Integrity In To Kill A Mockingbird By E. Lee

In the early 20th-century US, the societal perception of integrity shifted as the brutal legacy of slavery was replaced by the more covert, legally-sanctioned racism of Jim Crow depicted in TKAM, distorting its definition in the American South. Lee’s exemplifies this with Dolphus Raymond in, “I try to give ‘em a reason, you see.folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of Whiskey - that’s why he won’t change his ways,” using personification of whiskey having “clutches” to illustrate his false alcoholism act to avoid the prejudices of Maycomb as a White man in an interracial marriage, and preserve his integrity. Raymond’s choice reflects the distorted integrity shaped by Jim Crow’s “separate not equal” laws for Black people, as Maycomb

This appears through the jury characters, accentuated by her repetition in, “I shut my eyes”. Judge Taylor polled the jury: ‘Guilty. guilty. guilty. guilty.” underscoring that, despite the overwhelming evidence of Tom Robinson’s innocence and the jury's internal moral compass pointing towards acquittal, the all-white jury abandoned their conscience to conform to societal pressures. The jury’s guilty verdict, driven by fear of social ostracism rather than morality, mirrors the covert neglect of conscience in the early 20th-century American South, depicting how the people’s conscience, which once excused the brutality of slavery, were now excusing the legalised segregation enforced by Jim Crow’s “separate but not equal” laws and societal norms. Further, Lee introduces the character Miss Merriweather to embody the societal disapproval of those who listen to their conscience, depicted in “some of ’em in this town thought they were doing the right thing a while back, but all they did was stir ’em up”. That’s all they did. Might’ve looked like the right thing to do at the time.” revealing how Maycomb’s citizens, like Mrs. Merriweather, perceive standing up against racial injustice and adhering to their conscience as futile and

By contrasting Atticus’s moral stance as the heroic defender of the innocent Tom Robinson with the absurd societal norms that frame Ewell as integrous and Dolphus Raymond as more virtuous as an alcoholic than in an interracial marriage, Lee conveys her belief that true integrity comes from within, transcending time and shifting societal norms and laws like Jim Crow and slavery, urging audiences of Alabama’s prejudiced society to reconsider and redefine true integrity, while ridiculing its socially accepted meaning that involves segregating Black communities. Atticus’s characterization as an unwavering moral figure is further manifested in, “The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience,” using a metaphor to connote that Atticus, as a moral, educated, and well-off lawyer, recognizes that his conscience tells him these actions are wrong despite the “majority rule”, and he courageously goes against society. This indicates that as a beacon of virtue and a reflection of Lee herself, Atticus embodies