A novel called To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. There is a case between an African American named Tom Robinson and a white woman named Mayella Ewell. She accused him of raping her. Tom was always kind to Mayella by helping her with things to do because he felt bad that she was always working. He passed one day and she asked him to get the box on top of the chiffarobe, so he got on the chair and got it then she put her hands around his leg, but she claims that he threw her down and raped her.
The saddening thing is, that the whole scenario started because Mayella attempted to seduce Tom, and her father found out. Filled with rage, Mr. Ewell beat his daughter, he found it unacceptable that his daughter fancied a black man. Then, he claimed that Tom raped his daughter to cover everything up. There are even cases such as Tom’s happening to this day, such as the case of Miguel Angel Peña Rodriguez Vs. Colorado. The jury was corrupted by bias thoughts which resulted in an unfair trial.
He ask Mayella what happened first. Her response was that “Tom had raped me and afterwards beat me.” The judge already started to believe her over Tom because of two reasons. One was because she still had bruises on her face ,and the other reason is because Tom is black and Mayella is white.
The memory of past, takes Sethe to the cruel white man during slavery. “Schoolteacher’s nephews brutally abuse Sethe sexually, sucking milk from her breasts and whipping her back bloody” (Kubitschek, 116). This incident affects Sethe deeply and she always remembers the viciousness of white man and the murder of her own child. She cannot endure to see her daughter nat the hands of this brutality. Therefore, she decides to kill her.
The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was written in 1960 by Harper Lee in the point of view of a young innocent girl named Scout. One of the main messages that Lee has (need a new word than – indicated or set out) is racism, it plays an important role which strongly impacts many character’s lives unfairly and changes the relationship between two. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” shows that it is wrong to hurt someone who does no harm to you, for example, black people are innocent but no way did they have as many rights as white people did. Black people lived hard lives because society was judgemental, irrational and most importantly, racist. As Scout and Jem grow older they learn to cope, take responsibility and are introduced to new aspects of life, one of which is racism.
He had a wife and children. Tom Robinson was accused of raping Mayella Ewell. This accusation was completely false. The dad, Bob Ewell, was a very racist, poor person, so he just accused Tom Robinson because he knew he could win. In the trial, Mayella was acting as if this actually happened.
Many people are aware that Lee teaches this lesson when she describes how the white people of Maycomb treat African Americans. But she also addresses prejudice of several different kinds of outsiders as well. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, the reader finds a common lesson, to treat everyone with respect, and not let themselves be blinded by prejudice against outsiders such as Maycomb residents did with Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond, and the Cunninghams. Boo Radley, a social outcast in Maycomb's society, is subjected to prejudice throughout the book because he broke social
One example of how prejudice is shown is when they are at the courthouse for Tom Robinson’s trial. “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards
Tom was accused of raping a white woman who was Mayella Ewell, Mayella said he raped her while he was helping her with chores. She later on tells the readers that it was false allegations. The reason why she didn 't tell the truth at her first trial was because, Mayella was afraid of being embarrassed because she kissed a black male. She rather have an innocent man get charged with a crime than that. “However, Robinson was transferred from the state prison to Maycomb 's county jail on Saturday, two days before he stood trial on Monday, and Atticus had to defend him against a lynch mob”.
Discrimination was everywhere during the 1900’s when this book was set. Prejudice in this book is displayed by hate for any colored or mixed racial people. During this time in the southern states, blacks had their own bathrooms, drinking fountains, churches, and even go to separate schools just because the whites looked down upon them and wouldn 't want to be contaminated by the “black germs.” The novel has many accounts of racism and prejudice.
Institutional racism was depicted in Marissa Alexander’s case. Marissa Alexander had stopped by Rico Gray’s house to visit him. She gave her phone to Rico, letting him view the pictures of their baby daughter and then noticed text messages from her ex husband. The argument had started and she headed into the garage, armed herself, and then shot a warning shot near her husband. Alexander tried to use the ‘stand your ground’ law, which had failed and was later sentenced to prison for 20 years.
The Importance of Action John Ruskin was a famous artist and critic who composed multiple works including The Crown of Wild Olive in which the quote, “What we think, or what we know, or what we believe is, in the end of little consequence. The only consequence is what we do,” is found. Ruskin is saying that thoughts, knowledge, or beliefs do not have very much significance and only action can lead to tangible results. The ideas in this statement have been shown to be correct throughout literature and history in To Kill a Mockingbird, “The Gettysburg Address,” and “Letter from Birmingham Jail.”
Racial injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird was malevolent due to the executing of a black man with false evidence, but today the racial injustice appears to be eliminated although it still exists. Today the legal system will not tolerate the racism like it is in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. Racism is normal in Maycomb county some support it and others are against, the Finches are high in society, although they still respect the blacks. Racial injustice throughout the book is a big factor with Calpurnia as a maid, And Atticus defending Tom Robinson, but less of a factor for everyday life in modern times.