To Kill A Mockingbird
The Innocence of the World
Throughout the early to mid-1900’s, a lot of the United States was very racial and there was a lot of segregation towards Blacks. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee connects this horrific time frame with a story told from a child’s perspective. Jem and Scout lose their childlike innocence and gain an understanding about humanity through the adventures they go on when they are exposed to how the world really is. The first experience that the kid’s come to with learning about how humanity really is when they attend Sunday mass with Calpurnia at her church. The kid’s got a taste of reality when Lula, a tall Negro woman, snaps at Calpurnia for bring Jem and Scout to their church. For example, Lula barks at Calpurnia when she first sees the children by remarking, “I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillum to nigger church. You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” (119). Lula was being harsh towards the children, seeing as they are a different race. Calpurnia attacks back, coming back with the fact that they were the same. Furthermore, the trash collector, Zeebo, steps in and defends Calpurnia and Jem and Scout with, “Don’t pay no ‘tention to Lula, she’s contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church her. She’s a troublemaker from way back.” (119). The children see how even though some respected them, some Blacks really didn’t want them there and wanted both races to be separated from each other. Through the incident at the church, the kids start to see how humanity is in real life. During the whole process of Tom Robinson’s case and trial, the kid’s get a sense of the real world. They first get a taste of racism when Bob and Mayella Ewell step up to defend their stand on the case. When Mr. Ewell takes his turn on the podium, he makes nasty comments towards Tom, calling him a “nigger” and
Throughout the early to mid-1900’s, a lot of the United States was very racial and there was a lot of segregation towards Blacks. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee connects this horrific time frame with a story told from a child’s perspective. Jem and Scout lose their childlike innocence and gain an understanding about humanity through the adventures they go on when they are exposed to how the world really is. The first experience that the kid’s come to with learning about how humanity really is when they attend Sunday mass with Calpurnia at her church. The kid’s got a taste of reality when Lula, a tall Negro woman, snaps at Calpurnia for bring Jem and Scout to their church. For example, Lula barks at Calpurnia when she first sees the children by remarking, “I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillum to nigger church. You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillum here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” (119). Lula was being harsh towards the children, seeing as they are a different race. Calpurnia attacks back, coming back with the fact that they were the same. Furthermore, the trash collector, Zeebo, steps in and defends Calpurnia and Jem and Scout with, “Don’t pay no ‘tention to Lula, she’s contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church her. She’s a troublemaker from way back.” (119). The children see how even though some respected them, some Blacks really didn’t want them there and wanted both races to be separated from each other. Through the incident at the church, the kids start to see how humanity is in real life. During the whole process of Tom Robinson’s case and trial, the kid’s get a sense of the real world. They first get a taste of racism when Bob and Mayella Ewell step up to defend their stand on the case. When Mr. Ewell takes his turn on the podium, he makes nasty comments towards Tom, calling him a “nigger” and