Defying a mindset set in place by society can have as much weight as breaking a law does. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, society’s mindsets come into play a lot. When Mayella Ewell kissed Tom Robinson it was seen as an immense violation even though this violation was not an actual crime. Mindsets set in place by society cause people to make atrocious decisions because they are afraid of what will happen if they go against society; society is a monstrous controlling factor in our world and can cause people to make regretful decisions. Firstly, In the courthouse, Tom Robinson said that Mayella Ewell kissed him, which is seen as an extreme society violation. It is so abominable that people think that if a white person kisses a black person …show more content…
When Jem is talking to Scout he talks about how he identified some of the main groups set by Macomb: “There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes” (302). Jem talks about groups that are very prominent in Macomb. All these groups are looked upon differently depending on what group is looking at them. for example, the “ordinary” people look at the Negroes at almost the same or the same level as themselves while people like the Ewells think themselves are far more superior. In this passage Scout thinks, “ white people wouldn 't have anything to do with her because she lived among pigs; Negroes wouldn’t have anything to do with her since she was white” (256). This does not have to do with Mayella only, this explanation goes with all the Ewells. White people in Maycomb thought that the Ewells were trashy and they lived in an extremely contrasting way than most people. Black people will not do anything with them because the Ewells hate Negroes and they are white. Everyone in maycomb fits into one of these certain classes and are expected to follow those classes’ …show more content…
When Tom Robinson is talking about why he ran out of the Ewells house he said: “ Mr. Finch if you were a n**** like me, you 'd be scared, too” (261). Atticus and many other white folks in the audience wondered why he was so scared if he did not commit a crime. Tom’s description literally meant that if he stayed and Mayella told her dad what happened Tom would have no chance of winning the argument and could have gotten hurt or killed before a trial even happened. The mindset that is placed can cause people to want to punish others without any sort of fair
Yet he took the case with no hesitation. Atticus knows the difference between what is fair and what is true justice. He is well aware that whites and blacks have many differences with one another, but is also educated enough to know that there truly is no diversity in equity, and tries to teach everyone including his children this. ”You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around it.(30)” Atticus is encouraging Scout to respect everyone and consider their true potential without considering false accusations in this quote. He applies what he teaches to his children to the people attending the Tom Robinson trial. Atticus is just one man, but with an unprecedented amount of sense of pride, intelligence, and justice. He reflects the image of the town’s people by showing them what they’ve allowed themselves to become based on their beliefs. He genuinely expresses their deepest consternation. In this quote he tells the audience what they are afraid to hear, but need to hear, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.(272)” After stating his point and releasing the profound truth Atticus causes for Mayella and Bob Ewell to lose their composure. Nevertheless people of most of the white people of Maycomb continue to refuse to believe that a white woman kissed a black man. But they undoubtedly believe that a black man with a useless left hand beat and raped an “innocent” white woman. Atticus could have predicted the outcome from before he even took the case and refused to defend Tom Robinson. But he
“We see the town of Maycomb in its worst light, willing to execute an innocent man for a crime he did not commit rather than question their belief in black inferiority and their social taboos about interracial relationships” (Felty 299). This quote may seem extreme, but it is completely accurate in Scout’s hometown Maycomb, Alabama. In the town of Maycomb, prejudices and discriminations are a common idea in the life of its citizens. This is shown in various ways. For example, African Americans are treated as lower class citizens because they are discriminated by white people. Scout perceives these prejudices and discriminations in different ways throughout the book. Scout’s views on the prejudices and discriminations in her society evolve
A distinct conscience is formed by the values and desires of one’s unique identity. However, common beliefs of societal standards can influence conscientious desires. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee introduces a young girl named Scout, who learns about the difference between social conformity and human conscience. Through this, she notices the conflict it brings: choosing to conform or stand with your desire. Through Maycomb’s discriminatory principles, Atticus’ actions against common beliefs, and Scout’s comprehension of Boo, Lee reveals how society’s standards and conformity hinders personal desires for righteousness.
The reader can then infer that in To Kill a Mockingbird, society believes that white people are a symbol of the superior race, and colored people are a symbol of the inferior race. Neither of which is true because no one person is one-hundred percent honorable or evil. Unfortunately, stereotypes and beliefs of the time lead the people of Maycomb County to be unable to view everyone as equal and instead only focus on race. Tom’s situation is an overall representation showing that when people treat others differently based on color that someone will have to face the consequences of this thought process. In the book, Tom fails to receive a fair trial just because he is black, yet many years earlier in the 19th century, Sir William Garrow coined the term “innocent until proven guilty.” The phrase itself never specifies only being true for white people or any certain group of people, for that matter. Due to personal bias, the people of the time are able to twist that phrase and unfortunately warp it into something closer to “guilty until proven innocent.” The reader can infer based on his actions of distancing himself that Atticus feels misunderstood and even alone. He is fighting a battle
Mayella Ewell is white and therefore her claims against a black man are automatically believed. The vast majority of the people in the town feel that the incident occurred and harass Atticus for his legal support of Tom. “Francis looked at me carefully, concluded that I had been sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, “Nigger-lover . . .”(Lee 84). This statement came from Francis Hancock when he first realized Atticus was Tom’s lawyer. Atticus would not have to go through all of this harassment if he refused to accept this role, but he wanted to help Tom Robinson. This is a clear case of discriminatory language, as Francis was showing his hatred for African Americans by using such a derogatory term. Atticus can control his emotions very well in response to these scenarios, unlike Scout. The things people are saying do not affect him one bit. “According to Miss Stephanie Crawford, however, Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him” (Lee 217). Bob Ewell is Mayella Ewell’s father and he wanted to see Tom Robinson convicted. Atticus was able to walk away from this provocation without reacting in a negative manner. He was strong enough to ignore this negativity. During the trial, the jury and the judge also displayed a prejudicial belief system. The unfair attitudes and ideas of the townspeople towards were
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by Harper Lee, that teaches many themes, one of which being very important is courage. Many people think that courage is a man with a gun in his hand, but Lee’s definition is much different. She thinks that courage is when you know that you’re beaten before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. The first quote I have to further explain this is early in the story when Atticus tells Jem and Scout about the court case he is handling. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). Atticus knows he won’t win the court case, but he still tries his best and doesn’t falter whatsoever. Many people scrutinize him for defending a negro, but he ignores them like he should, and shows maturity and courage.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, racism is a major theme. Atticus Finch, the narrator’s father, defends a negro, Tom Robinson, in the court of law against a white man, Bob Ewell. Robinson had reportedly raped a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. But according to Robinson he had gone to help Mayella, as he often did, with work around the house. As he starts helping Mayella, she tries to get Tom to kiss her and will not let him out of the house. Bob Ewell sees this and chases Tom out of the house and accuses him of raping his daughter. Atticus goes against almost everyone in Maycomb County’s opinion in defending Tom Robinson. Throughout the course of the novel, racism effects many characters such as Tom and Helen Robinson, Scout and Jem Finch, and Mayella and Bob Ewell. All these characters had there lives
In the novel Tom was accused of raping Mayella Ewell daughter of Bob Ewell, Tom couldn't have committed this crime because of his injury on his left arm. Tom was later on found guilty and the incarcerated, during his time in prison he was shot down while trying to escape and killed. “ To Maycomb, Tom's death was typical. Typical for a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a niggers mentality to have no plan. Nigger always come= out of them, “(244) What this quote is saying is that when Tom died it didn't cause any kind of guilt because the people were basing his reason for trying to escape on pure stereotypes of black people. “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody,”(112) Atticus was one of the few white man who thought that Tom was more than just trash because of his skin. This shows my theme because most of the people in Maycomb thought that Tom was just like any other black stereotype and didn't think his life was worth saving, not because the evidence pointed to him being guilty but because he was
Nearly the whole last half of the book is about racism. The attitude of the whole town is that Tom Robinson, because he is black and,"…all Negroes lie,…all Negroes are basically immoral beings,…all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…"(Lee 207), will be found guilty regardless of how good a case Atticus makes for him. There was substantial amount of evidence that suggests his innocence. Even the prosecution's two witnesses' stories contradicted each other. The jury did not give a guilty verdict it gave a racist verdict. Not a verdict based on fact, but a verdict based on the color of a man's skin. This is important because the author was not making this racism up; it was what it was like in those times. She is trying to show how ignorant and blind people can be just because of differences between them, as well as how society treats racial minorities.
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a perfect example of how people like Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are pushed to the bottom of the ‘social hierarchy’ while others that may be less deserving are put higher. It shows that simply things you encounter in your everyday life can steal your innocence, and that moral laws that have been created are both fulfilled and neglected.
“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it is a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 94). This quote, delivered in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, introduces the mockingbird which is incorporated symbolically throughout the novel. The mockingbird, in presenting its gifts of music and beauty, is the symbol of Atticus’s practice of altruism because he believes in society’s responsibility to protect those who are vulnerable and innocent.
“ ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’ ” This quote, by Nelson Mandela, is a very powerful line. It states that with education, you have the most potential to change the world. Education is something that is, sadly, denied to many people. Education, or lack of, can change the path you take in life. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many different people in it. Some with and some without education. Yet, even if you have education, the color of your skin might make that fact seemingly unimportant.
I would never wish to put that girl in harm’s way, or anybody at all, for that matter. If getting yelled at by Mr. Ewell would save Mayella from getting beat, I would be willing to do it anyday. By law a jury is supposed to be unbiased towards one group of people, but poor Tom had an all-white jury that most likely didn’t pay attention to any of the evidence. Even before any evidence was presented at all, the tried to lynch Tom for no reason other than he was a negro. I can remember the other day when a scout asked me “You aren’t really a nigger-lover, are you?”
Tom Robinson’s trial, and in fact his entire life, was badly affected by racism. It is truly a testament to the corruption of society when a person who has earned a bad reputation is held in higher esteem than a person who was born with it, as is the case with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Even though Tom was obviously honest in his testament, the jury sided with Bob Ewell because he was white. They made this decision despite the fact that the Ewell family was widely known to be a worthless part of society. Jem, not being racially prejudiced, could not understand this mentality. As Atticus pointed out, “If you (Jem) had been on the jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.”
A small city nestled in the state of Alabama, Maycomb has got its faults, just like any other place in the world, but one of its main faults or (pg.88) “Maycomb's usual disease,” as Atticus calls it in the book is prejudice. Jem and Scout learn a lot about prejudice when a black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell and their father, Atticus, is called on to be his lawyer. They realize the hate that people have buried deep within their heart when they see a black man accused of doing something only because of his color. On pg.241, Scout starts understanding this and thinks, “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” As the case continues, up until the death of Tom Robinson, Jem and Scout learn more and more about prejudice and how the hate that people have towards others causes them to take wrong actions. They also see how unfair it is that a white man can get treated better and think of himself better than a black man only because he was born white. This prejudice and the trial cause Jem and Scout to get in argum...