Inequality And Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Social Inequality and Racism are core themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, with characters such as Tom Robinson and the Cunninghams being great examples of how the systems in place have failed them and for them to be treated poorly by others because of their race and economic status. This essay will not be using those characters instead: it’ll focus on Atticus Finch, the moral foundation of the book, with good intentions, but his inaction leads him to be; a bad character. Atticus is the complete opposite of Tom and the Cunninghams, a white lawyer: who is well off and respected by everyone in his community. He is not outcasted in this book, even when he goes against the fundamental ideals of his town he is still given the utmost respect. To Kill

Then he ducked his head. Atticus shook his head at me again." This goes on until Calpurnia, the cook and motherly figure to the children, scolds Scout for her treatment of Walter, "When she squinted down at me the tiny lines around her eyes deepened. “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us,” she whispered fiercely, “but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?'... 'Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!..." (Lee 25). Atticus in this situation does not hold to his belief he doesn't say a word to Scout about her abhorrent actions and just lets her do it and we see how it affects Walter, he lays his head into his lap out of sheer embarrassment. Nevertheless, Atticus still does not act and Calpurnia has to discipline

Dubose, a bitter bigoted old woman who contains nothing pleasant to say about anyone, yet Atticus does not condemn her actions even when it shows to be poisonous to the psyches of his children. This is shown after Mrs. Dubose death when she leaves Jem a single flower, "Jem’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Old hell-devil, old hell-devil!” he screamed, flinging it down. 'Why can’t she leave me alone?' " (Lee 115). Jem's reaction entirely justified Mrs. Dubose had psychologically tortured Jem, speaking ill of himself, Atticus, and Scout, and this was the last straw. But Atticus doesn't seem to care about how she affected his kids, "Jem, everything’s all right. You know, she was a great lady." (Lee 115). Atticus later on in the story takes on the Tom Robinson case, a case in which Tom is accused of raping the daughter of Bob Ewell, it's obvious to the audience that Tom didn't do this as his left arm which was the only one that could have been used in the crime is unusable, "Tom Robinson’s powerful shoulders rippled under his thin shirt. He rose to