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Theme Of Racial Judgement In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Part of the human nature consists of racial judgment towards others. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, presents themes of gender bias, justice, and social class. But one of the main focuses in the book is racism. Most of the people in Maycomb County show racial judgments, opinions, and comments against African American people, as well as white people. Jem and Scout learn the power of racism and what it does to people, as they experience certain situations. Through the stories of Tom Robinson's trial, Jem and Scouts journey to Calpurnia's church, and Mrs. Dubose's commentary to Jem, the theme of racism remains.

For instance, in Tom Robinson's trial, the jury consisted of fellow townspeople who obviously had a racial opinion. Unfortunately, the people of the jury never accepted the words of a black man over a white man.. In fact, Atticus told his son that “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.” (Lee, 295) Due to this, they convicted innocent Tom Robinson as guilty, considering his ethnic background as a black man and the accuser as a white woman. Not only did Atticus's children detect the racial prejudice in the courtroom, but in people they knew. Sadly, due to the racism thoughts and judgments, Tom's trial did not consist of a fair …show more content…

Dubose's narration about Jem's father shows her criticism about the fact that Atticus decided to defend a black man. To elaborate, Mrs. Dubose sat in her her on her porch when Jem and Scout pasted by. Instead of keeping her thoughts to herself, she yelled out to Jem and Scout “ Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” (Lee, ) In this comment, she expresses her frustration about Atticus taking a case that includes a black man. Additionally, Mrs. Dubose also presented her opinion that black people are like trash. In the end, Jem turns furious due to her racial comments and expressions towards Atticus, and the

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Another person who is stereotyped in this novel is Mrs. Dubose, a woman who is also known as “The meanest old woman who ever lived”. Mrs. Dubose is one of the many people who are against Atticus and she is one of the people who call him a “nigger lover”. At the beginning of the novel Mrs. Dubose is depicted as an angry old lady, who is an overall seems to be bitter and has a horrible attitude. In reality Mrs. Dubose is an old woman who is suffering from an addiction that she is trying to break. She knows that she isn’t going to win her battle with addiction but she tries anyways and uses Jem reading to her as a distraction to make it easier for her.

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Due to the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird, the outcome of Tom Robinson's trial is likely to be Tom ruled guilty. One piece of evidence to support a guilty verdict is the fact that Tom Robinson is black and the Ewells are white. In the 1930's, if a black man was accused of raping a white woman, a guilty verdict and the death penalty was the most common outcome. Earlier on in the story, Atticus states that they had already lost due to the color of Tom's skin.

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Dubose was an example of encouraging people to think that all African American men should not be supported. While Atticus’s children were on a walk she would yell rude things at them regarding their father supporting Tom. For example, she said, “...“Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for a …” (Lee 117). Mrs.Dubose finds it so absurd that a white man would even support an African American man.

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After Atticus loses his trial, Jem notices that the Maycomb County justice system is broken and it needs help, “Then it all goes back to the jury, then. We oughta do away with juries. ”(294) This shows that Jem now understands that people are racist in everything and racism needs to be fought. On top of realizing that the justice system is in shambles, Jem realized that Tom Robinson’s case was very good at showing that.

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The conflict between Mrs. Dubose and Atticus reveals that she is racist, and has a very strong dislike for black people. With Mrs. Dubose hating on Atticus for defending a black man proves that she is biased against him, which will lead to injustice. Later in the book when Atticus is outside the jail where Tom (the black man) was staying, bunch of men pulled up to find Tom. “In ones and twos, men got out of the cars. Shadows became substance as lights revealed solid shapes moving toward the jail door.

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In this time, the discrimination against black people was harsh, and people think poorly of black people. In To Kill A Mockingbird, white citizens believe that black people always commit crimes. First, Mrs. Dubose was mean to the Finch family because Atticus defends Tom Robinson. She insults Atticus in front of their children. Second, the gangs of men believe Tom Robinson is guilty because he is black.

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and she kept criticising them for things like scout wearing overalls and saying she should be in a dress. And she keeps talking about ther dad and how he is working with an african american and saying. (sided 2) “Your father 's no better than the niggers and trash he works for.” and she tries to change the kids how she wants them to be not how atticus wants them to be. Also miss dubose is a ill lady because when she is about to argue with jem and scout

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Don’t see how any jury could convict on what we heard-’...’Now don’t be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man,”’ on page 279 paragraphs 6-7. Harper Lee then continues on page 282 paragraphs 2-3 to write, “A jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted, and when this jury came in, not one of them looked at Tom Robinson…’Guilty...guilty...guilty...guilty.’” Then, on page 285 paragraph10 it says, “‘They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it-seems that only children weep.’” This all comes together to prove that the children, Jem especially, saw how the verdict should have been and then goes on to suggest that if the jury had been made up of kids the verdict would have been much faster and would have been right because the children would not have been blinded by public opinion. So, the irony of Jem believing Tom Robinson would be free and the belief everyone else had including Atticus that the jury would convict Tom Robinson, shows that adults have come to believe that justice no longer matters, while hypocritically teaching their children that it

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Mrs.Dubose, an ill, elderly woman who lives close to the Finches, demonstrates rudeness and disrespectfulness, which is a problem for society because people can hurt others emotionally and physically and not care about it. Jem has to read to Mrs.Dubose every day after school and on Saturdays for an entire month as a punishment for destroying her camellias but also, a distraction for Mrs.Dubouse to quit her morphine addiction, one afternoon Mrs.Dubouse comments, “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawing for a n*****!” (Lee, 117). Not only does she insult Scout over her waiting on tables, but she directs her racism towards Atticus for defending Tom Robinson at the trial, which makes Jem mad. This shows how disrespectful

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“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 white man…” (Lee 179). This quote from Reverend Sykes in To Kill a Mockingbird is a sort of summary of how and why Tom Robinson was wrongly convicted guilty. It also gives a lot of insight on race relations in this time period. Unfortunately, racism has yet to leave society.

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In society, there are very few people who have the unwavering dedication to stand up for what they believe. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a black man was convicted and accused of a crime he didn 't commit, raping a white women, which is not in anyway tolerable in society. In Harper Lee 's To Kill A Mockingbird, the author used point of view and symbolism to acknowledge how the the several social divisions which make up much of the adult world are shown to be both irrational and extremely destructive. To begin with, the short story To Kill A Mockingbird, used point of view to show how the many social divisions in the world are irrational and destructive. Scout; a first grade student at the time, was telling the story from her point of view and what had occurred from her childhood perspective.

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