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Literary analysis or racism in to kill a mockingbird
To kill a mockingbird chapter one racism analysis
Literary analysis or racism in to kill a mockingbird
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(100), here, Atticus knows even if everyone knows Tom is innocent and Tom’s opponent is white trash and ignorant, everyone understand that he will suffer racial discrimination and will be labelled guilty no matter the proof. Racial segregation will be the main factor as to why no one will choose a black man’s side over a white’s. No matter how much evidence there is, the mindset on blacks in Maycomb is nearly impossible to discard. “Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men’s hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (276), it is no surprise when Tom tries to escape the prison and dies doing so, because everyone knew there was no hope for him once a white accuses him.
Rosa Parks once said, “Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome”. Many instances within the novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” relate to the topic of racism and how it is introduced to children. During the Great Depression, there was an excess amount of stigma that people of color were inferior to white people. This racism in the time period seems to have inspired Harper Lee to write a novel which encompasses this topic.
In the 1900’s a lot of things were happening like racism. Racism was a big thing that people talked about all the time like the Scottsboro Boys trial, the African American church burning, and the Jim Crow Laws. Harper Lee wanted to spread her expression to the people about racism and wanted to tell the world about how black people were treated differently because of their race. All of these were big factors in the 1900’s. Harper Lee later wrote the book To Kill a Mockingbird which was inspired by the Scottsboro Boys trial, the African American church burning, and the Jim crow Laws.
Through normal conversation and action, the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird reveal a deeper and more severe issue hidden amongst them: racism. TKAM is about a young girl named Scout in Alabama in the 1930s when her dad takes on a case of a young black man named Tom Robinson, who gets wrongfully accused of raping a white girl. Harper Lee expertly reveals the awful facts of a society afflicted by racism and discrimination through speech covered with prejudice, actions motivated by resentment, and a tone of superiority. To Kill a Mockingbird is a powerful book that dives into the topic of racism in the American South in the 1930s using dialogue from the characters in the story.
The novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was written in 1960 by Harper Lee in the point of view of a young innocent girl named Scout. One of the main messages that Lee has (need a new word than – indicated or set out) is racism, it plays an important role which strongly impacts many character’s lives unfairly and changes the relationship between two. Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” shows that it is wrong to hurt someone who does no harm to you, for example, black people are innocent but no way did they have as many rights as white people did. Black people lived hard lives because society was judgemental, irrational and most importantly, racist. As Scout and Jem grow older they learn to cope, take responsibility and are introduced to new aspects of life, one of which is racism.
The Evils of racism are one of the most important themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. In Maycomb County a big portion of the population are all racist people. Miss Stephanie Crawford said “ Next time he won 't aim high, be it dog, nigger, or Jem Finch!” (Lee 72) This tells us that people like Miss Stephanie Crawford compare the black people to dogs.
Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird leads the reader through the deep south. As the main character, Scout progresses throughout the story she comes across many cases of racism and prejudice within her small town of Maycomb County, Alabama in the 1930’s. Throughout the novel, Scout progresses from being an innocent child unaware of the racism within her town. As her eyes open, she learns about the town's discrimination against people of color.
Race has always been a part of history, from slavery to MLK, to Barack Obama. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee defines race in the south during the 1930’s. Jean “Scout” Finch, is the narrator of the story. Her brother Jeremy “Jem” and her dad, Atticus, are both main characters. Calpurnia is their house cook and helper, she is also black.
Racism, or hating another person simply because of the color of their skin, is wrong. It has been a problem in our country a very long time. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Bob Ewell, a white man, accused Tom Robinson, a black man, of raping his daughter. Because Tom was black, and the people in Maycomb, Ala., were racists, Tom did not have a chance of getting a fair trial. I strongly disagree with Bob Ewell and his racist ways.
(Pg 276) A person that has control on the outcome didn’t even stand up to help the trial of Tom Robinson. This unjust area is completely dependent to the racial thoughts in Maycomb. Not only that but black people aren’t welcomed into this area due to the possible punishment that could happen to them. They could be held accountable for something they didn’t even do.
In the book I think the element of racial discrimination against blacks is controversial today. Harper Lee describes a common theme in the book, being that whites are superior to blacks no matter what. In our world today, the African American race is still held to this degree but some feel otherwise. Some people in the world feel that whites and blacks are treated equally and the issue of racism does not exist anymore; others feel it is very much alive today in our word and we are still taking steps to overcome it. I found this element of the book very insightful because it allowed me to see a different view of racism and how it could still be going on today.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, conflict is driven throughout the novel from racism and prejudice. The characters in the story must determine what is right and what is easy. Atticus Finch, a lawyer, and father, does what is right all the time. Atticus defends Tom Robinson, a black man, in a rape trial against a white family. Harper Lee’s novel is built to make people uncomfortable.
One of the main themes of the novel is Racism. During the time of depression, racism and poverty were a common issue. People with a dark skin tone, i.e the African- Americans were seen as derogatory and treated like dirt. Harper Lee depicts it in a very realistic way.
Alisha Anderson Ms. Norman Honors English 9 21 September 2017 In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee implies that people create racism by becoming fearful of change and having the need to be more powerful than someone else; as a result, the privileged use their power to tyrannize people of another skin color because they are frightened that someone different might be treated equally. This trend can sometimes be broken by people who think it is morally incorrect to treat anyone disrespectfully just because they are different. While humans should be equal, fear of differences and the desire for advantages in life compels people in the majority to treat the minority maliciously and unfairly. When Scout looked around at the mob wanting to lynch Tom Robinson she saw that “the men were dressed..in overalls and denim shirts buttoned up to the collar” (Lee 153).
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses allusions to help the reader to understand the setting, and irony to show character and develop theme. Prejudice, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, is described as the “simple hell people give other people without even thinking”, and the novel powerfully portrays examples of racial and social prejudice. Body Paragraph #1: Harper Lee uses allusions to help the reader better understand the setting to better understand the book and it’s many themes. A part of a quote from chapter one states, “disturbance between the North and South”. This refers to the Civil War in 1861-1865, which gives the reader an estimated time period of which the book took place in, also relating to the segregation.
