ipl-logo

Theme Of Racial Inequality And Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

929 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literary analysis or racism in to kill a mockingbird

Aurora Young

Mrs. Austin

Honors English I-AoIT

1, May 2017

Racial Inequality and Injustice in To Kill a Mockingbird

Racism is an unrestrained force that plagues the society of today. It provides heavily opinionated theories, whether they are positive or negative, about all races. It is, however, disagreeable, and because of this, it can cause inequality and injustice among all people. Racism can also blind people from the truth about one's personality. Harper Lee, the author of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, compares the Great Depression-stricken town of Maycomb to the Marxist views of “black versus white” opinions.

Racism has been proven to be immoral, as it is presented in this novel. A situation in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill …show more content…

A quote from the novel that supports this theory is, “Lula stopped, but she said, “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here--they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Call?” (Lee page 158). This quote explains how segregated the county of Maycomb is. Lula explains that Jem and Scout cannot be there because they are white, and that they have their own church. However, the segregation of this county does make sense because of the enactment of Jim Crow laws. People of color and non- people of color had to use separate facilities. A person of color was not welcome to an all-white facility, and vice versa. Another quote that shows the effects of unfair treatment that racism provides is, “You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women--black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.” (Lee page 273). This quote was said by Atticus, during the time of Tom Robinson’s trial for the accusation that he raped Mayella Ewell. This quote is significant because Atticus is saying that not all people are bad, and that accusations like this should not be placed solely on one race; everyone has their flaws, and it is unfair to make such accusations based on the color of a person’s skin.

Harper Lee has shown us many examples of racism that were present in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. She has shown us how challenging it was for the characters to survive in this “black versus white” society. Her bestseller was not only influenced by the Civil Rights movement, but it was also influenced by her youth and culture. Her life and narration in the novel share many similarities with Scout Finch, in that they both had to overcome the struggles of living in a racist

Show More
Related
794 Words | 4 Pages

“We, as human beings must be willing to accept people different from ourselves” This quote can relate to two passages, To Kill A Mockingbird and “Only the Innocent were Accused”. In both of these passages an issue with racism occurs and the black(s) are accused of rape. People in Maycomb (TKAM) and in Jackson County Alabama (OTAWI) did not accept the, what they call, “negroes” at all and were unfair in many ways. People such as Atticus and the Communists defended these “negroes” who were accused of rape. In To Kill A Mockingbird, a man named Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman and in “Only the Innocent were Accused”, a group of 9 boys called “Scottsboro boys” were accused of raping two white woman.

Read More
1035 Words | 5 Pages

Harper Lee uses a direct connection from “To Kill A Mockingbird” and Maycomb to the racism occurring in the south. Harper states that people change the way they act for power, language and social status. Harper Lee says “As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t forget it - whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.” (Lee 220) By Harper Lee expressing her feelings and emotions to everyone, and wanting to include everyone in as a group, think about the ways that Harper Lee uses to connect the town of Maycomb in “To Kill A Mockingbird” to the racism that happened in the south.

Read More
724 Words | 3 Pages

A Ripple of Innocence in a Sea of Intolerance No child is born racist, and the children of Maycomb County are no exception. Set in the town of Maycomb, Alabama, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a heart-wrenching story about growing up surrounded by poverty, ignorance, and discrimination. Lee uses Scout Finch, the six-year-old daughter of controversial lawyer Atticus Finch, to showcase the belief that innocence is crucial in a world corrupted by prejudice.

Read More
997 Words | 4 Pages

In Maycomb, both white people and people of color hold animosity to each other. So the children in the town with both a white and black parent are treated differently because society can’t put them in a box “‘ They don 't belong anywhere. Colored folks won’t have 'em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re colored, so they’re in-betweens, don 't belong anywhere. ’”(Lee 161)

Read More
1048 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the entire town of Maycomb accepts and contributes to maintaining the racial status quo. The narrator, Scout, tries to make it seem as though Maycomb, Alabama is a better place than other southern states in the United States. Although, they tolerate racism just as much as any other southern state. Some characters are aware of this, like Atticus Finch and Dolphus Raymond and others are not. Dolphus Raymond even states “Things haven’t caught up to that one’s instinct yet.

Read More
711 Words | 3 Pages

In the story we are introduced to a kid named Scout along with the other Finche’s where they prove to be the main characters of the book. Harper Lee makes this book to address racism, classism and even subtle sexism. The book has received widespread

Read More
1274 Words | 6 Pages

Many times this occurs throughout the story but one very noticeable example is when Lula explained to Scout and Jem “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here–they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain't it Miss Cal.”(120). A statement like this is an extremely big issue. This statement from Lula shows everyone that racism and prejudice are very apparent throughout daily life in To Kill a Mockingbird. Lula is explaining to Calpurnia, Scout, and Jem that there are separate churches for white and black people and that they aren’t accepted at the church they were at.

Read More
784 Words | 4 Pages

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus’ character of being an open-minded and wise lawyer reveals that Lee is also equitable in her views of social justice, such as race for example. She is unbiased towards everyone regardless of their appearance. This perspective, like Atticus’ character, is reasonable, as he also doesn’t go on to place his faith on the color of someone’s skin color, social status, etc. To begin with, in chapter 15, Atticus is met by a group of town members. These members are worried about the current jail placement of Tom Robinson, a black man, falsely accused of raping a white woman.

Read More
1163 Words | 5 Pages

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”(Lee 30). These are the words of Atticus Finch, the wisest character in the famous novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. He is a fictional man that embodies human traits that all people should strive to emulate. In the novel; narrated by Atticus’ daughter Jean Louise Finch, more often referred to as Scout; Atticus defends a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white female, Mayella Ewell. The main message of the text is the prominence of racial injustice, specifically in the 1930’s, the era the novel takes place in.

Read More
52 Words | 1 Pages

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird the author characterizes Atticus Finch with intelligence to establish a theme of social justice. Intelligence is needed in society to be able to understand the things going around in the world. Intelligence is knowing what to do is right even when people think you’re wrong.

Read More
775 Words | 4 Pages

They treat the black community horribly because they never think they are humans too. Atticus has quoted Thomas Jefferson, saying that all men are created equal, but the people of Maycomb continue this hierarchy, where the black community is at the bottom and are not treated as

Read More
1108 Words | 5 Pages

Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird famously said in his closing arguments: "You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some negro men are not to be trusted around women- black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and no particular race of men." (pg 232) What Atticus is trying to convey is a foreign concept to most people in Maycomb county. Atticus is trying to convey a point of equality and no prejudice in a world of social inequality which, as one can imagine, didn 't go over so well.

Read More
1169 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, ‘To kill a mockingbird, Harper Lee demonstrates the small, imaginary town, the Maycomb County, as a place where racism and social inequality happens in the background of 1930s America. Not only the segregation between whites and blacks, but also the poor lived in a harsh state of living. As Scout, the young narrator, tells the story, Lee introduces and highlights the effects of racism and social inequality on the citizens of Maycomb County by using various characters such as Boo Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mayella Ewell. Firstly, Harper Lee portrays Boo Radley as a victim of social inequality through adjectives and metaphor in the phrase, “There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten;” ‘Long jagged scar that ran across his face’ tells us that Boo Radley has stereotype about his appearance, which forces to imagine Boo as a scary and threatening person. The phrase, ‘yellow and rotten’ make the readers think as if Boo Radley is poor and low in a social hierarchy, as he cannot afford to brush his teeth.

Read More
858 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More
740 Words | 3 Pages

“You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n” (p. 119) Lula, a colored woman is a prime example of the two way road of racism. When Scout and Jem hear this they are completely astonished by the fact that the white race is looked down upon by other races. Racism is a problem that affects everyone; even the “master” race. “Now don’t you be so confident Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a

Read More

More about Theme Of Racial Inequality And Injustice In To Kill A Mockingbird

Related Topics

Open Document