Jake Rice Padilla Period 8 15 February 2024. “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences” (Audre Lorde). This quote, voiced by Lorde, perfectly entwines itself in the uplifting yet solemn story, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. In the small town of Maycomb, an innocent white girl named Scout, and her inquisitive brother, Jem Finch, witness multitudes of discrimination throughout their adolescence. The harsh judgment that Maycomb forces upon its citizens closes off any chance for the ability to have an open mind. Discrimination leads to a path of misery seen through the hardships that African Americans, women, and different social classes face in the confines …show more content…
With the constant shouting of slurs and threats of violence, African Americans feel unheard and unwanted within their community. Tom Robinson, a man falsely accused of raping an egotistical victim named Mayella Ewell, faces an immense amount of discrimination. Amidst the perfervid court case, the racist father of Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell, shouts, “‘I seen that black n***** yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella’” (Lee 196). Once Bob Ewell stated this derogative term, it was seen that no white people took any offense to it. This furthermore shows how the insensitive citizens of Maycomb do not mind when their fellow townsfolk use horrid terms. Along with these horrendous terms, it is made clear that black people are not allowed to be united with white people. While the Tom Robinson case was heating up, it was made evident that black people could not be seated next to the white people. The lack of unity shows how racism lurks through the town like a mudslide. This separation highlights the bad qualities that have been entrenched in Maycomb. Not only does the separation of black people exemplify racism, Scout was even taunted by her classmates due to her father’s actions. Atticus, Scout’s wise father, believes that it is only right for