Misconception In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

1100 Words5 Pages

Throughout history, there has been a great amount of hate and judgment in our world and it still causes problems today. This idea is evident in the American classic To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, where we see mistreatment and discrimination in a small town in Alabama through the perspective of a child, six year old Scout Finch. In 1930s Maycomb, Alabama, misconception was the driving force behind many issues such as racism, classism, and ignorance. In the novel, the concept of misconception in Maycomb is developed through individuals that are unjustly regarded by the community, such as Dolphus Raymond, a white man in an interracial marriage with mixed children, and Boo Radley, a man who has spent almost his whole life living with just him and his bad reputation locked up in his house. Dolpus Raymond is viewed by …show more content…

However, that can’t be more than far from the truth. On page 183, when Dill, Scout, and Jem are on their way to Tom Robinson’s trial, they see Dolphus sitting with the colored folks near the jailhouse. Jem explains to the children about the views of Mr Raymond in the town; “They say he never got over his weddin’. He was supposed to marry one of the– the Splender Ladies, I think. They were gonna have a huge weddin’, but they didn’t– after the rehearsal the bride went up stairs and blew her head off”. This quote represents how the community of Maycomb has their own interpretation of Dolphus’ life, and that is an entire misconception. They believe that he walks around “drunk” because his wedding wasn’t what he wanted it to be. However, later in the day when the children take a break from the trial, they find Dolphus sitting outside sipping his “beer”. They soon found out that it was only soda, and he was