Lily Hoffman
Thematic Analysis Essay
Mr. Miller
4/31/15
Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird
The definition of Racism is the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. Harper Lee uses the idea of racism as a huge part of theme in To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout this book Lee hints and creates symbols for this theme. Jem, Scout and everyone living in the fictional town of Maycomb during this story are affected by racism, which is the most important theme in To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb County is a town in the South during the 1930s that is filled with very judgmental and prejudice people. Most of the people in this town are not very fond of the African Americans that also live in their community. One of the most racist characters in this book is Mrs. Dubose, an elder that lives next to the Finches. When Atticus decides to take the Tom Robinson case Mrs. Dubose was angered during a conversation with Jem and Scout and shouted “ Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse
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Don’t say niggers, Scout.” and Scout says “That’s common. It’s what everybody in school says.”(Lee, 99) This quote shows many different key items. The first thing it shows is that nobody in Maycomb can get away from racism. The second key factor that is shown in this quote is that Jem and Scout have had their own innocence taken away because of everything they have witnessed and heard about the Tom Robinson trial and the involvement of their father. The last key point this quote shows is that Harper Lee wants the readers to observe the fact that most of the adults in Maycomb are not trying to protect their children from all of the terrible things going on in the Tom Robinson
In the town of Maycomb, a man who stands up against racism forever changes people’s views on racism. Scout, Jem and Atticus Finch all stand together against racism and prejudice in the tiny town of Maycomb. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, in the town of Maycomb, prejudice is a disease, but Jem, Scout, and Dill are immune to this illness because of the people who raise them. For example, when Cecil and Francis told Scout that Atticus is a disgrace to defend Tom Robinson, even though Francis is Scout’s cousin. When Scout and Jem hear the verdict of Tom’s case they both cry and are angry about the sentence while the rest of the town is ecstatic. And finally when Scout doesn’t want Walter Cunningham to come over for dinner because she thinks that he is a disgrace. For all of these reasons, the Finch family must not be racist or prejudiced.
Race and Class define society and making it so that society loses itselfs world of connection. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, the novels shows and gives people an understanding of the time. To begin, during the Tom Robinson trial, Tom was convicted as guilty due his class standing and his skin colour. Secondly, there are many families in Maycomb who stand in a different class. Finally, the segregation in Maycomb is very harsh and can show an issue with race and class. Race and class keeps society apart, resulting a very negative understanding of people.
The town of Maycomb, filled with racist views which exposes the kids to the racist views of close friends such as Dill Harris, family members such as Aunt Alexandra, and neighbors such as Mrs.Dubose. Limited to so much time with the kids, Atticus tries his best to equip Scout and Jem with the ability to look past the disease, by having Scout and Jem look past, “Maycomb's usual disease” increases their father's attempt to persuade anyone's views to racial equality.
Racism obstructs a person 's innocence making them feel as if they are held guilty for their race. As one author 's says, “Race doesn 't really exist for you because it has never been a barrier. Black folks don 't have that choice” (GoodReads). She simply implies that race of a non-black person does not matter because it’s the only race that is conflicted with. Black people, in the early 1800s until the late 1980s, were judged solely based on their race. Two authors relate their characters on racism and how the white community obstructed the significance of their black characters. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, she introduces a fictional town, in which the white community shows inconsideration towards the blacks. Lee focuses on one
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, many different themes come into view. One major theme that played a big role in the character’s lives is racial prejudice. Racism is an unending problem throughout the book. The song “Message from a Black Man” by The Temptations has many similarities to the theme of racial discrimination. Therefore, both the novel and the song prove that racism was a great obstacle for some people at a point.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”-Martin Luther King Jr. This quote shows how racism is like darkness and hate and love and light are the only way to drive racism out. The story takes place at the time of the great depression. Scout lives in a very racist and judgement city in the south. A black male is accused of raping a white woman. Scouts dad Atticus gets appointed to be the defendant's lawyer. Racism is an antagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird because the white people of Maycomb discriminate the blacks and make them feel lesser. The theme racism can be harmful to everyone is shown by many characters throughout the book.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, racism is a major theme. Atticus Finch, the narrator’s father, defends a negro, Tom Robinson, in the court of law against a white man, Bob Ewell. Robinson had reportedly raped a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. But according to Robinson he had gone to help Mayella, as he often did, with work around the house. As he starts helping Mayella, she tries to get Tom to kiss her and will not let him out of the house. Bob Ewell sees this and chases Tom out of the house and accuses him of raping his daughter. Atticus goes against almost everyone in Maycomb County’s opinion in defending Tom Robinson. Throughout the course of the novel, racism effects many characters such as Tom and Helen Robinson, Scout and Jem Finch, and Mayella and Bob Ewell. All these characters had there lives
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how prejudice in the south affects men, women, children, blacks, and whites through the thoughts of racism, social class, and sexism. She makes it possible to understand what prejudice was like and how harmful it can be, but also that despite all the tensions in the south that there are always people who are willing to help when others are in need. There are many examples of prejudice throughout the book and it is still happening in real life.
Racism was a huge issue during the plot and events through the entire book. Many characters were either slightly or majorly affected by racist actions or being verbally attacked. Racism puts people in uncomfortable situations all being citizens in the society and part of the nation but were still discriminated against because the color of skin. This shouldn 't define your future, decisions, or future. The people in the world’s history have made skin color and race such a huge issue when it really wasn’t and shouldn’t be to this day but sadly is. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird there were three main people affected by racism that was in a way life changing or ruined the opportunities in their lives. These three characters that faced racism were Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch, and Helen Robinson.
How would you like it if someone walked up to you and berated you based on the color of your skin? A characteristic like that isn’t even something you can control, so an insult of that nature can leave one furious and oppressed. Discrimination is inevitable in any culture, throughout history, in modern times, and even in ancient times. For example, the oppression and murder of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust, the African Slave Trade which occurred for multiple centuries, and more recently, the “ethnic cleansing” of Rohingya people in Myanmar, brought on by the government of the Asian nation, all of which are tragedies doomed to happen when history repeats itself and people do not learn
This is because Scouts childlike perspective isn’t understanding enough to know the racial prejudice in that time. Blacks were segregated by whites. So by using Scout as the narrator we get an idea of the racism present in Maycomb. Whilst throughout the story we see racist remarks occur repeatedly. Unfortunately in society today, there are still racist opinions about blacks and commit
To Kill a Mockingbird: Race Relations Race relations have been happening for many years. Race relations is the difference in how people treat different races or religions in a community. Racism is not only present between the African-Americans and Caucasians, but it is also present between many other races and even religions. If you are not white, there is a chance that you will run into racism sometime in your life.
Racism presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. Some are blatant and open, but others are more insidious. One obvious way that racism presents itself is in the result of Tom Robinson’s trial. Another apparent example is the bullying Jem and Scout had to endure as a result of Atticus’s appointment as Tom Robinson’s defense attorney. A less easily discernible case is the persecution of Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who chose to live his life in close relation with the colored community.
Hypocrisy is as much a part of Maycomb’s society as church and community spirit. For example, Mrs. Merriweather talks about saving the poor Mruans from Africa, but she thinks black people in her community are a disgrace (p.234). The hypocrisy of this teaching is shown as soon as she mentions the word ‘persecution’. This is due to the fact that she herself is persecuting the black people of Maycomb by not raising an eyebrow at the killing of innocent black men. Furthermore, it is obvious Bob Ewell is abusive to his daughter, Mayella, and that he is the one who violated her, not Tom Robinson (p.178). Since there is such hypocrisy in Maycomb, there are excuses made for whites. The jury probably thinks that if they pronounce Tom innocent the citizens will mock them as they do to Atticus. Harper Lee uses hypocrisy to show how the people of Maycomb are so engulfed in a variety of elements that they unknowingly complete acts of unjustified discrimination.
A small city nestled in the state of Alabama, Maycomb has got its faults, just like any other place in the world, but one of its main faults or (pg.88) “Maycomb's usual disease,” as Atticus calls it in the book is prejudice. Jem and Scout learn a lot about prejudice when a black man named Tom Robinson is accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell and their father, Atticus, is called on to be his lawyer. They realize the hate that people have buried deep within their heart when they see a black man accused of doing something only because of his color. On pg.241, Scout starts understanding this and thinks, “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” As the case continues, up until the death of Tom Robinson, Jem and Scout learn more and more about prejudice and how the hate that people have towards others causes them to take wrong actions. They also see how unfair it is that a white man can get treated better and think of himself better than a black man only because he was born white. This prejudice and the trial cause Jem and Scout to get in argum...