How Does Lee Use External Conflict In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the past 3 years around 700 unarmed black men and women have been shot and killed by the police for nothing more than being black, and most these cases never see a courtroom and the families of these victims never got justice. Yet racial injustice is not a new issue, it has been around for generations. Harper Lee uses her book To Kill a Mockingbird to draw attention to his problem during the 30s. Lee uses external conflict and characterization to express the idea that racism can be unknowingly detrimental to a society. The tradition of racism can lead to unforeseen personality defects in a community and can create an environment where people do not feel safe being themselves, because they not fit the social norms. Lee uses the characterization

Scout’s knowledge of Dolphus is limited to the stories and things she heard from the people. When she was approached by Raymond she said, “I shouldn’t be here listening to this sinful man who had mixed children and didn’t care who knew it’ (Lee 201). The people in the town believe that Raymond is immoral because of the way he lived, and this idea of immortality is passed on through to the children of people who believe it, creating an environment with more children who believe that black and white people should not mix. In the book, Dolphus reveals that his brown paper bag held nothing more than Coca-Cola. When Scout asks why he lies he says, “When I come to town, which is seldom, if weave a little and drink out of this sack, folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey-- that’s why he won’t change his ways.

In the trial during Atticus’ address to the jury Atticus says, “In this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equally” (Lee 205).This excerpt alludes to the idea that in a courtroom the color of one’s skin, the amount of money in one’s pockets, and how educated someone is should not interfere with their right to a just trial, but this idea is not always the case. Although the evidence pointed to Tom Robinson being innocent, he was still ruled guilty because of the pigment of his skin, because it was his word, a colored man, against Bob Ewell’s, a white man. After the trial Atticus was not shocked by his verdict and told Jem,” they’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it seems that only the children weep” (Lee 207). Establishing a pattern of behavior in court cases with black people having to defend themselves against white people. Showing the system that is supposed to be just and fair has never been and will never be fair. An unjust court system can lead to wrongly imprisoned men and women. Leaving a part, a society skeptical of the judicial system they are supposed to