In “To Kill a Mockingbird” there are many examples of racism. During the 1960s when the book was published, racism was acceptable and Black people were constantly dominated and ridiculed by Caucasian people. This novel written by Harper Lee is based on racism against Black people and the refusal of people to treat everyone equally. Not only were Black People mistreated but those who associated with them were also considered lower in status. Since Atticus is a lawyer and defends Black people, he often gets mocked by others. For example, Mrs. Dubose says: “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (pg.102) Mrs. Dubose says this to Jem, the son of the lawyer. Another example is that Scout, the daughter of the lawyer, gets bullied at school for having a father who defends Black people. For example, Scout says: “Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended niggers. I denied it, but told Jem.” (pg.74) As you can see from these examples, people were rude not only to Black people but also to any individual who …show more content…
This means that they had to suffer the consequences of actions they did not do just because they had colored skin. Black people wanted to have jobs so they could support their family back home. Every day they had to live in fear knowing that if they made one mistake they could lose their job, leaving them poor. It is mentioned in the novel that, “Around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black” (pg.162). This quote explains that even if you have a slight bit of Negro blood in your background, it still makes you all Black meaning that if any of your ancestors were Black people, that made you completely Black. The amount of hate against Black people during the 1900s was very heartbreaking and the effects of the racism still
Atticus is the father of Jem and Scout he was a lawyer in Maycomb Alabama he was very respectful to blacks and taught his kids the same values. Some kids were not like Jem and Scout and didn’t believe in respecting blacks they were very disrespectful. Atticus once talked about that children might need police because some of them were wild and didn’t know how to act towards blacks but that they could be stopped by evasive action (Atticus Chapter 16). Scout thought there was only one kind of people and that’s people regardless of race (Chapter 23, Scout) from what her dad taught her.
Even though extraordinary changes have been made in the past to achieve racial equality, America is still racist, especially in schools. In the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is criticized for defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. During the 1930s, the time this novel took place, America was a very segregated country. At the time when Harper Lee wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird," America was fighting a civil rights movement. The events of racism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” reflect the time period.
The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is thought to have been way ahead of her time of literature and went places were books of that time did not go, and still do not go. Lee went head at the lifestyle of the 1930’s in Alabama, and talked about racism and prejudice as many others stayed away from that topic. In the novel there were many different times where Lee brought out the dark side of the “dirty thirties” she shows prejudice and racism at its worst moments. Lee has her main characters of Jem Finch, and Scout Finch experience prejudice and racism as the book goes on and mainly in the second part. In the second part of the novel the characters find racism when Calpurnia takes the kids to her church, what the find out about Mr.Dolphus Raymond, and then at the end of the trial.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, many different themes come into view. One major theme that played a big role in the character’s lives is racial prejudice. Racism is an unending problem throughout the book. The song “Message from a Black Man” by The Temptations has many similarities to the theme of racial discrimination. Therefore, both the novel and the song prove that racism was a great obstacle for some people at a point.
Prejudice is a major topic in all of the units. The Germans were prejudiced against the Jews, the whites versus the blacks, the whites versus the indians, and the Venetians versus the Jews. In this essay I will discuss the various reasons I think prejudice is a major topic in this book.
There is no doubt that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a famous novel known for its themes, most of them containing wise life lessons, racial inequality being an obvious and important one. Firstly, racism illustrates the lack of justice and people’s views on prejudice in Tom Robinson’s case. Secondly, the novel touches base on diction notably the racial slurs used. Finally, with racism being a theme of the novel, it affects the characters’ personalities. Harper Lee uses life lessons, diction and characters throughout the novel because it develops the main theme of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Tom is is an innocent black man that has been accused of raping a girl named Mayella. Since Mayella is white the court will take her word over the blackmans every time. Tom is very nice and polite and would never hurt a fly. Tom sadly goes to prison and dies trying to escape. Atticus is was defending Tom in the case and got a lot of hate for it. Francis hates scout and says “I guess it ain't your fault uncle Atticus is a nigger lover” (Lee 110). This shows how Francis Atticus’s own nephew doesn't like him all because he is defending a black person. Francis isn't the only one, for example, Mrs.Dubose says “ Not only a finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse defending niggers” ( 135). She is also upset Atticus is defending a “nigger”. Black people were abused and had no rights, they were seen as property. Its embarrassing what they did to black people in the past. Black people were “hanged, shot, burned at the stake, castrated, dismembered, and maimed both to punish perceived wrongdoers and to warn others who might challenge the status quo”( Lewis 14). Black people were scared back then because they couldn't do anything to anyone who was white. Its stupid thinking one race is to superior to another. Were all equal and a lot has changed since
Atticus understood that since African Americans were considered lower class and uncultured, people instantly believed in the unproven rumor without having evidence to back it up. Individuals like Walter Cunningham begin to group up into mobs to kill Tom when he was held in custody, which also meant having to go through Atticus. Since racism and bigotry were considered normal and were shown all throughout society back then, the people who became prejudice to Tom started to threaten him, his family, and even Atticus, thinking it was normal. They were very persistent and blunt on what they wanted to achieve, “In ones and twos, men got out of the cars…‘You know what we want,’ another man said. ‘Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch’” (151). Because of racism and prejudice in society, African Americans are being mistreated and wrongly accused, like shown in the Tom Robinson situation. The men are so fixated on the preconceptions and because of that, their judgements and actions are being clouded. The prejudice and hatred toward all African Americans is very strong, causing it to cloud each and every one of these men to lose their sense of humanity and
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how prejudice in the south affects men, women, children, blacks, and whites through the thoughts of racism, social class, and sexism. She makes it possible to understand what prejudice was like and how harmful it can be, but also that despite all the tensions in the south that there are always people who are willing to help when others are in need. There are many examples of prejudice throughout the book and it is still happening in real life.
Today, racism is a problematic situation that can break nation apart. Discrimination on one’s personal characteristics can sway a community's opinion greatly. Harper Lee was indulged in numerous racist encounters in her life, many of which transpire into her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. In the novel, one is seen as an animal when enduring the venom of racism. Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, racism leads to the dehumanization of both the victims and the infectors.
Prejudice affects the entirety of the world today. Hundreds of thousands of people flee prejudiced governments all around the world. A current example of this inhumanity is the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. According to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund, “Today, there are an estimated 720,000 Rohingya children in Bangladesh and Myanmar, in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection – and looking to the outside world for help.” (United Nations Children's Emergency Fund). As reported by the New York Post, the Myanmar military is committing crimes against humanity. Children are being murdered and women are being raped. (NY Post). The military of Myanmar has been dehumanized because of their prejudice
There are diseases that inhabit all and cannot be cured: Racism and prejudice. These diseases possess all, except for a select few. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee most characters are infected, damaging society irreversibly. To Kill a Mockingbird is told from the perspective of Scout Finch, a girl learning to exist in southern society. During the book, a colored man, Tom Robinson, is accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. Scout’s father Atticus acts Tom’s lawyer. Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, is the “white trash” of Maycomb who uses racism and prejudice to help convict Tom Robinson for the rape of Mayella Ewell. When the trial unfolds, there are many clear examples of racism and prejudice. Through the false accusation of Mayella
The novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee has numerous accounts of racism and prejudice throughout the entire piece. The novel is set in the 1930's, a time when racism was very prevalent. Although bigotry and segregation were pointed in majority towards blacks, other accounts towards whites were also heard of, though not as commonly. There are acts that are so discreet that you almost don't catch them, but along with those, there are blatant acts of bigotry that would never occur in our time. Lee addresses many of these feelings in her novel.
“To Kill A Mockingbird” is marvelous and unforgettable novel. Not only show how dramatic, sad in and old town – Maycomb be like, but through her unique writings, some big conflicts about politics and critical is going on through this tired old Southern town. Not just in general like education, friendship, neighbors but also pacific in individuals like family and the people’s characteristics themselves. In one book yet can covered with such many problems, Harper Lee must have been experienced a lot and deeply understanding that time. That is why the book lives, becoming literature and get the love from the audiences a lot. One of the problem and mostly run along with the story and interest me is racism between white people and black people socially.
The hatred that the citizens of Maycomb felt towards the black community extended to anyone who became involved with them, especially the Finch family because Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson. Scout and Jem suffered the most from this hatred because their peers were children, who are nearly always less candid than adults. Most of the people who were unhappy with Atticus would just try to keep away from him, which was bad enough. The children however, verbally abused Scout and Jem. Scout responded to this with physical violence, even though it was discouraged by her father. The sad thing is that they were mistreated even by members of their family, like Scout’s cousin Francis.