Racial Discrimination in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Separated by Colour

Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by color. Harper Lee who writes the best selling novel, To Kill a Mockingbird establishes this concept using figurative language. Lee also progresses the concept through displaying that discrimination greatly impacts an individual’s ability to make moral judgments. These moral judgements may be positive or negative. Many of these moral judgements are negative and cause racial discrimination. This has the ability to divide a community, create unjust actions in a court of law, and have irreparable damage on the community. These effects are evident in the book. Using the unjust case of Tom Robinson, Lee displays how racism overtakes all things humane and causes a society to become vile towards an innocent man due to the

In saying this, it displays how an inhumane society tries to discourage the individual growth of the black community. Those who try to change this are reprimanded and are seen as outcasts. The black community is seen as inferior and when this community tries to integrate into a society full of “whites” , aggressive violence and words of hatred are used by the stereotypical whites to try and keep them seen as superior. This was also the type of behaviour that was displayed during times of slavery.

The book takes place in the 1930’s in southern Alabama. Ever since Alabama became a state on December 14, 1819, slavery has always been a huge part of their economic system as slaves were seen as property to own and sell. They had no voice and were silenced through torture of their “owner” , a white man. Although slavery was abolished on January 31, 1865, the caucasian people kept their ethnocentric views of being superior to the black community. In the eyes of the white man, black people would