Two Winning Races
The issue of racism against the black race in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, and the issue of prejudice of the Native American race in Richard Wagamese’s, Indian Horse, reveal the hardships that these two races endure. It also highlights how these races, as a whole, attempt to push through these hardships, but only one race is headed towards success. The effects of such hardships differ between the two races. Firstly, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson is accused of rape by the daughter of Bob Ewell, who is known as the town drunk. This novel takes place after the Great Depression, and at this time it would be considered unheard-of to pronounce a black person innocent in a trial against a white man. Atticus Finch
…show more content…
is speaking to Uncle Jack regarding the trial between Tom Robinson and the Ewells.
They talk about how the only evidence Tom has is his own word that plainly that’s that he is not guilty. At this point, Atticus states, “The jury couldn’t possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson’s word against the Ewells” (Lee 91). This straight-forward quote explains the hardships that the black race has. The jury fails to take the defence of Tom Robinson into consideration, but rather chooses to believe the words of the white “victim”. Doing this is seen as the norm in Maycomb. This certain hardship results in the death of Tom Robinson, a presumably innocent black man, simply because of the colour of his skin. Similar to the court case in To Kill a Mockingbird, in Indian Horse, Saul Indian Horse looks at the issue of abduction directly in the face. Saul has both first- and second-hand experience with abduction. The first-hand experience being Saul’s abduction from his own home, and second-hand experience being his brother’s abduction. Both of them were taken to their new “home” - a residential school. Saul and his family attempt to escape the clasps of the government who force children from their homes to attend residential schools. A specific case of abduction stated in this book occurs when …show more content…
Saul has a flashback. Saul states, “In 1957, when I was four, they got my brother. The airplane came out of the west. They had guns. They took my brother at gunpoint and pushed him up on the plane” (Wagamese 10-11). In this flashback, Saul’s brother, Benjamin, is taken away from his home to be brought to a residential school. This type of act only affect the Native American children, as white children are not sent to residential schools. In both of novels, there are instances of hardships that are mainly directed towards blacks and Native Americans. Both cases involve the white race regarding blacks and Native Americans as lesser humans. As a result, the actions towards these races are heavily detrimental for them and their families. The hardships seen in both books are different events, but both are clear cases of the white race showing prejudice against the other races. In addition to the first point regarding racial discrimination in the novel Indian Horse, Saul Indian Horse receives abuse in the form of harsh comments and mistreatment both physically and emotionally. This is shown when the white teenagers he played hockey with treats Saul unfairly. Saul is not the sole recipient of this abuse. The entire hockey team of Native Americans is treated poorly by a group of eight white men when they arrived to a restaurant after a hockey game in Devon. In a bickering conversation between one of Saul’s teammates, Virgil, and a white harasser, the white man snarly states, “‘Well, the thing is you gotta earn the right to eat here’” (Wagamese 133). Proceeding the discussion between Virgil and the white man, the group of white men in the restaurant brought each individual member of the hockey team to the back alley to torture them. Afterwards, Saul begins to realize the many more forms of racism that is directed towards those of his race. He notices in the hockey arena that there is a stretch of empty seats that separated the Indian fans from the white fans (Wagamese 137). These examples are important to the novel because they represent practical cases that there is obvious racism towards Native Americans. Both the instance of racism in the restaurant, and the realization Saul has about the recurring racism the whites show towards his race, show a certain hardship that Native Americans must endure simply because of their skin colour. Similarly, in To Kill a Mockingbird, not only does the black race get discriminated towards, but those who fight for justice on the side of the blacks get ridiculed for doing so. Jem and Scout are on their way into town when they pass a racist neighbour down the street, Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose scolds them for going into town, and says a hurtful comment directed towards Atticus Finch, “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (Lee 104). There are multiple inferences that can be concluded from this quote. Mrs. Dubose has the audacity to call the black race “trash”, which is seen as the lowest form of society in Maycomb. She also compares Atticus Finch to what she considers “trash”, merely because he has the courage to go against the norm in Maycomb and fight for what he believes is right - justice towards the black race.
A single point is similar between these two examples in the novels To Kill a Mockingbird & Indian Horse - the hardships that both blacks and Native Americans face simply because the colour of their skin differs from that of the “normal” whites. A point that makes these two races different from each other in regards to the racism that they endure, and have endured throughout history, is that the black race is headed towards hope and success for the future. An instance where this fact is proven, as Native Americans are not headed towards success, is highlighted in Indian Horse. Over the course of the novel, Saul Indian Horse has many positive and negative events occur. His emotions sky-rocket, but then soon after they plummet to the seemingly lowest they could go. As Saul progresses through the ranks of hockey, he also becomes greater familiar to the racism that abides in the world. Virgil assists Saul with the concept of “The Line”. The white race in this novel has a mindset that Native Americans have to earn the right to cross “The Line” (Wagamese 136). Soon after this realization, Saul begins to see more cases of “Lines” popping up around his life. “I started to see a line in every arena we played
in” (Wagamese 137). Throughout the book, the author forces the reader to notice hints of these lines of which he introduced the concept earlier in the novel. Saul’s teammates begin to fail to even call him by his birth name. Instead they call him names that no person should be called. Proof of this occurring is stated when Saul plays a game in Kapuskasing. The moment he swiftly skates out on the ice, he hears comments from the stands: “‘Thirteen must be their mascot!’” (Wagamese 124) In addition to the first comment, another comment rang from the stands responding, “‘ No, no. That’s papoose. Thirteen’s their papoose!’” (Wagamese 124) In this context, a papoose is a hurtful term that discriminates against Saul. Throughout the book, there are many more cases in which Native Americans are revealed as lesser peoples, which explains to the reader that there is not hope for this race in the future, as continuous occasions of racism occur. Differently, in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch represents hope for the black race. Atticus is a man from the higher class who has the sole intention of defending Tom Robinson, a man from the lower class, for a crime he does not commit. This is shown when Atticus reveals the concept of racism in a brief discussion with Scout, then continues by telling the reader that he has chosen to defend Tom Robinson: “I’m simply defending a Negro—his name’s Tom Robinson” (Lee 77). Hope for the future comes in many forms, and in this case, the form is of Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Maycomb. Atticus is an optimist. He hopes for the best, but expects the worst. He hopes he will win, but expects to lose. One evening when Scout ponders what would happen to Tom if he loses his appeal (Lee 223). In hopeful response, Atticus says, “Not time to worry yet, Scout. We’ve got a good chance” (Lee 223). This response from Atticus proves that he is hopeful, but also provides proof that there is hope for the black race in the future since people, like Atticus, advocate for the race. In the novel, Indian Horse, there are cases of despair and no hope for the Native American race for the future, meanwhile in To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch provides hope to the reader that the black race will push through the many hardships they endure, head towards success, and succeed in the future. Racism towards the black race in Harper Lee’s famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, and prejudice and mistreatment towards Native Americans in Canadian-born author, Richard Wagamese’s novel, Indian Horse, are both evident in the novels. Similarly, the two races must endure hardships, yet differently, as revealed through examples, the Native American race does not have evidence of becoming more successful in the future, while the black race is headed towards success.
“Don’t you read the papers? I’m the Rampaging Redskin.” (Wagamese, 165) This quote indicates how the the Residential School system is starting to effect Saul’s mentality that he is inferior than the non-Indigenous population. In addition, the non-Indigenous population portray offensive racial slurs against the Aboriginal population. “Thirteen’s good for an Indian.” (Wagamese, 89) This quote states how society degraded Indians and consider them to be useless. Discrimination towards the Natives in Canada becomes the leading issue that Saul results into his tragic lifestyle. “We don’t eat with Indians.” (Wagamese, 133) This quote is a representation of the discrimination Saul is forced to endure and demonstrates the lack of education of non-Indigenous people. Consequently, the prevalence of racism in Indian Horse sets as a perfect example of the discrimination many Canadians are experiencing in today’s society.
In To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Bob Ewell assumes the racist, biased, and unjust motivations in order to retain any scrap of dignity in Maycomb County. Bob Ewell sees that he has been bested, and that the town knows the truth, however, he is able to abuse his racial standpoint, using racism to scapegoat his actions. The town, even though they all are aware that Bob Ewell is guilty, has been racially obligated to oppress Tom Robinson, due to the racist roots embedded in the town.
Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, and the struggle between blacks and whites. Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single parent in a small southern town in the 1930's, is appointed by the local judge to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman. Friends and neighbors object when Atticus puts up a strong and spirited defense on behalf of the accused black man. Atticus renounces violence but stands up for what he believes in. He decides to defend Tom Robinson because if he did not, he would not only lose the respect of his children and the townspeople, but himself as well.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, racism is a major theme. Atticus Finch, the narrator’s father, defends a negro, Tom Robinson, in the court of law against a white man, Bob Ewell. Robinson had reportedly raped a young white girl, Mayella Ewell. But according to Robinson he had gone to help Mayella, as he often did, with work around the house. As he starts helping Mayella, she tries to get Tom to kiss her and will not let him out of the house. Bob Ewell sees this and chases Tom out of the house and accuses him of raping his daughter. Atticus goes against almost everyone in Maycomb County’s opinion in defending Tom Robinson. Throughout the course of the novel, racism effects many characters such as Tom and Helen Robinson, Scout and Jem Finch, and Mayella and Bob Ewell. All these characters had there lives
One of the storylines in the novel is the Robinson-Ewell trial. Tom Robinson is an innocent African-American, accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a lower-class white girl. At the trial hearing, everyone is able to tell his or her side of the story before Tom is allowed to speak. All stories, however, offer two different versions of Tom and Mayella’s relationship. Moreover, Mayella and Bob Ewell tell the jury what they expect to hear, about Tom being a monster. They explain that there was no reason for his actions against Mayella. According to them, along with the rest of Maycomb, it's just expected that a black man would rape any white woman if he had the opportunity. The Tom spoken of by the Ewells shows the stereotypes that justify whites to be superior to blacks. However, Tom tells the jury about his innocence. He pr...
"The only thing we've got is a black man's word against the Ewells'. The evidence boils down to you-did-I-didn't. The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells,'" Atticus solemnly explains this to his brother. First of all, Atticus demonstrates courage when he undertakes the task of defending Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of rape. Atticus knows he won't win the case and like Mrs. Dubose in her battle against morphine, he is "licked" before he begins. Nevertheless, Atticus knows that Tom is innocent and that he must fight for him, since no one else will. Atticus's strong sense of morality and justice motivates him to defend Tom with vigor and determination, giving it all he's got with one mission in mind. He wants the people of Maycomb town, whether they believe it or not, to hear the truth about Tom, "That boy might go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told"
In Harper Lee’s fictional novel To Kill A Mockingbird, an African American field hand is falsely accused of raping a white women. Set in the 1930’s in the small town of Monroeville Alabama, Addicus Finch an even handed white attorney tries to shed a light on the injustice of this innocent black man’s conviction. Atticus feels that the justice system should be color blind, and he defends Tom as an innocent man, not a man of color.
Tom Robinson’s trial, and in fact his entire life, was badly affected by racism. It is truly a testament to the corruption of society when a person who has earned a bad reputation is held in higher esteem than a person who was born with it, as is the case with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson. Even though Tom was obviously honest in his testament, the jury sided with Bob Ewell because he was white. They made this decision despite the fact that the Ewell family was widely known to be a worthless part of society. Jem, not being racially prejudiced, could not understand this mentality. As Atticus pointed out, “If you (Jem) had been on the jury, son, and eleven other boys like you, Tom would be a free man.”
Even though extraordinary changes have been made in the past to achieve racial equality, America is still racist, especially in schools. In the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” written by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is criticized for defending a black man accused of raping a white woman. During the 1930s, the time this novel took place, America was a very segregated country. At the time when Harper Lee wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird," America was fighting a civil rights movement. The events of racism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” reflect the time period.
The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a simplistic view of life in the Deep South of America in the 1930s. An innocent but humorous stance in the story is through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Scout is a young adolescent who is growing up with the controversy that surrounds her fathers lawsuit. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, with the charge of raping a white girl. The lives of the characters are changed by racism and this is the force that develops during the course of the narrative.
Additionally in To Kill a Mockingbird, the plot is mainly based on the trial of a black man, Tom Robinson who is wrongly accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. The main character, Scout, is just beginning to figure things out. All evidence leads to prove he is innocent, yet just the fact that he was a black man living in a southern racist town where white people are superior to black people is enough to get him c...
Over the past two centuries, First Nations people have been oppressed by the Canadian society and continue to live under racism. The struggles, injustices, prejudice, and discrimination has played a significant role in the construction and impact of how they are treated and viewed in the modern society. Saul Indian Horse from Richard Wagamese's "Indian Horse" and Chanie Wenjack from Gord Downie's "The Stranger" are the perfect examples of how the belief that First Nations were inferior to the Europeans impacted the Aboriginal generations. However, both of the characters can be compared and contrasted by the following ways. As they both go through the breakdown of family bonds and the traumatic sufferings of residential schools, but they differ
Unfortunate circumstances form children into adults. Scout Finch, an adventurous tomboy from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and Saul Indian Horse, a native boy from Richard Wagamese’s novel Indian Horse, both prove that to overcome challenges you must have faith, resilience, and courage; Scout uses her challenges as learning experiences, but Saul triumphs as he uses his past experiences to mature and develop a new sense of self. For instance, Saul’s superior growth can be proven as he went through hardship early on in life. Overtime, these hardships led to his development of the quality courage. His loss of all sense of familiarity within the story ultimately causes him to fill the void in his heart, which was once overtaken
To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is novel set in a three year period through the ‘great depression’. Atticus Finch (Jem and scouts father) is originally portrayed as a friendly and understanding person, though when he attends court defending a ‘black man’ as his job, suddenly he and his family begin to suffer racial hatred from their community. The story features on the themes of racism, community morals and the realisation of certain truths whilst growing up. It is a fascinating novel with a great storyline full of drama and unexposed realities.
When Atticus Finch, a prominent lawyer, agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman, the majority of Maycomb’s racist white community is appalled. The black community must endure severe acts of prejudice and evil throughout this touching masterpiece of American literature. Although a continent and a decade separate the societies discussed in the respective novels, To Kill A Mockingbird and Night, both depict the harsh reality of prejudice, violence and dehumanization suffered by both people of Jewish descent and African Americans.