How Is Raymond Presented In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Rashaun Boyer Mrs. Lawson English 10 20 May 2024 The Facade of Choice Mr. Dolphus Raymond- a fraud by choice. This is the man seemingly featured in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, but that is not quite the case. The story follows children Scout, Jem, and Dill as they face the many moral dilemmas of their hometown, Maycomb. When first introduced to Raymond, he is presented as an alcoholic who prefers the black community over his fellow white folk; his many mixed-race children are also acknowledged. Despite what the townsfolk think of him, Raymond is, in fact, not an alcoholic, tricking the entire town into leaving him alone. Even though Raymond is the one portraying himself as a drunk, he only does so because of the prejudice and racism in Maycomb’s community. While not interacting with Raymond …show more content…

Once the topic of the man’s mixed children and people of choice is brought up, Dill observes that “He doesn’t look like trash” (Lee 183). The idea that black equals trashiness was most likely instilled in Dill by his Aunt Rachel, who is considered the town gossip. Another example of the kids displaying the town’s prejudiced ideals is when Scout and Dill talk to Raymond. Scout was very hesitant to approach Raymond at first, remarking, “As Mr. Dolphus Raymond was an evil man I accepted his invitation reluctantly. I didn’t think Atticus would like it if we became friendly with Mr. Raymond, and I knew Aunt Alexandra wouldn’t.” (Lee 227). In the book, Aunt Alexandra can be easily described as a conservative prude, so it is understandable why Scout would consider Raymond an evil man based on whom she lives with. With all the adults in Maycomb agreeing on his immorality, just like the people he hangs around with, it is easy to see why he would find a way to distance himself from them. Scout, however, has a different takeaway after she speaks to him, questioning why anyone would do that to

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