To Kill Human Inequality: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

665 Words2 Pages

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird three characters, Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch, experience the many hardships and difficulties of human inequality in their community, Maycomb County. Scout, the narrator, gives insight to readers about the many different characters of Maycomb, yet two are alike in many ways. Mayella Ewell is a 19-year-old girl who is considered white trash and lacks education, love, and friends. Dolphus Raymond is a wealthy white man who is married to an African-American and has mixed children. Although these characters may seem different, they share many of the same advantages and disadvantages of human inequality. In chapter 16, Dill observed that in a far corner a bunch of African-Americans were sitting together and Dolphus was sitting with them drinking out of a sack. “Mr. Dolphus Raymond seemed to be so doing: two yellow drugstore straws ran from his mouth to the depths of a brown paper bag” (214). Later on at the courthouse, Dill starts to feel sick and runs out with Scout following him. Mr. Raymond is not too far behind and suggests that Dill take a sip out of his sack. Dill was appalled “‘Scout, it’s nothing but Coca-Cola’” (267). This shows that Dolphus Raymond gets to drink Coca-Cola everyday just to fool the people of Maycomb County into thinking he is drinking alcohol because of his life choices, and who doesn’t love Coca-Cola? At the same time, Mayella Ewell also has the advantage of being white. In chapter 21, the entire town of Maycomb is at the courthouse to see with their own eyes the case against Tom Robinson. Mayella Ewell is accusing Tom of rape, when in fact he did not rape Mayella, Bob Ewell, her father did. “‘...there’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they cou... ... middle of paper ... ...lla Ewell was a lonely girl and she did not know how to control herself. Everyone in the town feels a great remorse for Mayella because not only is she lonely, but condescends to grow up as white trash and act as a mother towards her younger siblings and a wife towards her father. Dolphus Raymond and Mayella Ewell are two characters of To Kill a Mockingbird that share the same advantages and disadvantages of human inequality. Dolphus and Mayella are both white citizens of Maycomb County giving them many advantages that African-Americans do not have. Although they are white, they both show some sort of compassion for an African-American, Mrs. Raymond and Tom Robinson. They cannot express this because it is wrong in the racist community, and they stifle from they’re love being shown or seen. If only the community of Maycomb could learn how to kill human inequality.

Open Document