How Does Lee Use Power In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus Tries to Destroy Power Imbalance within Races In Harper Lee’s award winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, an imbalance of power is shown between different races as portrayed through Calpurnia with her trials of being black and the unfairness of the Tom Robbison case with the implausible theory that he assaulted Mayella Ewell. Atticus uses his power as a white male to try to protect others and can be seen as a Marxist lens. Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, was at dinner discussing the issue of Braxton Underwood despising black with the Finch family. Calpurnia, their African-American cook, was in the dining room helping set up for dinner, she later exited into the kitchen. Aunt Alexandra takes this opportunity that Calpurnia wasn’t in their present to scold Atticus for

“‘It encourages them to do so. You know how they talk among themselves’” (Lee 157). Calpurnia is considered part of the Finch family and includes her in every opportunity she can. Aunt Alexandra hates Atticus for this inclusivity because she doesn't believe that Calpurnia should be there or hear their conversations. When people discriminate against Calpurnia, Atticus hates this because he considers Calpurnia a Finch. Atticus has shown multiple times throughout the novel that he will stick up for others and doesn't discriminate against people who are black. Atticus, as an adult white male, has immense power, he won’t stop himself from using his power to stop Aunt Alexandra from discriminating against Calpurnia. Tom Robbison is a 25-year-old black man with a wife, kids, and a job. This life was thrown away when Mayella Ewell, a nineteen year old white girl, claims Tom assaulted and raped her. Mayella claims that the sheriff, Heck Tate, called her a doctor when he found her beaten and bruised. Heck Tate was the first witness in the trial and admits that he never called a doctor on the