Convictions of Color
analytical Essay
1806 words
Convictions of Color
Nelle Harper Lee demonstrates an excellent representation of a harsh time period in her novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, which took place in the South between 1925 and 1935. This period was very important in the construction of the South’s economy, although it proved to be exceptionally challenging for African Americans. They had special laws to abide by, were not given the rights that white people held, and were badly mistreated because of the whites’ resentment that black slaves were now free. One primary example of this mistreatment is the case known as the Scottsboro Trials, in which injustice was served on eight black men for a crime that never happened. The following will include factual and fictitious literature and will utilize them with historical evidence to prove that a black person’s fair trial was improbable in the court system of the young south.
In the 1930’s, the southern life was rigid for African Americans. After the civil war, slaves were given freedom and were in the process of emerging into the struggling economy. Times were rough for everyone because of the economy’s depression. A Berea student stated in her report, “All over America it was common to see unemployed men and women riding the rails, looking for work, shelter, and food-for anything that offered some means of subsistence, some sense of dignity.” Many people lost their jobs and whites took this time to torment black communities. A special clan was formed, called the Ku Klux Klan, that encouraged white dominance and used violence and intimidation to try to undo all that the blacks had recently gained (Snodan). In October of 1926, in Due West, South Carolina, a typical lynching by the KKK took place (Enzler). Lynching is defi...
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...d these white jurymen possibly not convict a black man and still be able to go home to their wives? Even in the midst of two wonderful men, Judge Horton and Atticus Finch, these opinions could not be swayed. In this racial climate, it was simply inevitable for these two men to be presumed anything but guilty.
Works Cited
Enzler, C. J. Some Social Aspects of the Depression. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms Limited, 1971.
Johnson, Claudia Durst. " Understanding To Kill A Mockingbird." 02 January 1999. Think Quest. 09 March 2002.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes nelle harper lee's portrayal of a harsh time period in her novel, to kill a mockingbird, which took place in the south between 1925 and 1935.
- Describes how the ku klux klan encouraged white dominance and used violence and intimidation to try to undo all that the blacks had recently gained.
- Narrates how a fight broke out between black and white men and two white women on the train from tennessee to alabama, and the two women were arrested on charges of vagrancy and violation of the mann act.
- Analyzes how harper lee captured the popular racial attitude of the 1930's in to kill a mockingbird by showing real world prejudice as a fictional account.
- Explains that the scottsboro case reached a higher court because of inadequate legal representation from the first trial. the only justice to this trial came when judge horton overturned the jury's conviction and ordered the new trial just before the execution date.
- Analyzes how atticus was the only justice provided for the trial, but his courageous act was not enough in the courtroom.
Related
- analytical
- opinion
- explanatory
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- Analyzes how the scottsboro trial and the trial of tom robinson are almost identical in the forms of bias and accusers that were persecuted.
- Narrates how a group of white and black men rode the trains in the thirties for transportation. they were kicked off of the train and arrested for vagrancy.
- Analyzes how the characters in the novel to kill a mockingbird relate directly to the people involved with the scottsboro case.
- Analyzes how the antagonists and protagonists in both cases were identical and the bias was shown in the same ways. atticus finch and judge horton fought to make the trials fair.
- Analyzes how parallels and bias were shown in both cases. atticus and judge horton fought for equal treatment of blacks in the judicial system as the whites.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how atticus finch, an important character in harper lee's to kill a mockingbird, reflects on how society was in the 1930s, when the color of your skin affected your chances of winning
- Analyzes how the scottsboro trials are a piece of how society treated negroes in the 1930s
- Explains that victoria, ruby, and mayella share personality traits and testimonies, but they also have relatable backgrounds.
- Compares stephen roddy and milo moody, who were incompetent and didn't offer much assistance to the scottsboro boys. samuel leibowitz and atticus share a similar sense of justice.
- Explains that harper lee was trying to illustrate the type of society that southern america was back in the 1930s.
- Analyzes how the scottsboro boys and to kill a mockingbird's tom robinson experience similar problems when facing against the judicial system.
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- Analyzes how each character has different ways of showing courage, such as atticus defending a doomed man, boo for finally coming out of his shell, heck for doing the right thing instead of the lawful thing, and scout backing down.
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In this essay, the author
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- Analyzes how the finch family friend, calpurnia, was mocked for not making the perfect cup of coffee, even though she was a female.
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- Analyzes how atticus feels that his client has a good chance of being pardoned through the trial. the target audience is for mature readers who like mystery and crime themed novels.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how mayella is unforgivable for accusing tom robinson to death by lying in court, yet he never blames her for anything.
- Concludes that mayella doesn't want anyone to see what she is going to do because she knows she cannot be seen by others.
- Concludes that mayella should be fully responsible for her actions because she is conscious while deciding to kiss a black man, kills tom robinson by giving false testimony in court, and knows in advance the consequences.
- Analyzes how mayella ewell is the true villain in harper lee's award-winning novel to kill a mockingbird.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that the judicial system holds inherent biases against people of color, specifically, black men. the theme of prejudice is woven into our society in books, movies, and behavior.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the novel, to kill a mockingbird, has caused controversy about the intents of the book and the way certain people or groups are presented.
- Analyzes how the narrative of to kill a mockingbird has been used to attract readers to understand the issues of racism and injustice.
- Analyzes how the plot of to kill a mockingbird is based on symbolism and allegorical meaning.
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- Concludes that to kill a mockingbird's narrative does not outshine the values it presents. this includes the historical period of the novel, the symbolic meaning of plot and other parts, and the characters which help us understand the way we should act in society.
1437 wordsRead More