Theme Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Me, Racist? The only race I hate is the one you have to run. In the U.S.A. at the time of segregation, people were treated by the color of their skin and not by their character. The books, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli, share a common theme of don’t judge people by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. Both settings shape the theme for each story. In each story, the theme is presented differently to the reader. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird the setting is important because it is shaping the main character Scout’s (a white child) point of view on racism and prejudice. In the town of Maycomb County in Southern Alabama in 1930 the black community was treated differently. “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man.” (271-272). Scout quickly learns that the black community wasn’t appreciated …show more content…

Maniac magee didn’t understand why people were so mean to the east Enders, when they were humans too! He tried his best but he couldn’t see why having a different color skin mattered so much. “Maniac kept trying, but he still couldn't see it, this color business. He didn't figure he was white any more than the East Enders were black, He looked himself over pretty hard and came up with at least seven different shades and colors right on his own skin, not one of them being what he would call white (except for his eyeballs, which weren't any whiter than the eyeballs of the kids in the East End.)” This shows how Jeffery is confused about why people should be treated differently because of their color (Which is how everyone should think). Here it connects back to the theme because it is showing that you should not be treated by the color of your skin. Readers learn that you should treat everyone the same, no matter their

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