ipl-logo

Effects Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

575 Words3 Pages

Effects of Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird
"In America, there is an institutional racism that we all inherit and participate in, like breathing the air in this room… and we have to become sensitive to it." This quote by Henry Louis Gates gives us an insight to underlying racism, which along with overt racism affects the events in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. A captivating tale set in the Deep South, portrays the world of injustice through a blossoming young girl while her father, a local lawyer, seek the innocence of a black man wrongfully accused of rape. The effects of racism are seen in events such as the trial, the Dolphus Raymond situation, and the ostracizing of Atticus and his kids. Racism in the novel affects the way they interact …show more content…

This event is a clear depiction of racism and its effects on the choices people make and their interactions with others. The beginning of the trial, immediately, shows the normality of racism in their everyday life when the first witness, Mr. Tate, casually, uses a slur to refer to Tom. "…said he get out of his house quick, some nigger'd raped his girl (190)." Moving on later in the trial, Scout is telling the reader why Tom's actions and response to his situation are justifiable, "…he would not strike a white women under any circumstances and expect to live long so he took the first opportunity to run…(221)" This instance, along with Tom’s response to Atticus, "Mister Finch if you were a nigger like me you'd be scared, too (222)," illustrates his predicament. Tom's reaction are the product of his understandings of how things are. Therefore, he would never entertain the thought of self-defense against a white women, nor would he stick around in a situation as such. The trial also includes a quote from Tom where he says, "Yes, suh, I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the most-(224)." To which Mr. Gilmer, the solicitor, responds incredulously since in society, it is impermissible for a black person to show a white person compassion or to feel sorry for them. Tom violated social boundaries when he openly stated that he felt sorry for a white women. Significant details were provided in

Show More
Related

Tom Robinson's Trial Quotes

946 Words | 4 Pages

Lee’s book isn’t just a story about racism, it’s an exploration of its effects on individuals and the community. The book shows the impact of racism on society, the justice system and the town itself. The book focuses on racism

Read More

Why Is Tom Robinson Unfair

455 Words | 2 Pages

When Tom went to trial many people were against him due to the fact that he was a black male. Harper Lee gives an example by stating how scared Tom was “ Mr. Finch if you was a nigger like me, you’d be scared too.” pg.261. Judge Taylor tells the report to get rid of somethings Tom said. Mr.Gilmer tried making one of Tom’s old misdemeanors sound like

Read More

How Is Racism Shown In To Kill A Mockingbird

280 Words | 2 Pages

Racism is evident in Maycomb, Alabama, as shown in To Kill a Mockingbird. People in Maycomb, Alabama separate colored people from whites. The whites are like a big shiny white pearl in which if you ruin it with a stain, the colored people always have the blame. The people in Maycomb, Alabama have everything separated from churches to sitting in a trail. In church you do worship the same God, but despite that being separated means less stress for the white folks around.

Read More

Racism And Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

411 Words | 2 Pages

Racism and prejudice still exist in today’s society as in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” by Harper Lee For example Tom gets convicted for the color of his skin. Secondly, the court reacts when Tom says he feels sorry for Mayella. He helped her around the house and he also fixed whatever needed to be handled.

Read More

Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

963 Words | 4 Pages

In the book there is a lot of racism, the grown-ups know what to call each other behind their backs. Even the kids know what to call them and when it is appropriate to call them by that name. For example in the book Chapter 2 page 26 “What is it Jean Louise”

Read More

Effects Of Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

734 Words | 3 Pages

How Prejudice can Affect an Individual’s Behaviour Negatively Ultimately Affecting Oneself as well as One’s Family and Friends “Prejudice is a chain, it can hold you. If you prejudice, you can 't move, you keep prejudice for years. Never get nowhere with that” (Bob Marley). Prejudice is a popular notion occurring in the world on a daily basis. Many characters in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, experience discrimination, causing them to make bad decisions due to their clouded judgement from stress, poor health and depression; it freqently results in lifelong suffering that will not end up harming their own life but also their friends and family.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Equality Analysis

1591 Words | 7 Pages

But, nevertheless this is how the times are and a black person never really has a chance in the court system, because they weren’t treated the same as white people. Another time that it is very clear that people don’t treat Tom the same as white people is when people refer to him as a “nigger.” The first example of this is at the Finch landing on Christmas when Scout and Cousin Francis get into a fight after Francis says something to Scout about Atticus, “He’s nothin’ but a nigger-lover” (Lee 83). This quote very clearly shows that people treat Tom differently when Cousin Francis says

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird: How Racism Affects People

324 Words | 2 Pages

Racism has been around for a very long time. Racism can affect people in many different ways. People are very racist against certain groups of people such as African American and Muslims. Toms trial is another example in To Kill A Mockingbird of the racism. Racism still exists in this world today and hopefully it will continue to get better.

Read More

To Kill A Mockingbird Research Paper

910 Words | 4 Pages

As Atticus said “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people’s. ”(Lee,109). In the time frame of the 1930’s for a negro standing up against two white people, was equal to death and Tom understood that, he had to have courage to tell the truth in front of the judge at the trial. “She says she asked you to bust up a chiffarobe, is that right?” “No suh, it ain’t.

Read More

Role Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

128 Words | 1 Pages

Is a racism a mad dog or not? I think is racism is a mad dog because throughout the movie racism is being expressed. In the movie To Kill A Mockingbird there was a court case Mayella & Tom Robinson. Mayella was trying to say Tom raped her.

Read More

Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

668 Words | 3 Pages

The race you are can determine whether you fail in life or prevail. Racism is unfair and this is shown in court, when Tom Robinson goes against the word of Mr. Ewell. Tom Robinson loses even though there is enough evidence to prove Mr. Ewell wrong. Racism is shown to be a problem in the timeline scout and her family are living in.

Read More

Effects Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

658 Words | 3 Pages

I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. was one of many movements in the extinction of racism. However, it is still everywhere in America today. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is just one example of it in the 1930’s. African American people were looked down upon and it had a huge effect on everyone in the nation, whether they were against black people or standing with them.

Read More

Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

557 Words | 3 Pages

Effects of Racism Harper Lee uses “To Kill a Mockingbird” to raise awareness about racism and how people can be affected; from emotionally all the way to physically and the struggles they endure because of their race. Atticus, one of the main characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” is one of the few that is affected significantly. The people of Maycomb did not like the idea that Atticus is defending an African American for a trial. He is receiving insults almost every day because of this case. Many people would call Atticus a “nigger-lover”, showing how racism was very predominant in Maycomb.

Read More

Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

1356 Words | 6 Pages

In most cases, telling the truth will not get anyone into trouble. Sometimes, it even gets people out of trouble. However, the hard truth of racism in 1930s Alabama is the reason To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee causes controversy and its removal from curriculum in some schools. Those schools have chosen to ignore the reality of the United States’ history rather than “embrac[ing] what makes us uncomfortable so that we may work together towards ameliorating those situations” (Bachani 2). In the novel, Scout Finch learns various lessons from several adults in her life over the three years the book spans.

Read More

Theme Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

858 Words | 4 Pages

In the novel, racism is most prevalent when Atticus takes up a case where a African-American man has been accused of raping a white girl, and Atticus is fighting for Tom Robinson who is the accused rapist. Tom Robinson, the kindly, meek and physically disabled black accused of the rape, is the target of innumerable racial taunts and is regularly referred to by angry white town folks as a “nigger.” Later, in scenes involving Tom Robinson and the angry white mobs that aim to lynch him that reveal

Read More

More about Effects Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document