How Does Harper Lee Use Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Racism in To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Racism is one of the core themes found throughout the novel. In 1930, Maycomb, Alabama has the stereotype of being a sleepy town which is populated with desperately poor African Americans. In this novel, the main plot involves the father of the main character, Scout Finch, representing an African American man, Tom Robinson, in court whom is accused of abusing and raping a caucasian girl based off of fabricated charges, especially seeing as he is physically disabled. He is regularly taunted by the white people in town and is followed around and called racial slurs. In this trial, the children are exposed to the harsh reality of racism and stereotyping that were seen in that point in time. First and foremost, when Scout tells the tale about Boo Radley, it exemplifies the racism that these children automatically assume of African Americans. “The sheriff hadn’t the heart to put him in jail alongside Negroes, so Boo was locked in the courthouse basement” (p. 11). This statements

When depicting social stance of mixed people, he describes how the half African American half white people are not accepted by either of the races in the community, ultimately leaving them as social outcasts. “They don’t belong anywhere Colored folks won;t have ‘em because they're half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re coloured, so they're just in-betweens, don;t belong anywhere” (167). Prior to this, while at the jailhouse, a mob appears to possibly lynch Tom Robinson, and a man picks Jem up by the collar and tells him to leave, “Son, I said go home.” Jem shook his head. “I’ll send him home,” a burly man said and yanked Jem roughly by the collar. He yanked Jem nearly off his feet”(158). This demonstrated how intense the racism was at that time and what a community event it