Another way Scout has changed since the beginning of the book is she understands people have both good and bad qualities that coexist within them, as she becomes closer to an adult and encounters evil in the world. 20. Miss Gates’ lesson to the class about Hitler’s prosecution of Jew’s is ironic, because she herself came out of the courthouse after the trial ended and responded by telling Miss Stephanie Crawford that “it was about time that someone taught them a lesson” when referring to the blacks in the town. It reveals that most people during that time where racist and prejudice to some extent in Maycomb. An example that is similar in our current society portrayed in this chapter is how white males get paid the highest salary, but people of other races and women get paid lower salaries for
Atticus Finch, from Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, is the appointed lawyer of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping Mayella Ewell. During the trial, Atticus expertly and deftly exposes the Ewells as lacking in morality and as liars. Atticus Finch uses the audience, occasion, tone and subject to create a meaningful purpose in his speech. The purpose is to address the white community (essentially the Ewells) to show the blatant racism within Maycomb.
Things in Maycomb, Alabama were pretty normal. Until one day, when news went around saying that Mayella Ewell had been sexually assaulted by an African American named Tom Robinson. This struck the town by surprise because the Ewells were not exactly the most admirable family. Mayella had very little power because of her race, class, and gender. Ordinarily being white back then was of higher rank, but considering where she came from, her race did not do her any good.
An overwhelming topic in the novel is the brutality that individuals cause upon others by the prejudice, or 'the simple hell people give other people', as Dolphus Raymond puts it. It is not only the matter of the profound racial bias which is available in Maycomb yet the prejudiced, slender, inflexible codes of conduct that most townspeople wish to force on others. This bias is made all the all the more threatening by being delineated as "expected" conduct by numerous characters in the book. Against the foundation of this residential area such individuals as Boo Radley, Dolphus Raymond, many of the African Americans segregated from the whites, and, to some degree, Maudie Atkinson, are abused on the grounds that they don't acclimate. Tom Robinson is discovered blameworthy, despite
In the courtroom, where everyone should be treated equally, blacks were still convinced of crimes that they might not have done. For example, when Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman, even though there wasn't any proof, he was found guilty. Another thing that I didn't like was how many of the ladies in the town felt bad for poor Mrunas who lived on the other side world. The ladies wanted to help them, but they didn’t realize that many blacks in their own town were poor and mistreated. Blacks in Maycomb were treated unfairly and with little
Throughout the novel, racism in Maycomb gets worse and worse, because of the county's hate towards black people. Scout first encounters racism at school, when kids call Atticus a nigger
Her father is a lawyer and he is defending a man of color named Tom Robinson, that is being accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. Maycomb is greatly divided by race and there is a set of unwritten racial rules that apply to everyone, causing some to even have a double life,
Scout starts to grasp that in a way Maycomb is just like Germany, because blacks are discriminated just because of the color of their skin. Although Miss Gates is not wrong for thinking persecution is terrible Scout sees what she still does the same wrong things to the people of color. Realizing malicious ideals like racial prejudice are the foundation to being shaped as a
Scout is witness to this and begins to understand that Maycomb’s preconception about blacks affects her education by demonstrating a hypocrisy that can influence children in the town. She uses this experience to further develop an opinion on equality between all races as she discovers the accepted black discrimination compared to other discriminatory
The black community as a whole was the mockingbird in this novel due to their selflessness while working hard and remaining peaceful even with the injustice surrounding them; the ‘white trash’ attempted killing the mockingbird. Due to the social hierarchy in Maycomb, black people tended to work for richer white men disregarding the fact that it was more often than not unfair. These
Through characters, setting, and point of view the author illuminates this idea. The character of Aunt Alexandra is a good example of this as she influences Jem to change his point of view of people and the color of their skin or how much money they have. The intimate town of Maycomb in itself shows how their fears influence kids and their future decisions. We see, from the innocent point of view of Scout, how much a role model affects how children think of and see people in their community and their degree of prejudice. This goes to show that this is happening in our world today, however, we need to step it up and influence the new generation to have no degree of prejudice in their thoughts and actions.
It takes a very courageous man to face the negative pressures of society within Maycomb. During the 1930’s, when the novel takes place, racism is a harshly
During the 1930’s in the poor town of Maycomb, Alabama, segregation was a way of life. This becomes an even bigger issue when Tom Robinson, and African-American man, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a poor white woman. During this part of the novel, Mayella gains and shows her power. Her accusation of rape draws support from most of Maycomb County based on race, class and gender, allowing her to stand stronger and free. Mayella Ewell is indeed powerful when it comes to class, race and gender.
Like most places, Maycomb County, Alabama was full of hardworking people of integrity, as well as dishonest, indolent citizens. Atticus, a distinguished lawyer, raised his two kids, Scout and Jem, to be disciplined youth, practicing honest morals. Everyone in Maycomb admired Atticus for his respectable character, just as they all abhorred the Ewell family, for their cheating and lying ways. However, Atticus’ prominent role in town was suddenly challenged when he was chosen to defend in court Tom Robinson, a black man whom Mayella Ewell accused him of taking advantage of her. Eyes that once looked up to Atticus with deep admiration, now glared at him in disgust.
A lazy summer breeze sweeps across the laboring backs of men and women while the ever burning sun warms the sleepy town folk whose men stole down the cracked sidewalks. As the women sit perched upon windowsills and porches fan themselves ever so slowly, and as children mud caked faces smile and yell out the dreams of an innocent minded. Embedded into this surreal sense rests an animosity. Maycomb County was nothing out of the ordinary and its citizens were the same way. The year is some time in the late 1930s and it was as if the world was simply seen in black and white, a simple concept for a simple town.