Theme Of Racial Inequality And Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

After reading this in the novel the quote really shows that if a white man and a black man both commit the same crime almost a certain chance the black man will get accused wrongly first before the white man will ever be. This quote changed the point of view on many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. It changed the view of Tom Robinson

Many times this occurs throughout the story but one very noticeable example is when Lula explained to Scout and Jem “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here–they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain't it Miss Cal.”(120). A statement like this is an extremely big issue. This statement from Lula shows everyone that racism and prejudice are very apparent throughout daily life in To Kill a Mockingbird. Lula is explaining to Calpurnia, Scout, and Jem that there are separate churches for white and black people and that they aren’t accepted at the church they were at.

James Baldwin once said, “It is certain, in any case, that ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird several individuals show the burden and weight of injustice by racism. Although they are overruled, the fight should stay strong. In the beginning Harper Lee displays racism mostly in a verbal context, and towards the end, racism is seen physically and emotionally damaging its victims.

During the time of To Kill A Mockingbird, racism was a big problem that went unrealized. Many people did not realize how unjust it was. Constantly this book reminds us and shows that racism was a driving factor and could change anyone’s opinion back then. There are many examples to use in this book for racism and I chose what I believe to be the best ones. Tom’s trial, The treatment of Dr.Raymond, and how racism gives power in Maycomb.

“We, as human beings must be willing to accept people different from ourselves” This quote can relate to two passages, To Kill A Mockingbird and “Only the Innocent were Accused”. In both of these passages an issue with racism occurs and the black(s) are accused of rape. People in Maycomb (TKAM) and in Jackson County Alabama (OTAWI) did not accept the, what they call, “negroes” at all and were unfair in many ways. People such as Atticus and the Communists defended these “negroes” who were accused of rape. In To Kill A Mockingbird, a man named Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman and in “Only the Innocent were Accused”, a group of 9 boys called “Scottsboro boys” were accused of raping two white woman.

In the novel, ‘To kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the small, imaginary town, the Maycomb County, as a place where racism and social inequality happens in the background of 1930s America. Not only the segregation between whites and blacks, but also the poor lived in a harsh state of living. As Scout, the young narrator, tells the story, Lee introduces and highlights the effects of racism and social inequality on the citizens of Maycomb County by using various characters such as Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Firstly, Harper Lee portrays Boo Radley as a victim of social inequality through adjectives and metaphor in the phrase, “There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten;” ‘Long jagged scar that ran across his face’ tells us that Boo Radley has stereotype about his appearance, which forces to imagine Boo as a scary and threatening person. The phrase, ‘yellow and rotten’ make the readers think as if Boo Radley is poor and low in a social hierarchy, as he cannot afford to brush his teeth.

“You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n” (p. 119) Lula, a colored woman is a prime example of the two way road of racism. When Scout and Jem hear this they are completely astonished by the fact that the white race is looked down upon by other races. Racism is a problem that affects everyone; even the “master” race. “Now don’t you be so confident Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a

Race has always been a part of history, from slavery to MLK, to Barack Obama. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee defines race in the south during the 1930’s. Jean “Scout” Finch, is the narrator of the story. Her brother Jeremy “Jem” and her dad, Atticus, are both main characters. Calpurnia is their house cook and helper, she is also black.

A Ripple of Innocence in a Sea of Intolerance No child is born racist, and the children of Maycomb County are no exception. Set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a heart-wrenching story about growing up surrounded by poverty, ignorance, and discrimination. Lee uses Scout Finch, the six-year-old daughter of controversial lawyer Atticus Finch, to showcase the belief that innocence is crucial in a world corrupted by prejudice.

In Maycomb, both white people and people of color hold animosity to each other. So the children in the town with both a white and black parent are treated differently because society can’t put them in a box “‘ 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 colored, so they’re in-betweens, don 't belong anywhere. ’”(Lee 161)

Racism can be introduced to anyone in a novel titled “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Author of the novel Harper Lee, decides to introduce the problem in her book, taking place in the 1930’s, specifically during the Great Depression. Racism is a social issue in the novel all around, in which no trouble should be caused to acknowledge it. Straight from the start, Harper Lee chooses to introduce Maycomb County, a county in which the blacks and whites have separate communities (Lee).

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird famously said in his closing arguments: "You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and no particular race of men." (pg 232) What Atticus is trying to convey is a foreign concept to most people in Maycomb county. Atticus is trying to convey a point of equality and no prejudice in a world of social inequality which, as one can imagine, didn 't go over so well.

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the entire town of Maycomb accepts and contributes to maintaining the racial status quo. The narrator, Scout, tries to make it seem as though Maycomb, Alabama is a better place than other southern states in the United States. Although, they tolerate racism just as much as any other southern state. Some characters are aware of this, like Atticus Finch and Dolphus Raymond and others are not. Dolphus Raymond even states “Things haven’t caught up to that one’s instinct yet.

One of the main themes of the novel is Racism. During the time of depression, racism and poverty were a common issue. People with a dark skin tone, i.e the African- Americans were seen as derogatory and treated like dirt. Harper Lee depicts it in a very realistic way.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”(Lee 30). These are the words of Atticus Finch, the wisest character in the famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He is a fictional man that embodies human traits that all people should strive to emulate. In the novel; narrated by Atticus’ daughter Jean Louise Finch, more often referred to as Scout; Atticus defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white female, Mayella Ewell. The main message of the text is the prominence of racial injustice, specifically in the 1930’s, the era the novel takes place in.