Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was a pretty good book that took place in the 1930s in the town of Maycomb. The story is told through the eyes of the main character, Jean Louise Finch, and the story introduces many other characters. To kill a mockingbird has many big themes that played a part in the plot of the story, some of them being Courage, Cruelty, Honor, Hatred, Ignorance, Justice, Kindness, Prejudice, Tolerance and Maturation, but one of the most important themes in the story was Racism. People in the town of Maycomb display their racist attitudes by convicting Tom Robinson for a crime they know he didn't commit, by treating the African Americans and people who associate with African Americans with no respect, and by trying to …show more content…
When people around the town found out that Atticus was going to help Tom Robinson in court, they began to call him racist names and to disrespect him as if he was African American. The children of Atticus were verbally abused, being called names as their father was.
“That evening a mob went to the jail to lynch Tom Robinson, and it looked as if they would toss Atticus aside if they had to.” (Lee, 278). Right after Tom Robinson’s trial as he was in jail, a mop came and tried to kill him. If it was not for Tom Robinson being protected by Atticus, he would have died earlier than he did. One of the main reasons the mop tried to kill him was not only because of how he was accused of raping a white woman, but because he was black.
Nevertheless, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was a great book with a very interesting plot and lots of great themes that really improve the plot, consequently, one of them being racism. Racism was seen throughout the book from the trial, or from when the African Americans were treated with the least respect, or when the people tried to kill Tom Robinson before his
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is one of the most influential novels of the 20th century. To Kill a Mockingbird is set during the Great Depression in Maycomb County, Alabama and is centered on a young girl named Scout Finch. Throughout the novel, Scout grows and witnesses the destruction of innocence through the trial and unjust conviction of Tom Robinson, an African-American man, his death, and how it affects her family. One of the major themes in To Kill A Mockingbird is the intentional delusions of people to avoid accepting a harsh truth in relation to race. This message is shown through the racist attitudes of the citizens of Maycomb County and is still prevalent today.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is heavily centered around racism in southern America in the 1930s. In the book, a lawyer named Atticus Finch is chosen to defend an African American man named Tom Robinson after he has been unjustly accused of rape by Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell comes from a family that is notorious in Maycomb, Alabama for lacking work ethic, class, and good morals. Bob Ewell is believed to have abused his daughter and blamed it on Tom Robinson, so Atticus puts forth his best effort to prove Tom innocent.
Racism was a huge controversy and it was one of the biggest problems people had to face in the disorderly world. Tom Robinson, a compassionate and noble man, is like a mockingbird because he went out of his way to help Mayella Ewell the best he can, but is later killed for his skin was black. The news of Tom Robinson’s death brought forth by Atticus Finch symbolizes the death of the mockingbird which is a sin in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Tom Robinson’s lawyer, Atticus Finch, tries with all of his might to change the jury's’ mind with the fact that Tom is not guilty, but his arguments could have been interpreted as Tom Robinson is guilty. In Atticus’ closing argument, he states, “This case is as simple as black and white” (271).
Atticus knew that it would take a lot of work to find a black man not guilty vs a white woman. There was a mob that showed up at the county jail where Tom Robinson was and wanted to kill him. The mob was telling Atticus to stop defending Tom and his son Jem spoke up. That made the mob mad and they picked Jem up. Atticus’ daughter Scout spoke out to the mob unhappily.
To get a true understanding of racism, you need to see all perspectives, but To Kill a Mockingbird doesn’t have this. It had opportunities to show more perspectives, such as when Scout wanted to go to Calpurnia’s house, but this did not happen when Scout was denied by Aunt Alexandra (Source K). The time period and racism were being used to teach lessons instead, such as moral integrity. Atticus’ decision to try to legitimately defend Tom Robinson despite the fact that he knew the case was lost to begin with shows his moral integrity. Atticus’ decision would not have nearly as much weight under different circumstances, and the lesson would not be as effectively
In Harper Lee’s historical fiction masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird, the rarely appearing character, Tom Robinson, acts as a linchpin for the plot. He was created by the author for the purpose of causing encounters, causing references to his life, and sharing his insights on life that highlight the theme: other should not be prejudged by race. Atticus mentions Tom Robinson to Uncle Jack at the latter’s home. Atticus feels worried about the case because,” the only thing we’ve got is a black man’s word”(Lee 166-17). This insinuates that people of color get perceived as liars when their words contradict those of a white person.
The Effects of Racism in To Kill a Mocking Bird As illustrated in the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee, racism effects the way that people treat others and victimizes them depending on their skin color that can lead to false accusations, irrationality, and poverties. As the town of Maycomb already has hardships, racism makes it harder for the people there to live and function correctly. Three main characters in this writing that are negatively affected by racism are Tom Robinson, Atticus, and Lula.
Tom Robinson is in court because he is accused of raping Bob Ewell 's daughter. Tom is a black man and during that time they were still being discriminated and being treated unfairly. Bob is a white man and when a white man accuses a black man of anything the white man is the outcome is usually in the white man 's favor. In the courthouse Atticus was trying to defend Tom Robinson, he uses an allusion and says, " But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal--there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein..." (210).
Tom Robinson is more than just a literary character and his storyline does not simply stop on the pages of this novel. He symbolizes the plight and hardship every black individual goes through in this country, especially in the eyes of the criminal justice system. Overall, To Kill a Mockingbird, even though written during the 1960s, a critical time for civil rights, is still relevant and pertinent to the status of racial injustices and discrimination in today’s
despite the unwavering dedication of atticus finch in To Kill a Mockingbird the absence of evidence and a moving courtroom speech tom Robinson is convicted of a crime he likely didn't commit , tom Robinson was convicted of a crime he didn't commit because the absence of evidence , tom Robinson is eventually killed, and the jury ruling causes both those who advocated Robinson's conviction and those who were convinced of his innocence to question their notations of justice and fairness . Toms death is virtually unnoticed except in the colored folk and a racist Mr.Underwood who says “likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children.” (https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/t/to-kill-a-mockingbird/summary-and-analysis/part-1-chapter-1).Tom Robinson tried to climb over the fence to exscape the jail but was killed by the gaurds. atticus helps the children get through the fact that tom robinson is dead for a crime he likely didn't commit by describing to them it is just the way the state of alabama works.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee tells a story of racial prejudice during the Depression and how it is combated. The main development in the novel is that a Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, has been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young white woman named Mayella. Many people in the town of Maycomb, particularly people involved with the case of Tom, have a negative attitude towards African Americans. Prejudice was a terrible issue in the South during the Depression, but Atticus Finch shows that racial injustice can be combated in two main ways, each having different levels of effectiveness.
Tom Robinson is unfairly persecuted because his skin is darker than the skin of his neighbors. Robinson is not given a fair trial. Later in the book, an angry mob shows up at the jail, trying to kill him. These strangers acted without knowing if Robinson was guilty or not. Their prejudice, racism, and hate nearly leads them to murder.
The racial divide in the courtroom is explained when Atticus says “there’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life” (Lee 291). Tom Robinson is a black man going up against an all-white jury. This displays that fact that the prejudice and racism is in the minds of the all-white jury and that no matter the consequence, the white man always wins.
Tom is wrongfully accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, when the only thing he did was try to help by doing her chores. “Tom Robinson is imprisoned within his community but has never committed any action that might produce punishment” (Reisman). Tom even states that he did so because he felt sorry for Mayella. This demonstrates Tom’s humble and respectable character, symbolizing himself even more with a mockingbird. “His only crime is to have been born black in a society that has certain assumptions about black people” (Reisman).