Historical Paper
Many people have different opinions on racism, and To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates this in many different ways. Harper Lee’s novel was based off of real-life events from the 1930s. The book included examples of the Jim Crow laws, mob mentality, and racism. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the Jim Crow laws show a connection to America’s history. The Jim Crow laws were unjust laws that said whites can do things that colored people can not. Examples of the laws were that blacks could not eat, boat, or play games with white men because it implied that they were socially equal (Pilgrim2). The punishments were beatings and sometimes death. One of the Jim Crow laws is that blacks and whites are to be in separate prisons, and it shows up in To Kill a Mockingbird. When Tom has to go to prison, he is sent to one with other colored people (Lee315). Another Jim Crow law is that a black man could not assume a white man is lying. In the book,
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Mob mentality happens, according to Edmonds, because the people in the group forget their own values and adopt the principles of the group. A lot of mobs can lead to violence and are often to get something. In How Riots Work, the author says, “Some people will show up simply to loot the damaged businesses and homes (Edmonds).” The article also says that people are more likely to feel less guilty if they act with a group instead of individually. In a photo of a lynch mob, a couple of black men were hung in a tree. There were many white spectators, who did not look sad or disgusted. Mob mentality happens throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. The main example of mob mentality in the book is when a mob shows up to the jail to talk to Atticus. This is an example of a mob that wanted to get something. Mob mentality has occurred many times throughout history, and of those instances one of the most notorious was the Scottsboro