Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer prize winning novel has remained enormously popular since its publication in 1960. To Kill a Mockingbird is written by the author, Harper Lee. The book takes place in the deep South. Recalling her experiences as a six-year-old child, Jean Louis Finch, nicknamed “Scout,” describes the circumstances of a trial, which involved her father, Atticus, and his legal defense, Tom Robinson. Throughout the book, there is a strong example of prejudice, especially towards colored people. Many people criticize the book saying that it is a bad novel for people to read and should even be banned from the school curriculum. To Kill a Mockingbird describes the systematic racism shown towards colored people, which results in

The racial divide in the courtroom is explained when Atticus says “there’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads—they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life” (Lee 291). Tom Robinson is a black man going up against an all-white jury. This displays that fact that the prejudice and racism is in the minds of the all-white jury and that no matter the consequence, the white man always wins. So, it is a lose-lose situation for a colored person like Tom Robinson. William Giraldi in the article “Just How Good Is ‘To Kill a Mockingbird?” says “What Huck does takes much more courage than what Atticus does: Huck puts his own freedom in jeopardy-Atticus just follows his assignment” (Giraldi). He also writes that he “dismissed the novel as a “white savior” story, except that Atticus fails at saving Tom Robinson” (Giraldi). Giraldi compares the actions of Huckleberry Finn and Atticus Finch towards helping colored people. Giraldi’s argument is invalid because there is a difference from helping someone and trying to save them from being guilty during a trial. Atticus had to sacrifice his family’s honor and heritage to go against the social norm and help a colored person. So, he is in fact, a “white savior” because of his grateful actions. Felty also describes the racially filled courtroom saying that “Lee points to fundamental American ideals of equality and equal protection under the law (as expressed by and portrayed in Atticus)” (Felty). Despite equality being a “fundamental American ideal,” this idea is not followed in the judicial system. Felty’s statement is valid because the rights that white people have are not the same rights that colored people would get. The ideas of equality and equal protection under law are cover up