Days in Maycomb have never been normal for Boo Radley or Tom Robinson, over the years they get misunderstood and judged for reasons they don’t even understand. They only have two reason they could possibly “hate them”, rumors people are spreading and the sheer fact that people hated African American people. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, “Boo the Monster” rests from the comfort of his home while he gazes at Jem, Scout, and Dill, which he sees he’s being mimicked for the things he “has done”. Tom Robinson stares back at a large crowd of angry people for a crime he didn’t commit but has no way to prove it. Racism is a horrible thing but in Maycomb Alabama, it was at it’s peak. Misjudging people is something that happens so much in Maycomb it’s crazy but, Boo Radley and Tom Robinson get it the worse out of everybody.
Boo Radley is like a shadow in the night and never comes out during the day or the night. He sits at home all day everyday gazing at Jem and
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Many people are mistreated but it had happened to Boo and Tom the most no matter what the other people races. Although, it could happen to anyone, black or white but it was more often than not black males that got mistreated and misjudged the most. While racism is an awful thing and continues to exist today, the people of Maycomb could have done many things to stop it but no one stepped up to really put their foot on racism and crush it. From everything that had happened, misjudging people for their skin tone or religion has gone on for too long and has led to many incidents like Holocaust and/or Slavery and needs to get shut down so we don’t have something like this
The interactions between those of a different race in Maycomb is looked down upon. Therefore, many african americans are wrongly punished and treated as though they are less than human. African-Americans are often seen as inferior to caucasians.
Tom Robinson is caught kissing a white woman from Maycomb named Mayella Ewell. To prevent being frowned upon by the local citizens, she instead said that Tom Robinson raped her even though that was far from the truth. He’s taken into trial with the help of Atticus, and the case is unarguably one of the factors that help further the theme of innocence in Scout’s view. Atticus is determined to help Tom, even if it means that the citizens will turn against his own family because “killing a mockingbird is a sin.” As events progress, Scout is taught that discrimination solely because someone is “different” is
One instance in which a civilian of Maycomb was ignorant is when Scout stated, "A Negro would not pass the Radley Place at night; he would cut across to the sidewalk opposite and whistle as he walked" (Lee 11). This line shows that the townsfolk
This image shows how the people in Maycomb based their beliefs, about Thomas Robinson, by his skin color. Most whites who were at the trial, didn’t want to hear anything that Mr. Robinson has to say, because he was black. Since he was black, the whites automatically assumed Mr. Robinson was guilty. Mr. Robinson says he didn’t mean any harm toward Miss. Mayella. “Mr. Finch, I tried.
Ewell and Mayella’s reason to accuse Tom shows that they were actually a lot smarter than we previously thought. They had a foolproof plan on how to clear their names and sweep this whole situation under the rug. "Your father's no better than the ni***** and trash he works for!" (Lee 117) This quote shows that the people in Maycomb, and in general back then, acted like you had to lower yourself to even speak to black people.
This is proven when Atticus says “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.” (220) Atticus is saying that nobody in Maycomb would ever treat a black man the same as a white man. They completely forgot about their integrity. This makes them a villain because they are prejudiced against Tom Robinson.
We are all equal and human. The only difference is the color of our skin. The town of Maycomb just think otherwise. They think that because their appearance is different from theirs, that they are going to come and kill them or something. Don’t get me wrong, i’m sure there are a few black men/woman that really did get into some trouble and hurt other purposely but not all of them.
(20) Jem’s exaggerated description demonstrates the community’s intense prejudice towards Boo Radley. The people are able to alienate a member based off of speculations. Scout, an innocent member of Maycomb, has grown up with the idea that Boo acts and looks like
“People generally see what they look for and hear what they listen for” (Lee ) The people of Maycomb are constantly caught up in the racist mindset of their upbringing. The Tom Robinson case is a huge example of some of the injustice or prejudice that took place. Tom was put on trial for a crime he didn’t commit, and was unfairly convicted due to the all white jury. When an entire system seems to be turned against you, it can be hard to hold on to hope for a positive outcome.
He is accountable for creating many themes as well affecting the actions and development of other characters. Furthermore, he plays a major role in the maturation of Jem and Scout. Jem, Scout, and Dill are fascinated by the rumors of Boo Radley around them. People in Maycomb perceive Boo as someone who, “dined on raw squirrels and cats” and “the teeth he had were yellow and rotten”(16). This quote shows the people’s impression of Boo and how they affect the childrens in the book.
Atticus Finch becomes a victim of prejudice when he helps defend a innocent black man in court; Tom Robinson. Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are prejudged; do to the fact that prejudice is so inclusive, the people who help the "mockingbirds", like Atticus,easily become victims of prejudice. Many of the people who live in Maycomb gossip and spread rumors about Boo Radley because he chooses to always stay in his domicile, while Tom Robinson is stereotyped by
Let him get a little older and he won’t get sick and cry.” (269) He stated that as Dill Harris was crying over Tom Robinson being treated unequally. As Dolphus Raymond states, the entire town of Maycomb consists of racist adults and children that haven’t yet realized they’ll grow up to be just like them. They won’t cry or have a pit in their stomach, it’ll be normal.
Humans live in a world where moral values are very clearly set determining what is good and what is bad. We know what scares us and how racism should be treated. Nevertheless, this was not the case back in Alabama during the 1950s. In the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee narrates the lives of the people of Maycomb, Alabama, focusing on the story of Scout and Jem Finch, and the case of a said to be rape. In this emotion filled narrative, readers learn how life was back then not only in general, but for the separate social statuses that there was.
Persecution comes from people who are prejudiced” (Lee 329). While this may seem like a useful life lesson, Scout realizes the clear hypocrisy in her lesson. Like every other citizen of Maycomb, she is prejudiced against black people. Even though she is teaching her students that prejudice and persecution is wrong, she is participating in those very activities at home. She heard her third grade teacher after Tom Robinson’s trial, she thought “it’s time somebody taught ‘em a lesson, they were gettin’ way above themselves, an’ the next thing they think they can do is marry us” (Lee 331).
The testimonies reveal how deep-rooted the racism within Maycomb runs, as it is present even in court rulings and how casually present it is. The court is taking place, and the order of prosecutor’s witnesses who are: Mr. Heck Tate, the sheriff; Mr. Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father; and Mayella Ewell, the one who is accusing Tom Robinson of raping her. When it’s Mr. Ewell’s turn to speak, he does so with many racial slurs and slang embedded in his accusations. When relaying what he saw to the jury, he points at Tom and yells “―I seen that black n*gger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” Mr. Ewell, who, although, has never been a part of a court case or viewed one, doesn’t truly care, or notice, that so far into the formal case, not one person has used racial slang to talk about Tom, and uses the term n*gger quite casually.