To Kill A Mockingbird And Racism

Racism has been evident all around America, even before this country was officially created over two hundred years ago. Prejudice and racism are not uncommon words in American history, because many disputes, such as war and protests, have emerged from the topic of race. This has been a common practice in the past, and is still a common practice today. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the effects of racism are shown in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. The effects of racism were very cruel during this time, and Harper Lee reflected this through characters, such as Atticus, Jem, Scout, Mrs. Dubose, Aunt Alexandra, and Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird.
Scout Finch, the main character and narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird, is being exposed

to myriad racist comments but cannot tolerate them. She is very irritated and annoyed at these people who want to defame the Finch name by saying insulting and rude comments.
The Tom Robinson trial marked a great racism peak for Maycomb’s citizens. Leading up to this controversial trial, many comments about Atticus’s decision to fight for Tom’s innocence arise. The black citizens of Maycomb support Atticus’s decision, due to the fact that he is an exceptional lawyer and is very popular and well-known in the Maycomb area. Many of the white residents of Maycomb, however, do not support Atticus’s choice due to racial separation. They feel that the black race are considered trash and do not belong with the whites. A prime example of this is when Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose has a conversation with Jem and Scout and says, “‘…what has this world come to when a Finch goes against his own raising? I’ll tell you!’ She put her hand to her mouth…it trailed a long silver thread of saliva. ‘Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (Lee 135). Mrs. Dubose seems to have no filter due to her heroin addiction, her old age, and her knowledge that she is dying. She has the willingness to say exactly what she believes in public because she feels that she has nothing to lose. This comment represents the general opinion of many white citizens of Maycomb.