Firstly, the stereotype that people who do bad things are supposedly evil and scary is shown through the characters, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is seen as an evil and scary person because he is accused for raping and assaulting Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson is hated by a majority of the white people in Maycomb except for a white lawyer who is ready to stand up for someone who is innocent. Later on in the novel, Tom Robinson ends up committing suicide himself because he did not want to be put in prison for something he did not do.
Because of Mr Ewell’s way of life and his pattern of abusive behaviour, Mayella and her siblings “lived like animals”. This sad living situation is what led to Mayella’s desperate attempt at a relationship with Tom, therefore bringing the blame back to Mr Ewell. Though it is not stated it the text explicitly, it is likely that it was Bob Ewell, rather than Mayella that came up with the plan of accusing Tom of rape, as it would give Mr Ewell a chance to simultaneously publicly denounce a black man and make himself out to be the hero of the story. This is why, despite Tom’s conviction, Mr Ewell is infuriated by the results of the trial, as Atticus was still able to destroy “his last shred of credibility”, the exact opposite of what Bob had planned for the trial. This would suggest that Bob Ewell was willing to have Tom killed, not because he truly believed he had committed a crime, but rather so he could promote his own prejudiced narrative at the trial and restore to himself the power that the social structures of Maycomb had taken away.
Warren knows Proctor is not a witch, and also knows that Abby accuses Elizabeth Proctor because of personal vengeance, yet when Proctor tries to urge her to tell the truth she shouts, “I cannot! I cannot!” because she knows she will get in trouble for having previously lied in court (125). Mary Warren was not strong enough to tell the truth. She would rather get Proctor in trouble than have to take responsibility and punishment for her own sinful actions. As a result of her cowardly decision Proctor gets thrown in jail and eventually hangs.
In the book In Search of April Raintree there is a lot of struggle for identity. April Raintree was a Metis girl who was ashamed of her background from the beginning. She was ashamed because she was bullied about her culture from the time she was a child. April’s parents were drunks and she was forced to take care of her little sister Cheryl. From the time April was a young child to the time she was an adult she wanted nothing more than to be accepted in white society.
In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Harper Lee shows many examples of how characters can be differentiated in ways that distinguish as well as dictate their behavior. The town of Maycomb seemed to have many expectations of its citizens based on stereotypes. Maycomb was judgmental and inflexible in its views, trying to be something that it was not. In this world, no one lives a life without stereotypes, which is why Lee focuses heavily on this idea throughout the book. Three main characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Calpurnia, Scout, and Boo Radley, are great examples of characters who often fit into but sometimes do not adhere to the codes of expected behavior.
Racism is an issue that seems to have no resolution although the solution seems simple. In Search of April Raintree is a novel that shows the life of a young indigenous girl who struggles to accept who she is and where she comes from. Mosionier does a superb job of showing first hand the thoughts and feelings victims of racism have after being tormented. After being placed in a foster home, April experiences one of her first encounters with a racist. Her foster family is the first example of the numerous hardships April
Appearance VS. Reality In the novel To Kill a MockingBird written by Harper Lee there are many events that occur that show the theme of appearance vs Reality. Throughout the story Boo radley is looked at as a monster that hides in his house and scares children. Mrs.Dubose is an old lady who had a morphine addiction and Tom robinson is known for sexualy abuseing a young white woman. There are many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird that are seen differently from whom they truly are in reality, this is because in this era people look at black people differently and don’t treat them as equally than they would look at white man or woman during this time.
However, she instantly dismissed her, pursuing Diana instead. The disapproval Cheryl experienced from her friend Tamara was interesting as well. Tamara accused her of wanting to be white and questioned her pursuit of a “wanna be black girlfriend.” This intracommunity rejection and internalized oppression was evident with the character Bob as well. He displayed a colorist mentality by favoring Annie, a white woman, over Cheryl and Tamara in the workplace. He held the black women to higher expectations and scrutiny while prioritizing Annie’s needs.
Reality behind Public Humiliation In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter, the character Hester Prynne is publically shamed for committing adultery. Hester is forced to stand upon a podium and is taunted and shunned by her fellow townspeople. Along with the exposure, she has to visibly wear the letter “A” attached to her chest for the rest of her life. In today’s society, public humiliation is still used occasionally as a possible form of punishment for the convicted. However, public embarrassment should not be used as a punishment for crime.
Troy has always been tough with Cory which makes him think that he doesn’t like him. Troy had a dream of becoming a baseball player which he has never achieved so he is envious and keeps Cory from having the opportunity of being recruited for football. Cory comes home one night to Troy sitting down on the steps drinking and singing in the backyard and tells him to get out of his way. Troy advises Cory that if he needs to go inside then he must say excuse me because it is his house that he bought and paid for. As he tries to walk past him, Troy shoves him back and Cory yells “I live here too.” As they continue to argue, Cory admits that he has been afraid of Troy.