The Power of One The inequality of races was and is a major problem in many countries of the world, one of which is the U.S.A. “Freedom is not Free”, as a U.S. Air Force Colonel once said. Many negroes were lynched, disliked and treated as the worst of mankind only because of their skin colour. The country had equality but not equity. This is the problem that changed and ruined many lives and cultures. The novel To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee illustrates how Tom Robinson, Scout and Atticus Finch have courage and honor, as well as use words and actions to instigate an ideological shift in their community. The victim of aspersion and “equality of races” Tom Robinson was a brave and courageous young fellow, his case was …show more content…
As Atticus said “And so a quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people’s.”(Lee,109). In the time frame of the 1930’s for a negro standing up against two white people, was equal to death and Tom understood that, he had to have courage to tell the truth in front of the judge at the trial. “She says she asked you to bust up a chiffarobe, is that right?” “No suh, it ain’t.”(Lee, 105). It was unusual scene of a trial for those times, but it was abnormal for a negro to say something against a white man on a trial. You could say it was illegal (in the southern states) for the time for a negroe to declare that a white man is lying, despite this Tom told the truth, this is one of many examples of courage that Tom has shown. As Atticus suggests“I guess Tom was tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.” (Lee, 125). Tom was killed, because he wanted to take his fate in his own hands, he was tired of white people taking his