Calpurnia To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee explores the dynamics of a loss of innocence through racism, unique perspectives, and exposure to an unjust society. Because of Calpurnia’s background, she is able to instill values of equity in the children. In Tom Robinson’s trial, Harper Lee illustrates how fear and racism are more powerful than reason and moral integrity. Because of Scout and Jem’s exposure to their immoral society, they come to dramatically different conclusions of good and evil. Through the numerous life lessons that constitute their maturing, the children are taught to recognize human nature. Due to her ethnicity, Calpurnia instills unique morals into Scout and Jem. More than just their black housekeeper, Calpurnia is Scout and

With their father as the defending lawyer, Scout and Jem are introduced to racism with an anomalous perspective. Most wealthy, white children growing up in the south in the 1930s gained a biased attitude toward African Americans, but Scout and Jem luckily avoid this prejudice. Racism is introduced as prevalent to Scout and Jem as they attempt to understand what is going on. Scout figures out that sometimes bigotry and emotion overpower a supposedly objective justice system. Although all evidence proved Tom Robinson to be not guilty, his color secured his sentencing and inevitable murder. With only their race against them, the black community is ostracized and not taken into full consideration in the eyes of the law. “As she observes the trial of Tom Robinson, Scout begins to discern differences in class in her hierarchical southern community” (S. Ware). Not only is the justice system prejudiced against blacks, but Scout also begins to understand the social stratifications of her own white social system. This system incorporates the Finches as the highest social class, with people such as the Cunninghams following, then the Ewells, and blacks occupy the bottom of the social pyramid. With no support from the surrounding community, blacks are oppressed and stripped of their true rights. There was no such thing as a fair trial for a black person during the time Harper Lee was writing her novel. As the oppressed, colored citizens of the 1930s south do everything they can to try and stand up for justice, the superior race--the whites--uses all its power to ensure nobody does anything to the fixed, unjust, status