To Kill Dolphus Raymond Character Analysis
To Kill Dolphus Raymond
In her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee not only delves into the precarious world of prejudice but also surveys the vulnerability of those greatly affected by it. Dolphus Raymond, a wealthy white man, is teetering at the lower edge of society. In the eyes of Maycomb, he is treated as a social outcast due to his relations with African-Americans. Raymond is well-aware of the ongoing racism and prejudice in Maycomb, and as a way of tolerating it, Raymond feigns alcoholism by hiding a Coca-Cola bottle in a paper bag. Feigning alcoholism would give people a reason as to why he lived an untraditional lifestyle, and the story’s protagonist, Scout Finch, and her friend, Dill Harris, come across these true realities
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It represents the innocent who were injured through contact with evil. Dolphus Raymond is identified as a mockingbird, and in his case, the prejudice that Raymond receives throughout Maycomb is his contact with evil. Raymond is constantly ridiculed for his lifestyle that is deemed unfit when it comes to Maycomb’s society. Raymond’s relations with African-Americans are looked down upon and prejudiced, but he does not let that overcome him. Instead, he learns to tolerate it by feigning alcoholism and tries to explain it to the children: “‘I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason. [...] If I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whiskey--that’s why he won’t change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does,’” (Lee 268). Dolphus Raymond understands that the people in Maycomb wouldn’t be able to overlook its prejudice to be able to understand his lifestyle. In order to live his life without being constantly pestered by the people of Maycomb, Raymond feigns alcoholism as a way for people to “understand” why he lived a life much different from those who lived in Maycomb.
It is plain to see that To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel as complex as it is enthralling. Filled with unique and complex characters, this novel takes the reader on a journey to discovering the crooked realities of a town of
How Does Atticus Finch Show Courage
756 Words | 4 PagesIn the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, author Harper Lee takes on the malignant impact of racism, a deeply rooted problem, from a different perspective and teaches readers what it truly means to be a good person as she brings to life one of the most virtuous characters in American literature-Atticus Finch. Told through the eyes of a young child, readers learn about the heavy prejudice embedded in the people of Maycomb County and the loss of innocence that is brought upon the kids as a racial conflict spurs a series of significant events in their quiet town. Taken place during the early years of the Great Depression, Maycomb must face its biggest problem-racism. Atticus Finch is the lawyer who defends this case and ultimately brings a
Examples Of Empathy In To Kill A Mockingbird
607 Words | 3 Pages“Scout, it’s nothing but Coca-Cola” (Lee 200). Initially Scout sees Dolphus Raymond in the same sense as everyone else does, but after she learns the truth her outlook on him completely changes. Scout learns that judging someone without knowing the entire story is completely unfair. The people of Maycomb treated him without empathy, and because of that his life was very sad.
Dill's Equality
702 Words | 3 PagesAs, he is faced with life 's heartache dilemmas he really sees Maycomb 's true colors. Although, he is faced with these hardships early on his mental state of mind is altered as he makes his way in life trying to survive peoples mismatched thoughts and actions. Yet all those people are tricked to believe in and follow one example base on someone’s actions that are higher in the social
To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes
769 Words | 4 PagesDolphus Raymond is a rich white man who has mixed children. He prefers to live among blacks than in a white society. He hates the fact that when it comes to certain things that blacks are always gonna be the people that everyone can blame. He acts like a drunken man so the people of Maycomb can have a reason for his behavior. His soon to be wife shot herself before the wedding because she found out about his black mistress.
Dolphus Raymond Quotes
589 Words | 3 PagesThe kids never knew this they always viewed him as a drunk but as the met him and heard his secrets and viewed the way he lived his life they understood that he wasn’t an evil, drunk, or alcoholic he just tried to give folks a reason to understand. This relates right back to Atticus’s statement because the kids never truly understood the life of Dolphus Raymond until they actually got to meet him and hear how his life was. As the story went on the children began to understand Atticus’s statement, “You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.” Through the interactions with Dolphus and Boo it really changed how they viewed life in Maycomb, and showed how the children aged throughout the story.
To Kill A Mockingbird Violence Quotes
1438 Words | 6 PagesSleepy Maycomb, like other Southern towns, suffers considerably during the Great Depression. Many things happen, and poverty, racism, and violence encompass nearly everyone in Maycomb. Poverty, racism, and violence reaches from the privileged families, like the Finches, to the Negroes and “white trash” Ewells, who live on the outskirts of town. Harper Lee paints a vivid picture of life in this humid Alabama town where nearly everything explodes into conflict. The theme of racism, poverty, and violence is present throughout nearly every chapter in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Examples Of Blindness In To Kill A Mockingbird
683 Words | 3 PagesSocial class and sexism take a major part in the lives of the people of Maycomb and affect the way they treat each other. Tom Robinson, a young man accused of a crime because of his race, is a main example of the blindness to prejudice in this novel. Throughout the novel the author discusses the issue of racism and its effects on people. When Atticus Finch took on defending Tom in court, people told him that he would lose the case because of Tom's race. Atticus was upset over the fact that the courts were biased, no matter how much evidence shows that they were innocent.
To Kill A Mockingbird Dialectical Journal Analysis
427 Words | 2 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird Dialectical Journal #4 "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... in the clutches of whiskey - that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does... they could never understand that I live like I do because that's the way I want to live" (Lee 268). (CH) Most people in the town of Maycomb could believe that Dolphus was an abomination, a drunk - whatever one would call him.
How Is Raymond Presented In To Kill A Mockingbird
697 Words | 3 PagesDolphus Raymond represents social injustice in To Kill A Mockingbird. During Tom Robinson’s trial, Jem, Scout, and Dill meet Dolphus Raymond. They observe Mr. Raymond and notice that he is drinking from a paper bag. It is believed around Maycomb that Mr. Raymond drinks whiskey from the bag and that he is an alcoholic, but Raymond is actually just drinking coke from the bag. Raymond pretends to be a drunk so that he has an excuse to give the town for his “bad” decisions.
What Are The Effects Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird
851 Words | 4 PagesShe is constantly learning how racism affects the community through different altercations in Maycomb. She realizes that racism shouldn’t exist due to the side effects. In To Kill A Mockingbird Harper Lee conveys that racism causes inequality between people, isolation, and injustice. Racism affects the individuals of maycomb by creating an unfair and non welcoming area for people.
Examples Of Honesty In To Kill A Mockingbird
888 Words | 4 PagesShowing them the harsh reality of life with honesty and fearlessness. During this time the Great Depression was hitting the southern town of Maycomb. This novel compares many of its characters to mockingbirds, a symbol of pure innocence. One summer, Atticus, who is a lawyer, finds himself in the middle of a controversial case, involving a African American man, Tom Robinson and a white woman, Mayella. Despite the town throwing hatred towards Atticus and his family, he doesn’t back down because he takes pride in helping the innocent.
Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird And The Butler
1048 Words | 5 PagesIn 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.
What Does Mr Raymond Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird
671 Words | 3 PagesThis shows that Mr. Raymond is willing to live with this lie in order to satisfy his neighbors' need to understand his lack of racism. Just like the mockingbird he means no harms to anyone and wishes only to live in peace with his family. Furthermore, Mr Raymond symbolizes a mockingbird because he doesn't like to fight. For instance, when scout asked him why does he pretend he’s drunk, he says When I come to town, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey—that's why he won't change his ways. He can't help himself, that's why he lives the way he does" it indicates that Mr. Raymond's leads a double life instead of fighting for what he believes in.
Theme Of Isolation In To Kill A Mockingbird
1244 Words | 5 PagesIn To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee teaches us about the town of Maycomb County during the late 1930s, where the characters live in isolation and victimization. Through the perspective of a young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, readers will witness the prejudice that Maycomb produces during times where people face judgement through age, gender, skin colour, and class, their whole lives. Different types of prejudice are present throughout the story and each contribute to how events play out in the small town of Maycomb. Consequently, socially disabling the people who fall victim from living their life comfortably in peace. Boo Radley and his isolation from Maycomb County, the racial aspects of Tom Robinson, and the decision Atticus Finch makes as a lawyer, to defend a black man has all made them fall in the hands of Maycomb’s prejudice ways.
To Kill A Mockingbird Comparison Essay
902 Words | 4 PagesIn the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, why must an honorable black man die for a white man’s actions? The book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, takes place in the 1930s in Maycomb, Alabama. Atticus Finch, father to Jem and Scout, has been assigned a legal case to defend a black man. Tom, the black man, was accused of raping a white woman, Mayella. The story is about how his kids, Jem and Scout, live during this time, and everything Atticus does to fight for Tom.
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