To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small Alabama town during the depression era, and it is narrated by a young girl named Jean Louise ‘’Scout’’ Finch. Her father Atticus Finch, is a prominent lawyer in the town with very high moral standards. Scout also has a brother named Jem who is very concerned with a mysterious man named Boo Radley who lives in the town. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird there is also parts of the story that have to do with racism and civil rights. To Kill a Mockingbird in many different ways compares racism, discrimination, and civil rights and shows how it is still relevant in today’s society. Racism was a huge part of the society back in the early 1900s. Most of the colored people during this time were looked down upon just because of the color of their skin. …show more content…
Racism can be defined as discrimination, prejudice, and antagonism against a certain person of a different race based on what their beliefs are. Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird is a major theme that is very important between whites and blacks throughout the story. Many of the characters throughout To Kill A Mockingbird including Calpurnia, Scout, Tom Robinson, and a few more that have a role in the story were highly affected by racial discrimination. Racism throughout the story is a constant problem, because of the many instances and incidents that help support the theme. One of the first instances of racism in To Kill a Mockingbird, is the housekeeper Calpurnia who is a black lady who works for the Finches. The Finches are a white family and Calpurnia is a black lady, this is supposed to show how blacks were in the lower class of society. One day Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to her all black church, and this showed how during this time blacks and whites were not seen in public together. Another instance during the story is when Aunt Alexandria would not let Scout and Jem go to Calpurnia’s home, showing racism and stating that