To Kill a Mockingbird the Injustices of Racism

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Monday, June, 18, 2012 "To Kill A Mockingbird" The Injustices of Racism The novel "To Kill A Mockingbird" written by Harper Lee is about the life of a family living in a small town in Alabama. In the 1930s a person could be hated, outlawed and wanted dead because of the colour of their skin. The main topic is injustice. First Tom Robinson is wrongly accused and convicted because he is a black man, then Atticus, Scout and Jem are made fun of and gossiped about by the town. Next the mixed children are completely alone and ignored because of their background. The author demonstrates that although justice is "a right to every person" racism overrides this right. Tom Robinson is a prime example of injustice. He is wrongly accused and convicted because he is a black man. Even though he is innocent, because he is black, there is almost no chance he will win. As Atticus says, "In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins" (Lee 249). Tom has a right to justice too, but society thinks he does not deserve it because he is different. Next is the Finch family. They are not black and are well respected by the community, until Atticus is assigned to defend Tom. The town and even their family begin to turn on them, gossiping, staring and saying how they are embarrassments. Cecil Jacobs announced on the school yard "Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers" (Lee 74). Simply defending a black can cause everyone to turn on them.Finally, the mixed children are half black and half white children. They are ignored and outcasted by everyone because of their background. Jem explains, "They don't belong anywhere. Colored folks won't have 'em because they're half white ; white folks won't half 'em because they're colored, so they're just in-betweeners don't belong anywhere" (Lee 161). It shouldn't matter wether they are half white and
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