The racist views of the town are against Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, and Atticus is often discriminated against for not agreeing with them. His children, Scout and Jem, also feel the hatred of others against them because of what their father's beliefs are. "But Mrs. Dubose held us: "'Not only a Finch waiting tables, but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers' ... 'Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for.'" Although Atticus is criticized for what he decides is right, he bravely ignores the disapprobation. Mrs. Dubose is courageous because she recognizes she has a flaw and that she has to help fix it to make it go away.
Whatever chance he chose, Tom faced an ill fate with racismâs stamp on it. If he returned to court, the racist jury would convict him and he would be hung, and when he tried to escape, the racist prison guards not only killed him, but mutilated his body with unnecessary bullets. Tom Robinsonâs life was first ruined, then ended, by racism. Also victimized by racism and its
Atticus Finch is ridiculed by the townspeople for being a moral human being and sticking to his beliefs in defending an innocent colored man. As explained by Lee through her characters Tom Robinson, Boo Radley and Atticus Finch, the mockingbird is a symbolic representation of innocence, purity and virtue. To begin, the community of Maycomb basically indirectly murdered Tom Robinson. Despite the fact the man was helpful and kind - especially toward Mayella, who charged him of raping her - Tom was sent to trial and then found guilty even after Atticus Finch had verified his guiltlessness. His responsibility was all based on the color of his skin, not his true moral character.
Jem and Scout stats to become aware that all this is caused by segregation. Since Atticus is defending Tom Robinson in court Mrs. Dubose starts to insult Atticus for ‘lawing for *******’ which infuriates both of his children. [Theme: The injustice of racism and segregation] 2. “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads- they couldn’t be fair if they treid. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s word, the white always wins.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, in a court trial. The town of Maycomb turns against him due to this. Atticus, furious about the reaction from his town, explains, “…why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand” (Lee 88). Atticus does not have any racial biases, and he does not agree with the views of the majority of the people of Maycomb. Atticus, describing his beliefs to Jem, “…The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be
They would first help the man of their own skin color than help someone who is different than every one of them. When the decision on whether or not he was guilty was being made up by a biased jury he was sure to be charged as guilty. Racism plays a huge role in the fairness of this trial. Majority of the town wanted Tom Robinson to be found guilty simply because of the color of his skin even if they had never met him. With a judge and jury and audience all watching and participating in the trial with the mindset that he is worse than them just because of his skin if unfair.
The lack of knowledge in Maycomb about the outside world and their opinions about black people ingrains ‘Maycomb’s usual disease’ into their minds as they have no other opinions about black people. This is shown by the crowd’s outrage as they gather to lynch Tom, not knowing that he was innocent, but blinded by ... ... middle of paper ... ...sirable traits to have as they can motivate you through the toughest tasks and drive you to do what should be done instead of abandon your duties. In conclusion, Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird highlights the horrible prejudice and ignorance towards black people in the southern town of Maycomb, but also shows wisdom and compassion as not only desirable but necessary traits to have to withstand the bombardment of pre-conceived ideas from the people surrounding you, and also portrays these qualities as a shield to people around
His father despised white people and barely ever trusted any of them, which was the stem of his paranoia. Baldwin continues his life and begins to understand where his father’s anger and hatred towards whites came from. A specific line in the essay that basically sums up the Baldwin’s reason for this story would be “I learned in New Jersey that to be a Negro mean, precisely, that one was never looked at but was simply at the mercy of the reflexes the color of one’s skin caused in other people.” What Baldwin means in this statement is that he finally understood the hatred his father had in him towards the whole white against black situation. It gives the impression that he never really knew what the big deal was and that he realized the hardship his father went through which led him to a gloomy and unhappy life. This line is very significant because James Baldwin himself is a black male.
It is symbolic for the simple fact that Tom Robinson is just an innocent man trying to live his life. All he ever did was try to be a good, honest person and help Mayella Ewell when she was in need. In return he lost his freedom and his life. All because Mayella Ewell felt the need to cover up the fact that “she kissed a black man” and broke “a rigid and time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with”(232). Another event compared to killing a mockingbird is Boo Radley and the death of Bob Ewell.
There can be no gain saying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community” (King 205). Blacks have been judge by their color and not by their actions so for any insignificant problem, they would be put in jail. However blacks got tired if the injustices that were being committed. “When you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you