To Kill A Mockingbird-Racism
To marginalize, exclude, or silence is to disregard somebody’s existence. Whether through purposeful ignorance, discrimination, cultural intolerance, judgement, or in To Kill a Mockingbird’s case: racism. Acts of marginalization, exclusion, and silence is evident all throughout the novel; of which is particularly seen towards the African-American community. Racism in the deep south extends far before our ancestors established means of discrimination in the 1930s, but shines ever so brightly during the Great Depression era. To Kill a Mockingbird, set in this time period of societal hierarchy, serves as a novel to explore these true-to-life acts of marginalization, exclusion, and silence. On the hierarchical ladder, African Americans are ranked
far below any white person is. Reason being that “when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (295). There is an obvious separation between blacks and whites: white people think of black people as inferior beings, due to their skin color. Societal marginalization occurs through the majority of Maycomb’s thoughts regarding the black population. As demonstrated by Mrs. Dubose’s describing the community as “niggers and trash” (135). Whites don’t treat blacks as parts of Maycomb, they think of them as nothing more than dirt. Exclusion is also common in Maycomb. As indicated by Aunt Alexandra’s constant wanting of Calpurnia’s job termination, separate sections for blacks and whites in the courtroom, and the needing of 2 separate churches: one for blacks and one for whites. Whites want to minimize their contact with blacks, causing racial exclusion between the two groups. Even if the two groups want to achieve the same things - going to church, working, watching the trial, etc. They barely come in contact with each other due to the social stigmas that the whites possess regarding blacks. The reason Harper Lee put such emphasis on the intolerance regarding blacks, is because this is the world that she once lived in. She wants to shine a light upon that time era, where racism and intolerance flourished. In the end, Lee wants to inform her audience about how awful racism once was by reliving her childhood filled with constant discrimination. Hopefully so we won’t make those same mistakes in the future.
far below any white person is. Reason being that “when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (295). There is an obvious separation between blacks and whites: white people think of black people as inferior beings, due to their skin color. Societal marginalization occurs through the majority of Maycomb’s thoughts regarding the black population. As demonstrated by Mrs. Dubose’s describing the community as “niggers and trash” (135). Whites don’t treat blacks as parts of Maycomb, they think of them as nothing more than dirt. Exclusion is also common in Maycomb. As indicated by Aunt Alexandra’s constant wanting of Calpurnia’s job termination, separate sections for blacks and whites in the courtroom, and the needing of 2 separate churches: one for blacks and one for whites. Whites want to minimize their contact with blacks, causing racial exclusion between the two groups. Even if the two groups want to achieve the same things - going to church, working, watching the trial, etc. They barely come in contact with each other due to the social stigmas that the whites possess regarding blacks. The reason Harper Lee put such emphasis on the intolerance regarding blacks, is because this is the world that she once lived in. She wants to shine a light upon that time era, where racism and intolerance flourished. In the end, Lee wants to inform her audience about how awful racism once was by reliving her childhood filled with constant discrimination. Hopefully so we won’t make those same mistakes in the future.