Racist people do not accept that people of color are equal to them; even if they are innocent, they can still be judged by the color of their skin. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). This quote, and the racist belief of judging good people by the color of their skin, run counter to each other. Where racism supports judging people by the color of their skin, the quote lets us know that mockingbirds are like people of color. Much like mockingbirds, innocent people of color don’t steal others food, they don’t live in barns, and they make our …show more content…
Scout, while on the steps of Boo Radley’s house finally understood what her dad had been telling her, “Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough” (Lee 374). Similarly, you shouldn’t judge and make fun of a black man before you know what is going on in their life, and what it is like to be them. Scout previously thought Boo Radley was a mean and scary man. After he saved Jem and Scout’s lives, she made an effort to know him better, and understood his anxiety of being outside alone. Once she got to know him, she realized he was an innocent and nice man, that she’d misunderstood. In another passage of the book, Scout asks Atticus what a “nigger-lover” is because Mrs. Dubose said Atticus was one. As an illustration, ‘“Atticus,’I said one evening, ‘what exactly is a nigger-lover?”’...’”Scout, ’said Atticus, “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything-like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain-ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes above themselves” (Lee 144). Through Scout’s point of view, we get a feel for her innocence; she doesn’t understand how most of the world acts, and how many people are …show more content…
White men treat colored men unfairly every single day and Atticus knows this is wrong. On page 295, Harper Lee writes, “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it-whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is,how rich he is, or how fine of a family he comes from, that white man is trash” (Lee 295). This quote is showing how strongly Atticus believes in racial equality, and that it is wrong to treat a man unfairly because of his ethnicity. Another instance where you can see this is on page 273, where Harper Lee writes Atticus’ final speech of the Tom Robinson trial. The text states, “Which, gentleman, we know is in itself a lie as a black as Tom Robinson’s skin, a lie I do not have to point out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women-black or white. But this is a truth that applied to the human race and to no particular race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never who has ever looked upon a woman without desire” (Lee 273). This quote goes into depth about how Atticus believes that white people and people of color are
“Atticus said that he was defending a Negro by the name of Tom Robinson.” This quote shows that Atticus is defending an African American. In that time period this was looked down a upon because racism toward African American was beyond common. Why Atticus being shunned for defending a black man shows the theme of racism in “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the way people treated Atticus and his family for doing this. “I was ready to punch Cecil Jacobs in the face.
Atticus a lawyer in Maycom County defends a black man. By said that a white woman accuses that a black man rapped her. Atticus’s children are in confusion and constantly ask their father about his case. Atticus said”….If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature. (75). Clearly we can see that he has lots of respect to this county and for blacks. Atticus wants his children to ignore what everybody thinks on him about defending a negro. During a conversation between Jem and Atticus, tells jem,” As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, whenever a white man does that to a black man, that white man is a trash.” (223). At the court Atticus is sure that he will lose but want to make a statement to this racist society. He wants this county treat black people just how they treat white people. Atticus states in the court,”…..you know the truth….some Negroes lie some Negroes are immoral….There is no person in this courtroom who ha...
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee, 33) What Atticus means in this quote, is a lot like the quote “don’t judge a book by its cover”. It means you shouldn’t judge anyone by the way they look. You have to get to know them first. * “Imagine you’re playing a game of monopoly. The money is handed out. The player on your right gets double your a mount and the player to your left gets triple your amount. There is also a change of rules. Instead of collecting two hundred dollars when you pass go like the other players, you
Firstly, Atticus Finch acts justly, fairly, and always helps others who need it. One of his clients, Mr. Cunningham, pays Atticus in entailment. Scout asks her brother, Jem what the meaning of paying in entailment is, “Jem described it as a condition of having your tail in a crack … one morning Jem and I found a load of stovewood in the back yard … Mr. Cunningham had more than paid him” (Lee 20-21). Atticus believes that no one should get any disadvantages because of one’s lower financial state. He shows justice by allowing Mr. Cunningham to pay him in different sources other than money. Also, Atticus is a very wise man. He talks to his daughter with full empathy and understanding to try and help her. When Scout is complaining about her teacher’s attitude towards her, Atticus gives her great advice that, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his shoes and walk around it” (30). He is teaching Scout to be just. He tells her to look at things from a different perspective and notice the difference from hers to someone else’s. Similarly, Atticus who is a white lawyer takes on a case of a black man, Tom Robinson. Therefore, Scout is made fun of for having her father d...
Towards the end of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus decides to represent a colored man by the man of Tom Robinson, who is being accused of raping Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell’s daughter. Atticus believes that Tom is innocent, but he does not think that Tom will be found not guilty because of they way the townsfolk treat colored people. They treat them like dirt; like they are worth nothing. Atticus went ahead and represented Tom despite the fact that he knew the townsfolk would call himself and his children names and treat them disrespectfully. Even Scout’s relative Francis said rude things about them. “‘I guess it ain't your fault if Uncle Atticus is a nigger-lover besides, but I'm here to tell you it certainly does mortify the rest of the family-...’ ‘Just what I said. Grandma says it's bad enough he lets you all run wild, but now he's turned out a nigger-lover we'll never be able to walk the streets of Maycomb agin. He's ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'.’” Atticus set a good example for Scout and Jem. He had a difficult decision to make, but he chose what he thought was
The novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee has numerous accounts of racism and prejudice throughout the entire piece. The novel is set in the 1930's, a time when racism was very prevalent. Although bigotry and segregation were pointed in majority towards blacks, other accounts towards whites were also heard of, though not as commonly. There are acts that are so discreet that you almost don't catch them, but along with those, there are blatant acts of bigotry that would never occur in our time. Lee addresses many of these feelings in her novel.
This type of discrimination made African American victims of jails and crimes that they did not even consider doing but were thought of doing because of racial segregation enforcement (popularity?) within the Southern society of the US. However, Atticus was different and believed that Tom robinson is innocent since he understood (understands?) how people discriminate others and was aware (is aware) of different types of prejudice (in that time period). So, due to Atticus’ good morals and values, he was willing to try his best to support the truth (who was
When Scout said this she was referring to Boo Radley who is described as a crazy, mad, hateful person by the other characters. Atticus replies “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them” (376). Atticus is much more compassionate than the average adult. Atticus is raising his children to know that they are loved. This becomes noticeable when Scout says “Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment.”
Just because the world is and has been accustomed to one race or one color doesn’t mean Atticus has to be. The want for equality this man has can be seen here as another reason to defend
Atticus is trustworthy and this is shown when Atticus accepts the Tom Robinson case the town told him not try, but Atticus did his best to win the case. For instance during the case Atticus says, "I simply defend a negro" also in the passage "If should"t be to defend him then why are doing it... For a number of reasons"(Lee,100). Atticus exampling to his children why he defending Tom Robinson in this case and he tells them that it the right thing to do even if the town say not to Atticus does it anywhere. Lee is showing how court system was unfair by your skin
"There's something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life” (Lee ,223). Atticus told the jury thus quote. In tough situations Atticus always has great judgement. No matter the color, Harper Lee shows Atticus's character to be the most responsible out of most, he's also one of the most important characters in the book and is greatly talked about throughout the
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.
In the passage, Atticus shows fairness by saying “Some Negroes do lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are are not to be trusted around women---black or white.” (273, Chapter 20; Lee) Atticus is giving his closing statement in the trial of Tom Robinson’s case. This proves that Atticus is all about equality for all and freedom for all. Atticus is fair when it comes to everybody because that’s what he stands for.
This is the “evil assumption” Atticus mentions. The “evil assumption” is the idea that all colored people are immoral and untrustworthy. This is what led Tom Robinson to attempt his escape. The court’s decision on the final verdict was unfair by siding with Mayella and Bob only because white people are typically favored over the colored, which led Tom to take matters into his own hands. Atticus says, “‘...the evil assumption—that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption that one associates with minds of their calibre.
Similarly, when Atticus got to defend Tom Robinson, the black Negro who was in a trial by the false charge, Atticus shows the equality toward all people. Scout, who had been teased by friends who are prejudiced, asked Atticus, “‘You aren’t really a nigger-lover, then, are you’ ‘I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody” (p. 144). Atticus does his best to love everybody, no matter what race or color he or she has. Which means, he is being equal and treating people all the same.