Examples Of Fear Over Fairness In To Kill A Mockingbird

Fear over fairness

Fear is a survival response to anything that may possibly endanger you. Fear is the cause for most emotions, rules, words and actions. Fear of what you don't know can cause hate. Hatred is anger, and anger is a response to being hurt or upset; the unknown is upsetting. Scout Finch, the naive child in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is realizing that even though people are afraid of ignorance, they protect it vehemently. She sees fear overpowering reason in symbolic ways, in events she witnesses, and through characters she interacts with. It makes sense to her that one would try to understand what they are afraid of, but sometimes fear can overwhelm logic.

Many of the symbols show how fear triumphs logic; the symbol

of a dirt snowman, a mockingbird, and a pair of glasses. The dirt-man covered in white snow is the fear of offense. As Jem and Scout build their dirt-man, Atticus says to Jem "'We've got to disguise this fellow'"(76). Atticus knows that even though he is just a snowman, and they are just children, Mr. Avery might be offended at their creation's likeness to him. Now, no one should be offended because what they've done is harmless, but the subtle fear of hurting someone makes Atticus tell them to change their snowman. In this case, the fear makes sense and is actually helpful, but although it overlaps with reasoning, fear is still slightly overpowering logic. Another example of this theme is shown through the symbol of a Mockingbird. The mockingbird represents innocence in this story, and the death of a mockingbird represents fear. As Bob Ewell's death is being pondered over by Scout, she says to Atticus "'Well, it'd be sort of like shootin' a mockingbird, wouldn't it?"(317). She's referencing Tom Robinson when she says this. She knows that since Bow Ewell triggered the chain of events that lead to an innocent man's death, she believes that Bob falling on his knife is like the act of not shooting a mockingbird. Had he not perished would have been like shooting a mockingbird. She hated Bob because she feared his clearly unjust power. Her fear and hatred of him caused her logic to fail her, as she was pleased with the news of his death. Her fear of Bob Ewell overtook her reasoning in her reaction to a human being's death. Finally, an example of this theme is shown as a pair of glasses. Atticus is the definition of sensibility and rationality. The glasses he wears represents logic and, in this case, the mad dog represents racism. Racism is hatred based on skin color, because of a fear of differences. As the mad dog limps down the street, Atticus steps forward and "pushed his glasses to his forehead; they slipped down, and he dropped the in the street. In the silence, I heard them crack...The rifle cracked"(110). Atticus let the town's collective fear overwhelm his reasoning. In a literal sense, fear and logic had the same action; but in the symbolic sense, Atticus shooting the dog meant that fear overtook his reasonable perception. Racism knocked his logical thinking and crushed it under his feet.
Fear overpowering reason is shown through conflicts in they engage in; for example, the jury for Tom Robinson's case was afraid of understanding the truth.

As the jury examines his case, they can clearly see that he never touched her, but they fear upsetting the traditional racism because they don't know what might happen if their 'judicial' system was brought to it's knees. "Judge Taylor was polling the jury: 'guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty'"(240). The verdict was guilty, obviously because their reasoning was warped by their fear of change in their traditional way of living. Another event was Jem's attack on Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes. As Jem was passing Mrs. Dubose's house with Scout, he thinks about how much he hates Mrs. Dubose, because he's afraid that her words will upset Atticus and hurt his reputation. He approached Mrs. Dubose's gate and "snatched my baton and ran flailing wildly up the steps into Mrs. Duboe's front yard...He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned, until the ground was littered with green buds and leaves "(118). He let his fear of Atticus getting hurt overpower his sensibility, and doesn't think about the consequences of his actions. Finally, an example is when the mob of people set out to lynch Tom. As they got out of their cars "In ones and twos...shadows became substance as light revealed solid shapes moving toward the jail door...'You know what we want"(171-172). These people have

not heard Tom's side of the case yet and believe him to have raped Mayella. They are afraid he might hurt someone else and they've taken it into their own hands to try and prevent that. They know the law is there, but they are so blinded by the fear of could happen that they don't think before they act.
The characters are the most powerful medium used to show how fear overwhelms logic.

For instance, Mayella Ewell is a young woman with a chaotic household to run, siblings to care for, an abusive father and no outlet for her emotions. When Mayella realizes that her father has seen her expression affection for a black man, she is overwhelmed by the fear of what he might do to her. As the case of rape spirals out of her control, she is haunted by the knowledge that Tom may be executed because of her cowardice. "'What did your father see in the window, the crime of rape or the best defense to it?'...Then she burst into real tears. her shoulders shook with angry sobs"(213-214). She knows he's innocent, and she knows everyone else knows he's innocent, but she never backed out of her accusation because she knew if she did her father and the oppressive society she lives in would hurt her. Another character that releases fear triumphs logic is Jem. As Jem thinks about the outcome of the court case, he realizes that the unjust society he hates is corrupted because of other people's fear. He says to Scout, "I think I'm beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in that house all this time...it's because he wants to stay inside"(259). He understands the concept of all humans being equal, and he realizes that he'd rather lock himself up than continue being a part of this oppressive system. He is coming to terms with the fact that hatred overpowers reasoning. Finally, a

character understanding this theme is Mr. Raymond. As he comforts the children during the case, he reveals his secret. "'It's nothing but Coca-Cola.'...'you little folks won't tell on me now, will you? It'd ruin my reputation if you did'"(227). He knows the people won't comprehend his relationship with a black woman, and he realizes it's easier to give them a reason to dismiss him than to try to educate them. He knows they fear change in their society and he gives them something they can understand and project blame onto to prevent hatred, and in turn protect his colored girlfriend. Mr. Raymond understands that what makes them shun others who are different is their fear of change, and if they were to accept differences, it would change their society and way of living.

In summary, Scout saw symbols of the fight between fear and reason. She observed conflicts that supported the victory of fear, and in people she knew, she saw saw hatred and fear warping their thoughts and actions. The logical thinking of lucid people is easily overthrown by the blind fear of change or differences.