Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Imagine that you are accused of rape, you know you didn’t do it, but people still didn’t believe you because of your race, how would you feel? This is the problem that Tom Robinson faces in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This all takes place in Maycomb County, during the Great Depression. Maycomb County’s population contains mostly white people. Racism is present during this time and they all believe that blacks are bad and their only job is to work for them. In this county, there is a very well known family, the Finches. The household consists of Atticus Finch who is a lawyer, his two children, Jem and Scout, and their cook, Calpurnia. Soon, Atticus’s sister moves into the house, Alexandria Finch. The Ewells are important individuals …show more content…

They can’t afford food, so they have to search through the dump. The father of the household, Bob Ewell, doesn’t have a job, so they get welfare money. When Mr. Ewell does get money, he spends it on alcohol. Mayella Ewell is his oldest daughter and he has many other little children. A little bit farther from the Ewells’ house, is the blacks community. In the black community, is Tom Robinson. He is a grown man that has a wife and children. He passes by the Ewells’ house everyday to get to work. All of sudden, Mayella and Bob Ewell accuse Tom Robinson of raping Mayella. This has to be taken to trial. Since Tom is black, he is most likely going to lose the trial. The only way he has a chance is, a good lawyer. Since Tom is black, he will find a lawyer, but they wouldn’t try because of his race. Atticus Finch is one of the best lawyers and race doesn’t affect his performance in court. Atticus is assigned this case and he can accept it or leave it, it is his choice. Atticus Finch should defend Tom Robinson in this case because only Atticus has a chance of proving that racism is present in Maycomb and it is morally correct to defend Tom Robinson because he didn’t commit the

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