Carlo Jimenez
Mrs. Jenkins
English 1A
02 April 2016
The Iniquities of Human Nature
Humans. The dominant species of this planet. Usually in nature, there is predator and prey and they are usually from two different species. But for some odd reason, humans decided to take both roles when it comes to human nature. In this case, the white people were the predators, and the people of color were the prey. For centuries, they have created and dominated the hierarchies using people of color and the necessitous at their disposal.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the number one problem was the hazards of passing judgment. For example, Tom Robinson’s trial was not getting the correct attention needed to accurately come to a verdict. “Who beat
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Our society needs to understand that there is no dominant group of people in the world and when people try to establish a society based on a hierarchy, the people who are at the bottom of the hierarchy will not stand for how they are getting treated. “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee 323). This quote is screaming hierarchy in nature because not only is Mayella Ewell a woman, but she is a white women. The fact that they considered Tom a dead man the minute Mayella opened her mouth is so inequitable. Just by hearing this statement from Atticus we already know that this hierarchy was something that was established for a long time, is very clear, and is something that can't be avoided in terms of coming to a verdict in court. A contributing factor to this problem is the fact that there was an unjust jury. This proves that people believed so much in this hierarchy that everybody already knew that there was no possibility that a black man's word was going to be taken under consideration over one of a white woman. Hierarchy in nature was so common that it was almost normal to people. “Oh. Did he hit him?” “No,” said Miss Stephanie. “Shot in the air. Scared him pale, though. Says if anybody sees a white nigger around, that’s the one. Says he’s got the other barrel waitin‘ for the next sound he hears in that patch, an’ next time he won’t aim high, be it dog, nigger, or—Jem Finch! (Lee 55). This is so unacceptable because Miss Stephanie is blaming a negro for what happened at the Radley place with no proof whatsoever. This is just proving that in that era, if there was a crime that happened, it was most likely a negro because they were considered “helpless” and “couldn't help themselves”, The reality is it could’ve
One of the things that Atticus says to the people of the court is that “ she tried to put away her evidence of her offence away for her but in this case, she was no child hiding stolen contraband: she struck out her victim of necessity she put him away from her -he must be removed from the presence of the world.” What Atticus is trying to say here is that if Tom was not a black man then this case would not be going on but because he is black there is a case on to prove he really did rape Mayella Ewell. Another thing that Atticus said is that “her father saw it”. What Atticus is trying to say here is that if Bob Ewell saw the rape then why would he not chase after Tom Robinson or call the doctor before he even called the cops. If she had been raped the first thing that Bob should have done would be to call the doctor for the bruises she got during the attack. This case should not even be going on here because both of the people that say that Tom Robinson raped Mayella Ewell where both racist so you can’t really tell if they are really telling the truth about if Tom Robison really do this horrible crime
Shaw-Thornburg, Angela. “On Reading To Kill a Mockingbird: Fifty Years Later.” Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird: New Essays. Meyer, Michael J. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2010. 113-127. Print.
Nearly the whole last half of the book is about racism. The attitude of the whole town is that Tom Robinson, because he is black and,"…all Negroes lie,…all Negroes are basically immoral beings,…all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women…"(Lee 207), will be found guilty regardless of how good a case Atticus makes for him. There was substantial amount of evidence that suggests his innocence. Even the prosecution's two witnesses' stories contradicted each other. The jury did not give a guilty verdict it gave a racist verdict. Not a verdict based on fact, but a verdict based on the color of a man's skin. This is important because the author was not making this racism up; it was what it was like in those times. She is trying to show how ignorant and blind people can be just because of differences between them, as well as how society treats racial minorities.
Yet he took the case with no hesitation. Atticus knows the difference between what is fair and what is true justice. He is well aware that whites and blacks have many differences with one another, but is also educated enough to know that there truly is no diversity in equity, and tries to teach everyone including his children this. ”You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around it.(30)” Atticus is encouraging Scout to respect everyone and consider their true potential without considering false accusations in this quote. He applies what he teaches to his children to the people attending the Tom Robinson trial. Atticus is just one man, but with an unprecedented amount of sense of pride, intelligence, and justice. He reflects the image of the town’s people by showing them what they’ve allowed themselves to become based on their beliefs. He genuinely expresses their deepest consternation. In this quote he tells the audience what they are afraid to hear, but need to hear, “She was white, and she tempted a Negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man. Not an old uncle, but a strong young Negro man. No code mattered to her before she broke it, but it came crashing down on her afterwards.(272)” After stating his point and releasing the profound truth Atticus causes for Mayella and Bob Ewell to lose their composure. Nevertheless people of most of the white people of Maycomb continue to refuse to believe that a white woman kissed a black man. But they undoubtedly believe that a black man with a useless left hand beat and raped an “innocent” white woman. Atticus could have predicted the outcome from before he even took the case and refused to defend Tom Robinson. But he
For instance, when Scout and Jem are walking home from school, Mrs. Dubose will tell them “your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for” (Lee 105). On page 322, the book says “Tom’s death was considered typical of a black person, at least in Maycomb. The town thought it was typical of a nigger to cut and run” (Lee 322). In the book, Atticus Finch individually defends a black man because he realizes it’s the right thing to do. However, in the grand scheme of things, Atticus actually putting in an effort to defend a black man didn’t make a very large dent in the town’s overall attitude towards black people because he is, no matter what others thought of him, just one man. Practically every student recieving a public education in the United States today read that book. They realize where racism started and grow compassionate for Tom because of the social injustice he faced throughout the book. It’s important for kids to keep reading these kinds of books, so we don’t go backwards in our efforts to stop
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”-Martin Luther King Jr. This quote shows how racism is like darkness and hate and love and light are the only way to drive racism out. The story takes place at the time of the great depression. Scout lives in a very racist and judgement city in the south. A black male is accused of raping a white woman. Scouts dad Atticus gets appointed to be the defendant's lawyer. Racism is an antagonist in To Kill A Mockingbird because the white people of Maycomb discriminate the blacks and make them feel lesser. The theme racism can be harmful to everyone is shown by many characters throughout the book.
Ever since human existence started there have been laws. From Adam and Eve to Moses and the Ten Commandments, there has always been a higher authority that people needed to deal with. In the movies To Kill A Mockingbird and A Time To Kill, people had to deal with a higher authority because of their actions. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson had to deal with a rape charge, and in A Time To Kill, Carl Lee had a murder charge against him. Many different factors affected the outcome of both cases, and ultimately both outcomes were wrong. One was found guilty, and one was not, but both had to deal with the prejudice of being black and the stereotypes of the era.
Racism presents itself in many ways in the town of Maycomb. Some are blatant and open, but others are more insidious. One obvious way that racism presents itself is in the result of Tom Robinson’s trial. Another apparent example is the bullying Jem and Scout had to endure as a result of Atticus’s appointment as Tom Robinson’s defense attorney. A less easily discernible case is the persecution of Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who chose to live his life in close relation with the colored community.
Mayella Ewell is white and therefore her claims against a black man are automatically believed. The vast majority of the people in the town feel that the incident occurred and harass Atticus for his legal support of Tom. “Francis looked at me carefully, concluded that I had been sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, “Nigger-lover . . .”(Lee 84). This statement came from Francis Hancock when he first realized Atticus was Tom’s lawyer. Atticus would not have to go through all of this harassment if he refused to accept this role, but he wanted to help Tom Robinson. This is a clear case of discriminatory language, as Francis was showing his hatred for African Americans by using such a derogatory term. Atticus can control his emotions very well in response to these scenarios, unlike Scout. The things people are saying do not affect him one bit. “According to Miss Stephanie Crawford, however, Atticus was leaving the post office when Mr. Ewell approached him, cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him” (Lee 217). Bob Ewell is Mayella Ewell’s father and he wanted to see Tom Robinson convicted. Atticus was able to walk away from this provocation without reacting in a negative manner. He was strong enough to ignore this negativity. During the trial, the jury and the judge also displayed a prejudicial belief system. The unfair attitudes and ideas of the townspeople towards were
'Democracy,' she said. 'Does anybody have a definition?' ... 'Equal rights for all, special privileges for none' (Lee 248).
In a desperate attempt to save his client, Tom Robinson, from death, Atticus Finch boldly declares, “To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). The gross amounts of lurid racial inequality in the early 20th century South is unfathomable to the everyday modern person. African-Americans received absolutely no equality anywhere, especially not in American court rooms. After reading accounts of the trials of nine young men accused of raping two white women, novelist Harper Lee took up her pen and wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, a blistering exposition of tragic inequalities suffered by African Americans told from the point of view of a young girl. Though there are a few trivial differences between the events of the Scottsboro trials and the trial of Tom Robinson portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the accusers’ attitudes towards attention, the two cases share a superabundance of similarities. Among these are the preservation of idealist views regarding southern womanhood and excessive brutality utilized by police.
One of the widely recognized controversies in American history is the 1930s, which housed the Great Depression and the post-civil war, the ruling of Plessy versus Ferguson and the Jim Crow Laws, and segregation. While textbooks detail the factual aspect of the time there is only one other literature that can exhibit the emotion experienced in the era. To Kill a Mockingbird is the acclaimed novel that displays the experiences of the South, through inequality and segregation, social class differences and the right to fairness. The novel’s experiences are narrated through a grown Scout, who appears as a little girl in the novel, offering her innocent views on the happenings in Maycomb County. The most observed aspect of the novel is race and racism; with Tom Robinson’s trial being the prime focus of the novel, the issue of race is bound to be discussed throughout the novel is race, racism and segregation; with Tom Robinson’s trial being the focus of the novel, the issue of race is heavily represented throughout the novel. With Mockingbird being a common book among English Language Arts and Literatures classrooms, the topic of race is bound to surface amid a young, twenty-first century group of student of students with the inevitability of this discussion, the question remains on how to approach the conversation as an educator. As an educator, one should seek to establish the context of the times, prepare the students for the conversation and examine the other characters and situations similarly to race. Educators must also be introspective before examining their students’ feelings, so that they are not surprised by their emotions and can also express their feelings to their students. The discussion should target a goal, one of examin...
I believe that all white men should de treated equal, but a black man, is not like any white man, and shoulb be treated worse than us whites. All men in Maycomd County should see it the same way, even that stupib niiiiii loving Atticus Finch. I can not believe he would try to convince all of Maycomd that i beat Mayella, and dishonor me that way that he did. I was so mad at the end of that of the end of that case that “Mr.” Atticus Finch woulb disgrace me like that, and in the defense of a dlack man? Us whites should should defend each other, and not that dlack Tom Robinson that raped my girl Mayella. I was so mab that a couple days after the trial, I spat in his face and tolb him that Ill get him, even if it takes the
Introduction: In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author shows us that one shouldn’t quit a task just because they think they won’t win. This is depicted in many ways throughout the novel, like when Atticus knew he wasn’t likely going to win the trial of Tom Robinson, yet he did not quit just because of that. The topic of not quitting when one believes they will not succeed is shown throughout the novel.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest” Ellie Wiesel. Readers may find the amount of injustice in Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird a little shocking. This could be why it’s such a popular book. People like the suspense of knowing someone’s right, but still being found guilty for something they did not do. There are many times throughout the book when people are powerless to prevent injustice but they still protest it. This shows that even when people unjustly punish there should always be someone to protest it. The theme of injustice is a common one in harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whether it be through racism, misinformation, or Arrogance.