word against two white peoples. The evidence Atticus presents to the jury and to all of Maycomb, truly proves that Tom is an innocent man. The two white people accusing him are the lowest in society. “Tom Robinson is convicted purely because he is a black man and his accuser is white. The evidence is so powerfully in his favor, that race is clearly the single defining factor in the jury's decision.” (Sigelman). The people of Maycomb let an innocent man die, knowing he was not guilty. They put their pride before his life. Overall racism greatly affected the way the events played out in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. If people saw each other as equals, then they would all go to the same church, marry whoever they wanted, and am innocent man would be alive. Maycomb is so controlled by what is right in society, that the people fail to see the wrong they are doing. When we outcast people for prejudice reasons, we essentially kill a Mockingbird.
Robinson was killed later when trying to escape; he was shot seven-teen times. The case was over and things in Maycomb calmed down until Halloween night when Jem and Scout were walking home. They were attacked by a dark figure, barley making it home. In the end their childhood boogieman saved them, and a common citizen was the villain who died trying to kill innocent. In To Kill a Mockingbird, racism strongly affects the events in the novel. There are many little situations having to do with racism, but there are some significant moments that stood out. Some of these include the children going to church with Cal, Mr. Dolphus Raymond having children with a colored women, and Atticus Flinch’s case involving Tom Robinson. Each moment shows a different form of racism and plays an important part to the story. While Atticus was away on business Calpurnious decided to take the kids to her church to insure that they wouldn’t get into trouble. They were greeted by a lot of the people in the community, many of them respecting Atticus for taking on the case. One women named Lula approached Cal and the kids, saying white folks shouldn’t be here. If blacks couldn’t go to their church then whites shouldn’t be going to theirs. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillin here- they got their church, we got our’n. It’s our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” (Lee 121). The other members of the community hush her up and welcomed into the church. This shows that all different members of Maycomb can be racist, no matter their race. Before the trail took place, Jem was explaining to Scout how mixed children were outcast in society.
Mr. Dolphus is always drinking during the day, and sits with the colored folks. He sent his mixed kids to school up North so they could be treated better. While Dill and Scout took a break during the trial, Mr. Dolphus offered the Dill a drink from his brown bag; it turned out to be only soda. He confessed to the kids that he simply acted drunk so that the community could make sense of why he would be with a black women. “Maybe being from an old, rich family allows him to live how he likes without worrying about what other people think.” (Shmoop Editorial Team) The racist people in Maycomb essentially brought Mr. Dulphus to act in such a manner. “Mr. Raymond's double life shows Scout the compromises people have to make in order to live in communities where they don't quite fit in”. (Shmoop Editorial Team) This shows the lengths people go through to protect their family and try to fit into
society. Finally Tom Robinson’s case is the main example of racism affecting the life of a young man. A black man is accused of rape, his word against two white peoples. The evidence Atticus presents to the jury and to all of Maycomb, truly proves that Tom is an innocent man. The two white people accusing him are the lowest in society. “Tom Robinson is convicted purely because he is a black man and his accuser is white. The evidence is so powerfully in his favor, that race is clearly the single defining factor in the jury's decision.” (Sigelman). The people of Maycomb let an innocent man die, knowing he was not guilty. They put their pride before his life. Overall racism greatly affected the way the events played out in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. If people saw each other as equals, then they would all go to the same church, marry whoever they wanted, and am innocent man would be alive. Maycomb is so controlled by what is right in society, that the people fail to see the wrong they are doing. When we outcast people for prejudice reasons, we essentially kill a Mockingbird.