In contrast to Mayella, Tom Robinson was treated as if he were not worth anything, for example he was being called Boy, big buck, when he was being questioned. When Mr Gilmer asked for Tom’s reason for helping Mayella, Tom admitted he had felt sorry for her. “ ‘.. I felt sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ‘em-‘ ..‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling”. (Page 217/218) No black man should feel sorry for a white person.
” It was ridiculous to think that a white girl had any desire for a black man. He also said he felt sorry for her and that’s why he decided to help her. This made it seem like Tom thought he was better off than Mayella, which could be totally true, but none of the whites of Maycomb want to hear it. Harper Lee, having grown up in the south, understood the rifts in society and she displayed them in her book. She also showed how trivial they are by looking at them from a child’s point of view and by making Tom Robinson break all of them to save his own
He is almost completely shunned from the town because he is trying to help a black man accused of rape. Mayella had told Tom, “I said come here, nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickel for you.” (p.241) She had tricked him to coming over to her. Then that’s about the time when she accuses him of rape. He had felt sorry for her, which is why he was falsely accused in the first place. Courthouse segregation was one of the biggest bits of racism I found in this book.
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.
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.
Implying Negroes perceive the ability to strive yet, diminish due to the lack of formal education. On the other hand Miss Tate’s counterpart Lula, devalues the black community by confirming stereotypes. The fact Lula is out-spoken doesn’t necessarily mean she is well-spoken. Her aggressive behavior puts her loved ones at risk. Drowning in her own pool of ignorance, Lula criticizes Jem and Scout’s presence at the black church despite their relation to Atticus Finch, the one lawyer in America self-righteous enough to defend a black man.
Not only was his skin color dark brown, but his arm was disable. Robinson was falsely accused for raping Mayella. This is because the father of Mayella (Bob Ewell) was trying to cover up the fact that he beats his daughter. Although Robinson was an important character of the novel, he did not have any control to say what was on his mind, his view of
Prejudice is a preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience. Sometimes prejudice is a destructive force in society. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, prejudice is shown in many ways. Prejudice was shown when Atticus was defending the jail, a group of men came to kill Tom and also when Scout was getting teased at school by other kids because her dad was taking Tom’s case. Furthermore, when Tom Robinson was accused of being guilty even though he was not, and died because of it.
From the racial prejudice used against Tom Robinson, to the economical prejudice against the Cunningham family, To Kill a Mockingbird has shown how people in Maycomb look at people. This book truly shows how the people in Maycomb Alabama are prejudice towards each other. It is very devastating that people would ever treat people like this and be prejudice like they are in this
This is racial discrimination because Ms. Lula is basically saying that they are not welcome at that church because they are white, not African American. Another example of this is Tom Robinson's trial. The jury convicted him in the rape of Mayella Ewell not because of evidence, but because of the color of his skin. I hate racism, it makes me sick. It is just pointless hatred because, they are people just like everybody else and everyone should be treated as such no matter the color of their skin.