Q1a) The portrayal of the black community at that time was reader’s first glimpse of the black community in Maycomb, which is portrayed in an overwhelmingly positive light. At first the reader may think that the black community is poor and hospitable, however at closer interpretation, one will see that the adversity seems to bring the people closer together and creates a stronger sense of community than is found in the Whites’ own church.
“It was an ancient paint- peeled frame building, the only church in Maycomb with a steeple and bell, called First Purchase because it was paid for from the first earnings of freed slaves.” One can tell from this quote that the church was very old and dilapidated. The church was called First Purchase because it was bought with the first earnings of freed slaves. This shows that the slaves were very poor, but at the same time, religious. They were willing to sacrifice their earnings for the building of a church for themselves. This gives an impression to the reader that the blacks were also very pious. It shows the respect they have for their religion and how they do the extent to achieve what they want. Thus it tells us that they could take hardship and the name of the church will serve as a constant reminder to all the blacks that the church was built out of their own pockets.
“Negroes worshipped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekdays.”The white people who gambled in this church knew that they were gambling in a church, which was also the only black owned building in the town. Gambling is a sin and they thought that it was acceptable to be sinful in the only black possession in Maycomb. This routine of weekly gambling was an extreme disrespect to the black race and it exhibited the authority and control the white race had over the black population. There were few people who felt blacks deserved equality and those who expressed their feelings were lynched. This gives