To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, takes place during the 1930's in Maycomb County, Alabama. Atticus Finch, a white southern lawyer, is appointed to defend Tom Robinson, an innocent black man accused of raping a white woman. Throughout the story Atticus' children learn the meaning of true courage. Although Atticus proves Tom's innocence, the prejudice white jury's verdict is that Tom is guilty. The assumed black characteristics of immorality, dishonesty, shiftlessness and personal squalor are embodied by the white Ewell clan. This is a glaringly obvious fact that the prejudiced Maycomb society refuses to acknowledge.

Three examples of black characters who do not fit his 'stereotype'; are Reverend Sykes, Calpurnia and Tom Robinson. My first example is Reverend Sykes. He is a respected, generous man who runs a clean church and accepts worshipers both white and black. When Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to the black church, he and the congregation welcome them. This shows that in the eyes of the Reverend, as in the eyes of God their is no prejudice. At the trial, Reverend Sykes makes room for Scout and Jem in the courtroom balcony where the blacks sit. While the trail is going on the blacks show no disrespect for Jem and Scout. After the trial is over, out of respect, the blacks wait until Atticus Finch passes and then they stand.

Secondly is the character of Calpurnia who also does not fit this stereotype. Calpurnia is the housekeeper for the Finchs and also helped raise Scout and Jem. Calpurnia is educated, hard working and well kept. She taught her children to read and Scout and Jem how to write on her own time. All that she had accomplished was done at a time when most Negroes could not read or write.

The last black character who embody the characteristics of immortality, dishonesty, shiftlessness and personal squalor is Tom Robison.. Tom is married with children and works hard to support them with a job. His house and yard are well cared for and he attends church. Not only that, but he stops at the Ewell house to help Mayella knowing that he is putting himself in a compromising position. At the trial, while on the stand, he answers questions in a respectable, dignified manner even though he is being accused of a crime he didn't commit. At one point when he is on the stand, Atticus questions him to tell the jury what Bob Ewell told him and he says, 'Somethin' not fittin' to say - not fittin' for these folk'n chillun to hear-'; (p.