Throughout the years racism has been a common problem and is happening all around us. In earlier times black people were used as slaves and did have little to no rights at all, but now discrimination between blacks and whites is illeagal and we are all supposed to have equal rights. Although the discrimination is illeagal it has happened in the judical system in the past that juries and other people have made their decision based on the defendants race. Like in the case of Tom Robinson from the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” and in the case of Stephen Lawrence the verdict seems to have been based mainly on their colors. So that leads me thinking if people of all races will ever be equal in the justice system and to the rest of the world.
It is quite obvious that Robinson was not guilty, but he is still convicted anyway. Many racist actions lead up to the trial, actually encompass the trial, and these same actions are seen after the trial. She is racist enough to think that because Atticus is defending an African American, someone that he thinks is not guilty; it will harm her deep southern roots. This skirmish
The book was written during the 1950’s in America, and coincided with the civil rights movement. At this time, racism was still evident in society and this is a key theme of this text. In the book Maycomb is a small town within Alabama itself and is a microcosm of American society during the 1930’s; although we do not hear anything about the rest of Alabama or America throughout the entire novel we feel it in there within the values of Maycomb. During the first description of the town in chapter one, Harper Lee makes gives Maycomb a very negative atmosphere. She repeats the adjective old, which emphasises how dull it is.
Bloody Lowndes is Jeffries take on the intriguing tale of Lowndes Country Alabama. Lowndes County is situated south of Birmingham in between Selma and Montgomery. While most believe that the fight for civil rights was staged in urban metropolitans like Birmingham, Selma, Little Rock, etc., the fact is that the real fight(s) for racial equality took place in rural towns, where the eye of the media could not keep the majority honest. “Jim Crow was a grim reality in Lowndes County, Alabama, at the beginning of 1965.” (Jeffries, pg 1) History leads the world to believe that the black masses had reached equality by this time, often citing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but in reality these federal acts were not enforced by a number of officials at the state level; leaving African Americans, like the ones in Lowndes County, with the same conditions they faced for the last century or so. In Lowndes, African Americans attended separate and unequal schools, lived in homes that were more like hovels, and were forced to work as underpaid and overworked domestics and laborers.
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee incorporates the theme, prejudice, to portray the feelings and thoughts that people had during the time period of the Great Depression; this was described in the Trial where Tom Robinson fought for his life. throughout the 1930's, most people were raised with prejudice beliefs in the South. Whites were taught from generations before them that african americans do not deserve respect. Therefore, it should not be brought to them. Most whites believed that African Americans were to do what they were told, by them.
As his character develops in the novel, he comes across as calm, empathetic and nonjudgmental. He also is one of the few who can see things from another’s point of view. In the 1930s in America, racism was a big issue based on discrimination against black people. Most white people, in the novel discriminate against the black people because they fail to see life from their point of view. As the reader begins to see the unfairness of the actions against black people, mostly because of Atticus’ speech, the theme of discrimination is developed through the motive of ‘walking around in their shoes.’ The title, To Kill A Mockingbird is very symbolic and meaningful.
Nick Salamone June 9th, 2009 Theme Analysis To Kill A Mockingbird is set in Alabama before civil rights cases were properly exposed of justices and cases against African-Americans were considered open. You find out that society can hurt innocent individuals who have littler power because of who they are. Through this novel, you put on the shoes of a small girl, Scout, and walks through a town where they learn of social inequality, coexistence of good and evil, and racism by seeing it through her father and life experiences. Race is a central issue in this time period. People aren't willing to accept change and theirs not much you can do in the 1930's to change that because it was "sociality acceptable" not to.
Some of the major issues and concerns conveyed by Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM) are the concepts of prejudice, courage and innocence and childhood and how these are represented in the novel through various techniques and symbols. In the novel we see the racial morals of characters, like Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell, conflicting to create events that instigate racial uproar in the town of Maycomb. We explore the issues through Scout's interpretation of the events, as well as experiencing her innocence from the situation because of her childhood. Through the trial of Tom Robinson, readers are able to witness the courage of Atticus Finch, defending a Negro in a racially biased society when knowing he may not be successful with his endeavours. The main concern and issue in TKAM is the concept of prejudice.
Even his most sympathetic white characters found it completely natural to regard blacks differently, for the racist preconceptions were everywhere and they permeated and changed the thinking of everyone in their path. Twain best demonstrated this theme through the interactions of others with his main black character, Jim. Jim was a slave owned by the widow who cared for Huck during the first part of the book. The widow was apparently a kind mistress and promised Jim that she would never sell him to the slave traders in New Orleans. However Jim overheard her one night saying that she planned do to just that, which is what prompted him to run away early on (Twain at 43).
Courthouse segregation was one of the biggest bits of racism I found in this book. When their was a court hearing, African-Americans had to sit on the balcony level. In the novel, Jem and Scout sat with Reverend Frank during the trial, they did not see anything wrong with them. They were brought up to not be racist. After the trial, even after tom was found guilty.