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How Does Lee Present The Justice System In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, a six year old girl, grows up in the racially divided town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930’s. Scout is a curious and intelligent child who is confronted with a harsh reality of discrimination and injustice in her small town. Atticus Finch, Scout's father, is a well respected lawyer in Maycomb. Atticus took on the case of defending Tom Robinson, a Black man who was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young White woman. Atticus is aware that there is a lot of racial tension and prejudice in the town, and he knows that his decision to defend Tom Robinson will not be well received by many members of the community. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout's perception of the justice system changes as her …show more content…

During the trial, Jem and Scout sat in the balcony, which was the segregated part of the courtroom. Reverend Sykes is the reverend of First Purchase, the Black church in Maycomb. He is a kind and generous man who is one of the few characters that directly teaches Scout about the racist justice system. Reverend Sykes had “never seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man" (Lee, pg. 210). Reverend Sykes's words underline the deep-seated racism that pervades the social and legal systems. This implies that there is a systemic bias against people of color in the justice system, which is reinforced by the prevailing attitudes of the majority White population. Reverend Sykes, as a member of the Black community and the reverend of First Purchase, is a firsthand witness to the racial injustices that occur in Maycomb. Reverend Sykes has an impact on Scout's loss of innocence as she begins to realize the extent of the racism in their town. Additionally, Reverend Sykes serves as a moral guide for Scout, helping her understand the complexities of the racial divide in their town. Through her interactions with him, Scout learns to empathize with people who are different from her and to stand up for what is right, even when it is

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