When Tom was accused of rape, this was the most racist point in the book to me. The people of Maycomb automatically labeled him as guilty. If I were in his position I would have wanted to fight back. Atticus Finch, a local lawyer and one of the main characters, is appointed as Tom’s lawyer. He is almost completely shunned from the town because he is trying to help a black man accused of rape.
Though most of the people in Maycomb were racist in some way, many of those people knew Tom Robinson was innocent. Still, many people didn't feel comfortable with the idea of standing up for a black man, no matter how innocent he was. When Miss Maudie says, "Whether Maycomb knows it or not we're paying the highest tribute we can pay to a man. We trust him to do right it's just that simple" (Lee 236), she shows that the town treated Atticus as a leader. He showed the sheltered, little town that just because a person is colored, that does not mean they are guilty of whatever crime a white man had accused them of.
In Harper Lee’s compellingly poignant novel, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ we witness various forms of racism and injustice. As the protagonist, Scout exposes the bigotry present in Maycomb County and what the characters endured because of it, particularly the African Americans. We also observe the discrimination that certain characters, such as Atticus Finch and Mr. Dolphus endure because of the racial stereotypes who couldn’t comprehend their belief for justice for all. Racism in Maycomb was the norm. Most of the people of Maycomb were unjust and ignorant when it came to the most basic rights of the African Americans.
Therefore, the black community in Maycomb was crippled with fear. A fear that they will get lynched for a crime they did not commit. Stereotyping is a human instinct. We will always stereotype people's race, class and families. When Aunt Alexandra lived with the Finches, she said this to Scout about the Cunninghams, "Because he is trash, that's why you cant play with him.
The trial lasted for sixteen months and the jury was resulted in a motion of not guilty. Many think that one man changed the outcome of the trial. Mark Fuhrman, a key witness, was dismissed after lying in front of the jury and presenting false evidence. Mark Fuhrman was a racist who hated mixed race couples. Fuhrman pleads the Fifth Amendment twice to calling African Americans a nigger and to planting evidence at Simpson’s home.
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird the rape trail of Tom Robinson vs Mayella Ewell, an African American man accused of raping a white teenage girl was held in a bias court room of Maycomb County. Tom Robinson was proven innocent but the end verdict did not match the proof, because no jury would chose to listen to a black man over a white girl due to the state of prejudice Maycomb was under. Racism this town got to the point where when Atticus Finch, a white lawyer chose to represent Tom in the case he was a disgrace and an outcast to the white community. Not only Atticus but his children all suffered from the judgement they were receiving from the whole community for Atticus representing an innocent man. Since children were exposed to this behavior the racism has been passed down to generation to generation.
However, the central issue the town is grappling with at the time of Scout’s youth is the rape of a young white woman by a black man. This southern town is stereotypically racist. Atticus, however, is defending this black man. The inhabitants of Maycomb believe the same thing their white
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
Question: Every time we read we lose a little piece of innocence. Discuss this proposition with reference to at least one text you have studied this year There are things in life that people don’t want to experience but they can experience it through reading. The loss of innocence is a major theme in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and this is an experience people can understand through reading. Harper Lees’ narrative text, To Kill a Mockingbird was written in the 1960’s. It is a recount of her childhood in the 1930’s represented through the character Scout and is centered on the conviction of a black man stating that he has raped a girl.
Her father, Atticus, is a lawyer for Maycomb County, Alabama. He is appointed as the attorney for Tom Robinson, a colored man from their town. He is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. When people started to find out that Atticus was defending a Negro man, they started treating his family differently. Despite the cruel treatment from the people of Maycomb County, Atticus stood strong in his belief that every man is created equal, and therefore deserves a fair trial.