Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Various studies claim that racism still exists today. Throughout history, racism has corrupted the minds of leaders. Adolf Hitler represents a great example of one of the most frightening racist minds within history as he killed over six million Jews. Likewise, racism taints the minds of average people. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, the residents of Maycomb, Alabama act with prejudice towards the black community. Under the influence of intolerance, a person can become blind to the truth. The theme racism presents itself as a theme in the novel through Atticus defending a black man, Calpurnia working for the Finch family, and the unjust conviction of Tom Robinson.

Firstly, the citizens of Maycomb display racism by reacting

to the news of Atticus defending a black man. Merriam-Webster defines racism as, “poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race.” Mrs. Dubose continually acts dishonorably towards the Finch family and tells Scout and Jem, “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (135). Her rude comment means that she dislikes the colored community. Similarly, the children in Maycomb make callous comments to Scout and Jem. For instance, Francis, a relative of the Finch family, calls Atticus a “nigger-lover” to Scout, and shows the reader that racism can occur in families. Clearly, these examples show the bigotry of Maycomb’s citizens because Atticus defends Tom.

Secondly, both Calpurnia and the Finches experience racism from their separate communities.

In the 1930s, a black woman could never become a mother figure to a white child as the two different communities both viewed it as a socially unacceptable deed. Aunt Alexandra does not approve of a colored woman cooking for the Finch family. She tells Atticus, “You’ve got to do something about her…We don’t need her now” (182). Clearly, Aunt Alexandra wants to dismiss Calpurnia due to her skin color. Because she viewed Walter Cunningham as socially unacceptable, she saw Calpurnia, a poor black woman, as a social outcast as well. Furthermore, a small portion of the black community does not want Scout and Jem coming to their church. For example, Lula talks indignantly to Calpurnia about bringing white children to a black church. She tells Calpurnia that she has absolutely no business bringing Scout and Jem to First Purchase Church, and makes it clear that she dislikes the children. Once more, the theme of bigotry plagues Maycomb in the book through the racism inflicted on Calpurnia and the

Finches.

Finally, the unfair court case of Tom Robinson presents itself as one of the greatest examples of racism in the whole novel.

When a person testifies in court, they repeat an oath that goes something like this, “I swear that the evidence I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me God.” Tom Robinson received a partial trial. Atticus laid the simple facts in front of the jury and proved that Bob Ewell lied about the black man. Before the court case began, the jury had already made a verdict: Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell. Additionally, Tom knew that the court would declare him guilty for a crime he did not commit due to the color of his skin. Atticus tells Jem, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins,” (295). Conclusively, Tom’s court case reflects the racism that existed during the

1900s.

In summation, the theme of racism presents itself through the actions of the white people towards the black folks, and vice versa. Throughout the book, it becomes evident that Atticus defending Tom, Calpurnia cooking for the Finches, and the unfair trial of Tom Robinson suggest the issue of racism. Because the jury showed partiality, Tom Robinson died. As a result, Bob Ewell’s lie inflicted severe poverty on the Robinson family, and also hurt the reputation of the Finches. Like the Jews in Nazi-Germany, the Africans suffered from the result of racism during the time slavery. While God created men equally, He gave each man a unique skill, color, and circumstance. John 7:24 says, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” Should anyone treat a person differently based on his color?