Steven Heidenreich
Mr.P
Freshman English
May 16, 2017
Racisms Error Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird there are many morals but, the moral of the story that prevailed was racism. The Author for this book Harper Lee, is a well known author for books on social injustices. In this book, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are injustices talked about such as ageism, sexism, and racism. The main character is a young white girl. Just from knowing that much about the main character she already fits two categories of people who are socially discriminated against. The basic plot of the book consists of a young girl who grows up with a father who is a lawer. This young girl's father takes a trial dealing with a black man being accused of raping a
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It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?”” (Lee 119). Lula is a member of the African-American First Purchase Church in the book. Calpirnia had brought the children she was watching to the church. They were white children which sparked a reaction to the regular churchgoers. From the way Lula, the member of the church, reacted to having seen white children come to her church shows that blacks and whites did not get along very well in the time period of this book. When Lula says that blacks and whites both have their own churches this also shows that the people were segregated to the point that they had to meet in different buildings to practice the same religion. As well as this quote showing segregation of the people it also shows that no matter what age people were their skin color determined how others treated them. This is shown because the children Lola is upset with are children and she is upset with them because they were white and they came to a black church. Later in the book when Atticus, the main character's father, has taken the case of a black man, although he knows he will most likely lose the case, Atticus …show more content…
"You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire"(Lee 204). Atticus states this as an argument in his trial defending his black client. Atticus wants to show to the jury that just because his client Tom, is black that doesn't mean he is a bad person. He tells them that their idea of thinking that way is as illogical as saying someone is bad just because they are human. He wants the jury to understand that Tom is a person and they need to determine from the evidence if he is good or bad, not just from his skin color. Just the fact that Atticus had to explain this concept to the jury shows that in the past other blacks had been unfairly punished. Biased jurors show that racism was a very big issue during the time era in this book contributing to racism being the main social injustice in this book. Although today the world we live in is
In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.
Atticus criticizes, “...-the evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negroes are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption that one associates with minds of their calibre.” Atticus denounces all those that associate evilness with being a Negro. Atticus is proving that a majority of the people in the courtroom associate Negroes with lies or cruel deeds, and they are under an evil assumption. Atticus evokes this feeling from the jury in order to demonstrate that anyone can lie, be immortal, or untrustworthy, not just Negroes. Atticus wants the jury to understand that we should not identify a Negro as being bad simply because of their shade of their skin. Atticus is challenging everyone, the jury in particular, to analyze individuals by their actions rather than by
Accused of raping a poor white girl, innocent Tom Robinson is now faced with a desperate trial. “The evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber.” (Lee 273). Atticus delivers a powerful speech to the courthouse audience highlighting the disturbing truth of the unfair society. Although there was substantial evidence proving Tom’s innocence against Mayella Ewell, Tom was convicted for the rape the Ewell’s made up to disguise their guilty faults. The stereotypical accusation of the unjustifiable verdict costed Tom his life, when he grew “tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.” (Lee 315). There are always two sides to a story and specifically someone from the black community had their strong opinion on those of the white community. When Calpurnia brought Jem and Scout to her church, they were interrogated by an angered Lula. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n.” (Lee 158). Lula makes a stereotypical judgement, after seeing Jem and Scout she immediately labels them white, and we can infer her thoughts are pulled from her prior knowledge of the stereotypical racist white community. She has never met Jem and Scout yet is quick to group
In his introduction, Atticus cautions the jury to be objective in their verdict, reminding them the doctrine of presumed innocence. He explains, “Gentlemen, I shall be brief, but I would like to use my remaining time with you to remind you that this case is not a difficult one, it requires no minute sifting of complicated facts, but it does require you to be sure beyond reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant.” His use of the word “but” is cautionary, warning the jurors that there is no place for personal bias in the court and highlighting their legal obligation. Additionally, he employs an impassioned voice in his emotional appeal, drawing attention to the ethical question of the trial. When he states, “This case is as simple as black and white,” he acknowledges the ideological nature of it, expressing distaste for the racial prejudice that brought Tom Robinson under the court’s gaze.
Atticus a lawyer in Maycom County defends a black man. By said that a white woman accuses that a black man rapped her. Atticus’s children are in confusion and constantly ask their father about his case. Atticus said”….If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature. (75). Clearly we can see that he has lots of respect to this county and for blacks. Atticus wants his children to ignore what everybody thinks on him about defending a negro. During a conversation between Jem and Atticus, tells jem,” As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, whenever a white man does that to a black man, that white man is a trash.” (223). At the court Atticus is sure that he will lose but want to make a statement to this racist society. He wants this county treat black people just how they treat white people. Atticus states in the court,”…..you know the truth….some Negroes lie some Negroes are immoral….There is no person in this courtroom who ha...
Although most discrimination appears as white people against African American people, there is one case where the discrimination appears as African American people against white people. On a Sunday when Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus, is not home, Calpurnia, their cook, takes the two children to her church. Once there they were confronted by a woman named Lula. She is racist against white people, and shows it by saying, “‘I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to n***er church’” (Lee 158).
During the book Scout and Jem are at an age were people around them greatly affect their thoughts, views and ideas about the world. Although Atticus tried to raise them to treat Negroes as equals, people around them affected their views on them. A good example is when Dill questioned the seemingly rude way which Mr. Gilmer treated Tom Robinson. Scout replied by saying, "…after all he's just a Negro." (Lee 201). She believes it to be acceptable. This is not something her father put in her head but people in her town. The same also happens in the black community. When Atticus asks Calpurnia to watch his children for him while he is out, Calpurnia accepts and takes the children with her to church, a church for black people. When she arrives with the children, they are greeted kindly except by a few people. These people use the same reason as in the last example as to why they should not be there, because they are white.
All of the characters have different views on racism. Atticus likes black people and doesn’t have anything against them and he is teaching his children the same. As Scout is growing up, she is starting to understand that discrimination is wrong and she doesn’t understand what black people have done to receive so much negativity because they haven’t done anything to receive it. But then there are others like Bob Ewell and Lula who aren’t so keen on having both races get along. Lula specifically has trouble understanding why Scout and Jem are at church "You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?"(Lee 158) when it should not matter what the colour of their skin is. Furthermore, there is of course Tom Robinson who is being accused of rape based solely on the fact that he’s black. His story and Mayella’s do not add up. He does not get may chances to stick up for himself other than the actual trial. Every character has their own opinion on discrimination some being that it’s a horrible thing; others being that it is okay which develops the inequality and diversity in To Kill a
When Atticus takes Calpurnia to Tom Robinson's home, she has to sit in the back seat so as not to appear as Atticus's equal. She does not eat at the same table with the Finch family, although she has been a part of it since Jem was two. She is clearly loved by the family, but by no means is she their equal. " I said come here, nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I got a nickel for you."
This type of discrimination made African American victims of jails and crimes that they did not even consider doing but were thought of doing because of racial segregation enforcement (popularity?) within the Southern society of the US. However, Atticus was different and believed that Tom robinson is innocent since he understood (understands?) how people discriminate others and was aware (is aware) of different types of prejudice (in that time period). So, due to Atticus’ good morals and values, he was willing to try his best to support the truth (who was
The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box”(Lee 220). This is how Atticus described the trial to his son Jem because he could not comprehend how unjust the trial was unfolding on a daily basis. The proceedings were not equitable towards Tom Robinson because everyone should have realized at the trial that he had not done anything wrong. In the end, Atticus lost the trial. Not because the jury and judge thought Tom Robinson had committed the crime, but simply because he was black and they were racist.
Another example of total racial segregation is the fact that Jem and Scout have never been to “that part of town,” so they are unfamiliar with the Church’s way of singing hymns (“lining”), and they don’t understand “nigger talk.” Even Lula, one of the black church members, says, “they got their church, we got our’n.”
Since, Atticus treats the jury members as equals to himself, he wants Tom to receive the same treatment. When Atticus says the word /gentleman/ (273), it shows that even though the men on jury are the destitutes of the town Atticus treats them as if they were all equal. That is why Atticus wants the courtroom to see that even though Tom is black, he should be treated as an equal to them.
It;s our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” There is an invisible line between blacks and whites, and when someone crosses the line they are criticised by the rest`. This goes back to the point where the hidden rule is that blacks and whites should not interact. When Cal bring Scout and Jem to the church they feel uncomfortable and unwanted by the rest of the black community, or more specifically Lulu. This shows that not only blacks are affected by the
In the novel, racism and prejudice become the major conflict, but the town stands against the concept of a combined team and therefore, the white characters do not support the African Americans. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows that prejudice creates many problems. Throughout the novel, segregation becomes prevalent in the town and generates many issues. Calpurnia, the Finches black housekeeper, takes Jem and Scout to her black community church, the First Purchase.