When she drew it away, it trailed a long silver thread of saliva. “Your fathers no better than the ******* and trash he works for!” (Lee 117) 1. (analysis)This quote said by Mrs. Dubose towards Jem and Scout shows how racists she is. Mrs. Dubose and most of the towns people dislike the Finches because Atticus is a white man defending a black man. Jem and Scout stats to become aware that all this is caused by segregation.
Prejudice is Everywhere “There’s nothing more sickening to me than a low-grade white man who’ll take advantage of a Negro’s ignorance” (Lee 221). Atticus, the narrator’s father in To Kill a Mockingbird, expresses his disgust in the manner of how white men treat the African-American race. This part of the novel is only one example of the prejudices observed in To Kill a Mockingbird, as the novel highlights the issue throughout. Racism was a major issue a large number of men, women, and even children had to face during the time periods of the novels To Kill a Mockingbird and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Scout, the protagonist of To Kill a Mockingbird, is a young girl living in Maycomb, Alabama.
In the 1930’s, black people are still “below” white people in the world. So when a black man feels sympathy for a white person, no matter her situation, it is taken as disrespect and the black people suffer consequences. The white people are not the only people who dislike different races. Although some are very kind to white people and wish for equality, others are just as disrespectful as the white people. Jem and Scout experienced a black person lashing out on them when they go with Calpurnia to First Purchase Church.
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
It is hard to state in particular to why Maycomb holds such ideas towards Black people, but Lee blames this to the conditions of the country and how it influenced each and every citizen present at the time. Lee gives her opinions through Atticus as he states on Page 98, chapter 9, ‘’Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a negro comes up is something I don’t pretend to understand’’. It is quite plain what Atticus means when he says the he doesn’t ‘’pretend to understand’, this shows how Atticus responds away from the norm of the society towards the racism and is actively against it, and is also one of the reasons to why he defends Tom Robinson in the first place, other than ‘it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ the metaphorical term for the innocent Tom. It is further evident in chapter 16, page 176, what was meant by ‘’people go stark raving mad when anything
When Scout stands on the Radley porch, she suddenly realizes why Boo Radley behaves the way he does in the novel. Tom Robinson is also a character in this novel where misinterpretation takes place throughout his life. For example, during the trial Bob Ewell testifies and points to Tom and says, “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella”(Lee, 173). As a result, people visualize Tom as an evil person and believe he is responsible for the rape of Mayella. The truth is, the people of Maycomb are judgmental towards him because of his race and due to the rumors that
Essay Map Introductory Paragraph: Hook: Atticus, the town’s best lawyer, consternates Maycomb’s residents because he agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robison who is accused of raping a white woman. The racists are furious the he would choose to help this case. Background: In the Great Depression, the relatively well-off Finches stand near the top of Maycomb’s social class. At that time, racial and sexual discrimations are very serious, especially the class conflicts. Overall, the world is inundated with tensions at that time.
As I read , Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” I feel a great sense of sorrow and shame . For those people of , Both , Present and the Past , that exhibit such hate and prejudice against their fellow man . Dr. Martin Luther King's letter is a response to the criticism he received from the , "white moderate", pertaining to his use of nonviolent protest in an attempt to attain racial equality . Martin Luther King , expresses exactly why he and his followers are performing these nonviolent protests . Dr. Martin Luther King , stated a list of true yet unbelievable awful events that happened day-to-day to African Americans .
Have you ever been in a situation were you or someone you knew have been discriminated due to the color of their skin? It seems that everywhere we go there are at least subliminal showings of some sort of racism. Many countries in the world are very nationalistic and show disapproval and hate for some foreigners. “Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don't pretend to understand.” (Atticus) In To Kill a Mocking Bird, there are a few incidents full of racism. On of them would be when the African American character Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout, two white children, to her church.
Although it seems so simple, Atticus redressing Scout about using this contemptuous term is a big step in helping her understand that African Americans are human beings. Some of the best examples of racial prejudice are revealed in the trial of Tom Robinson. During his trial, Tom Robinson is misjudged mainly because he is black. Mr. Gilmer, Tom's prosecutor, calls Tom "boy" to make him seem as though he is of lesser equality than others in the court room. Another example of racial prejudice in Tom Robinson’s trial is the verdict.