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Everything has two sides. Nothing is wholly good, and nothing is wholly bad. It is always a mixture of the two that is found in reality. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is apparent that the children are not showing racist qualities; that is, they’re not racist. On the contrary, Mrs. Dubose, a lady in the children’s neighborhood, blatantly shows racist qualities. Even Scout and Jem’s aunt, Aunt Alexandra, displays racist tendencies. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, it is shown that a town consists of both good and bad. Mrs. Dubose is overtly racist, representing the ‘bad’ part of the town. In chapter 11 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Mrs. Dubose repeatedly insults Jem and Scout because their father, Atticus Finch, is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of rape. The theme is revealed in chapter 11.
The children (Jem, Scout, and Dill) are a prime example. They represent the non-racist section of town: people like them and Miss Maudie. The entirety of the trial proves this; it is not manifest in a single quote. Throughout the trial, Jem wants Robinson to be free. Scout also has a thought where she contemplates asking the crowd below her to concentrate on setting Robinson free. Dill cries, even, upon Mr.Gilmer’s treatment of Robinson. If Dill entertained racist tendencies, then he would certainly not cry; rather he would take delight in Robinson’s predicament. So, we can now conclude that the children represent the benign section of Maycomb and are not out to harm the blacks. In Harper Lee’ To Kill a Mockingbird, towns consist of both good and bad people. Mrs. Dubose is shown to be a native of the latter; she is racist to Jem and Scout. Their aunt, Alexandra, is also a member. She is prejudiced to African Americans and disapproves of their talking to one another. However, the children are of the former; they are not biased or racist in any way. They treat everyone
Scout and Jem are the farthest thing from being racist or prejudiced, they are both two kids raised in a home where racism and prejudice are frowned upon. Scout’s family is completely against racism and prejudice. 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 tell Scout that it is a disgrace for Atticus to defend Tom, even though Francis is Scouts cousin, also 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 happy. Scout doesn’t want Walter Cunningham to come over for dinner because she thinks he is a disgrace.
In chapter 11, Mrs. Dubose says some hateful words about Atticus, which leads Jem to smash her flowers. As a punishment, Jem had to read to her every day after school for two hours. A conversation between Atticus and Jem shows how he felt about her in the beginning, “Did she frighten you?” Said Atticus.
Maycomb is a fictional town in which we are exposed to the brutality of people. We follow Scout and Jem’s journey, which slowly reveals to us that the world is not a fair place and if anything, that the world can be quite cruel. This is shown through the ways in which characters act in a despicable manner towards others. Tom Robinson’s trial further gives us an insight as to the lies and racism that people are capable of. We are constantly confronted with the harsh reality that that the world is made up of numerous people that are filled with hatred, fueling them to act inhumanely towards others. Yet, at the end of the novel we are given a glimmer of hope as both Jem and Scout understanding this predominant concept, means that the next generation of Maycomb citizens may well be more compassionate towards one another
“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.
The biased racism limits the arguments a lawyer can appeal to the jury about defending the defendant to win the case, but can simultaneously limit the amount of voice the jury hears from both sides. Reassuring that Tom Robinson’s case is dealt seriously Atticus exchanges his identity as the noble man he is for the reputation of a villain that the town flames and calls names such as “nigger lover”. Sacrificing Atticus’s identity does not give him much room to speak during the case, in fact, without his title as an intelligent, helpful, and wealthy citizen the people of Maycomb could potentially harm Atticus which forces him to be a little more cautious approach with the people of Maycomb. Concerned with the matter of how her father finds that his actions are right; when the majority of the town finds is wrong. Atticus then responds strongly to Scout with that he could not live with himself or tell her and Jem to do the right act if he did not take the case seriously himself. Atticus’s identity sacrificed for the intention to save his kids from, “Maycomb's usual disease” which is racism. 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
First of all, Bob Ewell shows discrimination against Tom Robinson through the claim of his daughter’s rape committed by Tom, which was proven to not have happened, and the use of the derogatory term “nigger”. Secondly, Miss Maudie shows racism to the African American population by referring to an African-American in Nathan Radley’s collard patch as a “negro”, a derogatory term. Thirdly, Nathan Radley shows discriminatory racism toward the same African-American in his collard patch mentioned in the previous sentence by shooting at him, which was a failed attempt, and referring to him as a “nigger”, an offensive insult directed at African-American people. Finally, Aunt Alexandra shows sexism toward Scout by implying that she isn’t a “proper lady” unless she wears and does whatever Aunt Alexandra perceives as ladylike. In conclusion, there are many, many examples of discrimination towards people of all walks of life in To Kill A Mockingbird, the most prominent of them being racism and sexism. Discrimination is a horrible thing to be inflicted with and the human race should all work together to exterminate it from its source: us. We must keep an open mind to accept people of all races, religions, genders, sexualities, cultures, and personalities to make the world a more welcoming and friendly place for
They saw Mrs.Dubose more as Tom Robinson’s case outbreaks into court. Tom Robinson is the black man Atticus is defending, so every work day Atticus walks past Mrs.Dubose house. Which is “two doors up the street… with steep front steps and a dog trot-hall.” It was not until Jem needed to read to her, when him and Scout got to go inside of her house. “An oppressive odor met us when we crossed the threshold… In the corner of the room was a brass bed and in the brass bed was Mrs.Dubose… There was a marble-topped washstand by her bed.” In her house, Jem begins to leave his safety at home and face society's disapproval, which is symbolically represented as Mrs.Dubose. She represents the racism of the Old South, and Jem had to face his problems as he begins to come of age as a mature man.
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...
The hatred that the citizens of Maycomb felt towards the black community extended to anyone who became involved with them, especially the Finch family because Atticus was appointed to defend Tom Robinson. Scout and Jem suffered the most from this hatred because their peers were children, who are nearly always less candid than adults. Most of the people who were unhappy with Atticus would just try to keep away from him, which was bad enough. The children however, verbally abused Scout and Jem. Scout responded to this with physical violence, even though it was discouraged by her father. The sad thing is that they were mistreated even by members of their family, like Scout’s cousin Francis.
A rose who is not afraid to bear her thorns, Miss Maudie Atkinson from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is condemned by Maycomb County to a life of living on the outskirts. In this fast paced novel, Miss Maudie is a constant flow of sage wisdom and smart comments. This character even utters the novel’s root quote: “Your father’s right. Mockingbirds don’t do a thing but make music for us to enjoy” (119). While she is a minor character, Miss Maudie is a constant catalyst to the overall story.
Dubose’s rude and unnecessary remarks about Atticus. As Jem and Scout walk home, Jem’s anger takes control of his actions. “... Jem snatched my baton and ran flailing wildly up the steps into Mrs. Dubose’s front yard…. He did not begin to calm down until the ground was littered with dubs and leaves” (Lee 102-103). During the time when Mrs. Dubose repeats prejudice phrases about Atticus, Jem both experiences and witnesses discrimination. He saw Mrs. Dubose hollering about Atticus. He also suffers from discrimination because Mrs. Dubose thought Atticus is in the wrongdoing because he is defending an African American, Tom Robinson. In that period, white people arewere considered superior when compared to African Americans. Therefore, Mrs. Dubose thought that Tom must be guilty because he is an African-American. She thought Atticus shouldn’t defend him because of that. Atticus gave Jem a firm talking to about what he did. He would’ve made Jem read to her due to her addiction. At the end of the chapter, readers see Jem change. Scout witnesses something as Jem went off to bed: “He picked up the camellia, and when I went off to bed, I saw him fingering the wide petals” (Lee 112). Atticus stopped talking; Jem seems to notice how calm Atticus is about the situation. Atticus’s reaction to prejudice changed Jem. He sees his courage and looks deeper into what Atticus is telling him. His
When Jem and Scout were leaving town they walked by Mrs. Dubose house while she was sitting on her front porch. She said they needed to be in school, but it was Saturday and they don’t go to school on the weekend. In this part of the novel, Mrs. Dubose yelled, “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers! Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!”(Lee 101-2). At this point in the novel, one may notice that Mrs. Dubose is discriminating because of the comments she made to Jem and Scout. Mrs. Dubose statement indicates she doesn’t agree with Atticus defending Tom Robinson. Most white folks living in Maycomb dislike the Finch’s because Atticus is defending a black man in a court case. That statement shows people in Maycomb County are racist and discriminators. After Mrs. Dubose said the racist comment Jem was furious and cut her white flowers of the bush. In Adam Smykowski’s novel, “Symbolism and Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird" states, “Since camellia flowers are white, their destruction could exemplify Jem trying to destroy the ways of the prejudiced white people of Maycomb County.” Mr. Smykowski statement indicates that Jem is offended by what people say about his family and is against prejudices. Jem agrees with his father that is the right thing to do to defend Tom Robinson even though Atticus
Imagine growing up in a place where everyone was separated by race and gender. In To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, 6 year Scout Finch and her brother Jem grow up in Maycomb County or could be called a racist county . They live their lives witnessing black people getting harassed by other people in their town. Having to deal with grown ups tell them that black people are like trash, to look down on them, without realizing black people are humans too. Their father, Atticus helps them overcome this problem by telling them to fight back with words, not by a fist.
All through the book To Kill a Mockingbird there is the recurrence of racism. One of the main reasons this is evident is because it takes place in Alabama. It is well known that Alabama is notorious for racism, especially involving whites and blacks. Racism can be seen in every type of person in this story. Various men, women, and children have views concerning race. Numerous times Jem and Scout are confronted about their father, who at the time was in the middle of defending Tom Robinson. These people include family, Mrs. Dubose, and kids at school. All of these people are very different, yet they share similar beliefs. All of this collectively shows that the majority of Maycomb County is against Atticus defending Tom Robinson (Lee). The book also illustrates racism through the justice system. As Atticus is defending Tom, it is cl...
Mrs. Dubose displays integrity by standing up for her beliefs. She has self-appointed herself as the "manners police", according to the standards she was raised with. The way she was raised children were expected to respect their parents and other elders. Mrs. Dubose makes a point to call the kids on it whenever they are acting out of line according to her values. She yells at Scout telling her she should be "wearing a dress and camisoles!" Mrs. Dubose also believes that Atticus is wrong for defending a black man. She believes this because she is a product of her environment. In those days black people were considered bad. Because she had been around for so long, she was not able to accept the new values that the Finch family has embraced. She had a high respect for the Finch lineage, even making a comment about Jem and Scouts mother, saying, "a lovelier lady never lived." She wasn't just a mean old lady--Mrs. Dubose couldn't live with herself and silently watch the kids and Atticus throw away their lives "lawing for niggers" or "waiting on tables." These were all horrible things according to her values. She had enough integrity in her to try and influence other people. Whether she was right or not in doing so, she was true to her beliefs.