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Social commentary in to kill a mockingbird
Literature and racism
Racial discrimination in the US
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TKAM Final Essay Throughout American history, people have passed judgement and there have been many centuries of prejudice. It is a repetitive aspect of human nature. Humans often express hate, they often deal false accusations, and they often believe things that aren’t true. During the period of 1877 to 1954, Jim Crow laws were thriving. It was common for whites in the South to not associate with blacks unless they were working for them, and many did not see them as equal. Harper Lee, a writer, grew up during this time. She constantly witnessed this prejudice and even witnessed her father defend in the Scottsboro Boys Trial. Many innocent men were killed during this Era. Racism was normalized. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that takes place during this …show more content…
Dolphus Raymond, Tom Robinson, and Boo Radley to show that there are more to people than what is shown on the outside. To begin, Harper Lee uses Mr. Raymond to prove there is more to one than what is seen on the outside. Mr. Raymond was a man that rarely came to town, and when he did, people would gossip about him and pass judgement. He was not respected in Maycomb’s society, and through rumors was known as an alcoholic and “lover of blacks”. Society determined these things as sinful, backwards, warped, anything and everything bad. Describing Mr. Raymond, Jem says, “He’s got a Co-Cola bottle full of whiskey in there. That’s so’s not to upset the ladies. You’ll see him sip it all afternoon, he’ll step out for a while and fill it back up...He’s got a colored woman with all sorts of mixed chillun. Show you some of ‘em if we see ‘em.” (Lee 183). This quote explains how Mr. Raymond was seen by his community and the rumors that surrounded him. Majority of people didn’t actually know him, they just went by the things they had heard through others. This is an example of how people were falsely seen in Maycomb. Everyone believed Mr. Raymond was constantly drunk, and that
Jem has grown up and has become more mature and Scout does not realize why he does not want to be around her anymore. Calpurnia tells Scout, “He’s gonna want to be off to himself a lot doin’ whatever boys do, so you just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome” (154). Cal was trying to explain why Jem wanted Scout to leave him alone even if Scout does not want to. Calpurnia gave Scout an alternative to come into the kitchen if she ever felt lonely. Calpurnia taught Scout and Jem many things, but one of the main lesson was that all people are
Often in life people prejudge others, but their view changes as they get to know the person. In to kill a mockingbird by Harper lee Jem and Scout prejudge Boo Radley and their father Atticus. Jem and Scout believe their father has absolutely no skill. Throughout the book the kids get to see more of his skills. Boo Radley is considered a monster in Maycomb and Scout and Jem use the town’s judgment as their own. After learning more about Boo and getting to know him they realize he is opposite of what they thought. Because Jem and Scout are influenced by other people’s opinions they are able to learn from their mistakes and develop a new perspective on people.
One of the values of Maycomb is racism. However, there are a few that does not believe in this value, including Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a white man married to a black woman and has mixed children. He does not believe in society’s ideology regarding racism and knows that some citizens of Maycomb antagonize him. However, he does not care, as he prefers the colored people over white. He knows how unfair society is, from the way he gets treated. Moreover, Jem realizes the falsities of society, due to the injustice he sensed. After Tom’s verdict, Jem’s first clear sense of injustice provided a new perception on the world. When he was young, he believed that the people of Maycomb are the best folks, but the outcome of the trial changed this thought. Furthermore, Scout’s realization of the falsehood in society is with the hypocrisy of Miss Gates. She was taught by Miss Gates how Americans do not believe in persecution. However, Scout saw Miss Gates talk about the African Americans in an adverse way. Learning about the falsehood in society is part of
...ne of his biggest secrets, he states, “I want to try to give [people] a reason… If I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey-that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself that’s why he lives the way he lives” (Lee, 200). Dolphus Raymond knows prejudice, injustice, and racism are very well alive in the community. He doesn’t want to be judged by his community and he finds the only way to escape the torment of the society’s judgements is by pretending to be drunk. Scout learns about the judgemental society she lives in. Moreover, she learns not to judge others before knowing their stories. Clearly, the events of the Tom Robinson trial are very important to Scout. The trial causes Scout to mature before her time, but also enables her to learn the truth about the untold and dark secrets of life.
thought. People began to judge other people based on the rumors they hear from numerous of people. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee the townspeople often overlook a class or a person based on their skin color which is a form of judgement. This is relevant in today's society. Many social class view another group or a person as not important. In both cases, our society today and the novel show examples of judgment that occurs both in social class and racism.
People in this world get judged because they were black back then and judged for being mean to others and being judged even though those people don't really know you. Because people judge others, and tell the community how they should think about them, those who are judged can become lonely. Tom Robinson is an innocent man but because of his color the white people in Maycomb think that he is guilty and they decide to lie about what Tom did just because of his color. Tom was accused of raping a girl and had to go to court because of his color. The people of Maycomb were trying so hard just to get Tom into jail for no good reason.
Firstly, minor characters break stereotypes to breathe life into the sleepy town of Maycomb, establishing setting. For example, Mr. Dolphus Raymond assumes the character of a drinker as a pretense for associating with coloured people, though in reality he is drinking coca cola and not alcohol, hidden the contents in a paper bag. He confesses this to Scout, saying “Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 200-201). This proves that what is most outwardly transparent and unlikeable in a character may truly be interesting and good-natured. Mr. Raymond’s secret causes the reader to look past the paper bag and ask why a man might go to such extent to hide his best qualities. It proves that, in Mr. Raymond’s eyes, Maycomb isn’t yet able to handle the truth. He must hide it behin...
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is another character who suffered from Maycomb’s racism. He was a respected, wealthy member of the community, but then he chose to live with the black community. This was considered a felony by the inhabitants of Maycomb. He knew they would never be able to understand his choice, so he made it easier for them by pretending to be the town drunk.
My attitude to racism has developed in the course of the narrative. Mr Dolphus Raymond continues to elaborate on my feelings while he talks to Scout and Dill during the court case. He is a sinful man according to the community as he is has fathered mixed children. To contemplate this felony he pretended to be a drunk: "Secretly, Miss Finch, I'm not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that is the way I want to live.
Most people know about not judging a book by its cover, it is the same message with people. If one judges a person merely on what they look like they will miss what is important, who the person is, what their morals are, and what their intentions are. It takes a person who has read the novel To Kill A Mockingbird to write this essay because it is a good example of treating others with respect and not judging others based on what they look like. Many characters in Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird learn that one cannot know a person until they look beyond that person’s appearances.
Prejudice is a real life problem in the world. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes the prejudices found in a small American town in the 1930's. Race, social class, and gender are examples of prejudice.
Mr.Raymond is seen as an outcast because even though he came from an old and rich family, he still decides to socialize with the black community. Mr.Raymond alway drinks from his sack because people would say, “Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey—that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself,...
“ Don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins.” (Creech, pg.51) This quote describes the society of today and of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” There are many cases of unjust judging and unfairness in this story as it takes in Maycomb County, Alabama, which was not ideal for anyone other than a successful white male. This story follows a young tomboy named Scout Finch as she grows up in this prejudiced town where along the way a young black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman, and it just so happens he Father is defending him. While “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows the ugliness that can come from judging others, its ultimate message is that great good can result when one defers judgment until considering
In Harper Lee’s seminal work To Kill a Mockingbird, the author communicates that one must never employ judgement. Instead, one should adopt understanding toward others; understanding often leads to empathy. Lee shows this with the relationship of Scout to several other characters, including Aunt Alexandra, Atticus, Boo Radley, and Mrs. Dubose. In the book, Lee uses the character of Scout to show that understanding and not judging them is one of the most important things we can do as people.
Raymond. Mr. Raymond drinks with a plastic bag to hide from his wife and his chances. “He’s got Co-Cola bottle full of whiskey in there.”(pg. 214). He’s purposely gets drunk just to hide his personality because he is afraid he will lose his friendship and love from his wife and friends. Mr. Raymond acts like he is drunk so he can hide his personal lifestyle from his friends and his wife. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mr. Raymond explains that he feels he has to give the population some reason for his odd behavior. He acts friendly toward black people. Mr. Raymond believes it 's easier for people to handle strangeness when they have a reason to explain it. He thinks children that haven 't lost the instinct that tells them that it 's wrong for white people to give hell to black people without consideration for basic humanity of humankind. Mr. Raymond tells the children because they are not racist and they will understand. Mr. Raymond is unlike most people in Maycomb because he is not a racist. Since people have a hard time believing he could love a Negro wife and half-breed children, he lets the town believe he is