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The Theme Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

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Racism, a hatred or intolerance of another race or other races. Based on this core foundation, is the book To Kill a Mockingbird. The story of Scout and her exploration of racism in her life is what makes the book a show of what racism is in its purest form. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme that racism is a negatively influential factor in everyday life is shown through Scout and the events that take place in Maycomb. We first see Scout experiencing racism in the street when Lafayette Dubose rudely teases her and Jem because her father is a “nigger-lover” for taking the case on the side of Tom Robinson. Jem destroys her flowers, and they both go home, but Atticus knows what they did and tells them the meaning of the phrase. Atticus tells them that it means someone who puts himself or herself above Negros, and that he is indeed a “nigger-lover” because he tries his best to love everybody. He goes on to explain that everybody will be saying that because no one wants the Negro to win in the trial, as the townspeople believe that will lead to worse crimes from Negroes. Therefore, Scout realizes this may happen many more …show more content…

Scout faces racism in the street with Mrs.Dubose who insults Atticus, which makes Scout learn everybody is against them. She also faces racism at home where Aunt Alexandra wants Calpurnia, Scout’s friend and mentor, fired which causes Scout to downgrade her relationship with Aunt Alexandra. In addition to that, she sees unbelievable racism in the courthouse when Tom Robinson was ruled guilty by the court even after the perfect evidence given by Atticus, which showed Scout the world is not the wonderful happy place she expected it to be. Because of Scout’s accounts with racism, in shock she realizes the world is not fair, but people like her father are people who make it

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