Friday, March 28, 2014
Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird (Essay)
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout Finch's sees many things in life at a young age. Her father Atticus is a very wise man who shows her and her brother Jem how to see the world. Atticus is also a lawyer who takes on the job of defending a black man accused of rape. In this time period, the 1930's, racism is a booming issue. In To Kill a Mockingbird racism plays a big part in the story line.
During the 1930's the Jim Crowe laws were not in affect. Blacks were still very disrespected. It was not acceptable for them to even commingle with whites in a public setting. Scout Finch is a little different. Atticus raised his children not to see skin color but the person underneath. Calpurnia, the Finch's house cook, has an impact on this. She not only plays the role of a wise black woman, but she opens Scout and Jem's eyes to her culture. She takes them to her black church one Sunday morning. Scout notices that Calpurnia talks differently around her black folks than she does when she is around white people. Talking "nigger-talk" is unusual and wrong in white people's eyes at that time, blacks would only talk and act a certain way around each other. Finch points this out to Calpurnia and she says certain things are not meant for everywhere. It is sad that the blacks could not even be themselves in front of white people, they had to watch the way they talked to show them respect. Calpurnia also invited Jem and finch to her house because they wanted to go, but their Aunt Alexandra happens to be in town and puts a stop to it. The Finch family is one of the few white families that thinks it is acceptable to befriend blacks.
Tom Robinson's trial takes racism to a whole new level in the story. Tom is convicted of rape purely because he is black and his accuser is white. The evidence may be in his favor, but his skin color is not. Atticus fights against the racism of this trial, and a few other townspeople are on his side, including Miss Maudie and Judge Taylor. Jem and Scout also believe in racial equality, but are obviously in the minority. When Atticus loses the trial, he tries to make his children understand that even though he lost, he did help move along the ending of racism; the trial was lengthened out and Tom was given much more of a chance than previous blacks. Usually, such a trial would have ended immediately.
In the 1930's racism affected many people's lives. For some like Tome Robinson it decided their fate; and for some like Scout Finch it gave them a new outlook on life. Racism is still a problem that is in effect today, but we can learn from Atticus and his children: by accepting every color and fighting for what is right you can see the world in a better way.
During the 1930's the Jim Crowe laws were not in affect. Blacks were still very disrespected. It was not acceptable for them to even commingle with whites in a public setting. Scout Finch is a little different. Atticus raised his children not to see skin color but the person underneath. Calpurnia, the Finch's house cook, has an impact on this. She not only plays the role of a wise black woman, but she opens Scout and Jem's eyes to her culture. She takes them to her black church one Sunday morning. Scout notices that Calpurnia talks differently around her black folks than she does when she is around white people. Talking "nigger-talk" is unusual and wrong in white people's eyes at that time, blacks would only talk and act a certain way around each other. Finch points this out to Calpurnia and she says certain things are not meant for everywhere. It is sad that the blacks could not even be themselves in front of white people, they had to watch the way they talked to show them respect. Calpurnia also invited Jem and finch to her house because they wanted to go, but their Aunt Alexandra happens to be in town and puts a stop to it. The Finch family is one of the few white families that thinks it is acceptable to befriend blacks.
Tom Robinson's trial takes racism to a whole new level in the story. Tom is convicted of rape purely because he is black and his accuser is white. The evidence may be in his favor, but his skin color is not. Atticus fights against the racism of this trial, and a few other townspeople are on his side, including Miss Maudie and Judge Taylor. Jem and Scout also believe in racial equality, but are obviously in the minority. When Atticus loses the trial, he tries to make his children understand that even though he lost, he did help move along the ending of racism; the trial was lengthened out and Tom was given much more of a chance than previous blacks. Usually, such a trial would have ended immediately.
In the 1930's racism affected many people's lives. For some like Tome Robinson it decided their fate; and for some like Scout Finch it gave them a new outlook on life. Racism is still a problem that is in effect today, but we can learn from Atticus and his children: by accepting every color and fighting for what is right you can see the world in a better way.
Frenemies
"This time we aren't fighting the Yankees, we're fighting our friends. But remember this, no matter how bitter things get, they're still our friends and this is still our home." (Chapter 9)
Atticus explains to Scout that if you're engaged in bitter warfare with someone, you can still be their friend at the same time. You continue to treat them with a friend's respect, and you remember that they're part of a larger community that stays whole even if its parts are pulling in different directions. The whole community is against Atticus and his decisions, but he still respects everyone equally. I agree with this, you don't have to treat someone bad if you're against their decisions.
Atticus explains to Scout that if you're engaged in bitter warfare with someone, you can still be their friend at the same time. You continue to treat them with a friend's respect, and you remember that they're part of a larger community that stays whole even if its parts are pulling in different directions. The whole community is against Atticus and his decisions, but he still respects everyone equally. I agree with this, you don't have to treat someone bad if you're against their decisions.
Being A Girl Is Good!
"Calpurnia seemed glad to see me when I appeared in the kitchen, and by watching her I began to think there was some skill involved in being a girl." (Chapter 12)
Until now, being a girl has been what happens when Scout fails to live up to Jem's standards of what a person should be. Jem used to tease Scout all the time when she would act too wimpy to do something he would do. Scout was a natural feminist, gender did not matter to her. "I can do anything you can do better." Watching Calpurnia, Scout realizes that being a girl actually involves having positive traits instead of lacking them. Being a girl does take a lot of work; cooking, cleaning, looking nice, behaving maturely, and countless other responsibilities. I can relate to Scout because I used to be a big tomboy. Now I am older and I love my girly side I have recently found. Now I even go on dates! I believe that women and men are equal; but we have different roles. It is nice to behave like a lady, and let a man take care of you. Something that Scout would have to learn later on in life.
Until now, being a girl has been what happens when Scout fails to live up to Jem's standards of what a person should be. Jem used to tease Scout all the time when she would act too wimpy to do something he would do. Scout was a natural feminist, gender did not matter to her. "I can do anything you can do better." Watching Calpurnia, Scout realizes that being a girl actually involves having positive traits instead of lacking them. Being a girl does take a lot of work; cooking, cleaning, looking nice, behaving maturely, and countless other responsibilities. I can relate to Scout because I used to be a big tomboy. Now I am older and I love my girly side I have recently found. Now I even go on dates! I believe that women and men are equal; but we have different roles. It is nice to behave like a lady, and let a man take care of you. Something that Scout would have to learn later on in life.
Children & Conflict
"The adults in Maycomb never discussed the case with Jem and me; it seemed that they discussed it with their children, and their attitude must have been that neither of us could help having Atticus for a parent, so their children must be nice to us in spite of him. The children would never have thought that up for themselves: had our classmates been left to their own devices, Jem and I would have had several swift, satisfying fist-fights apiece and ended the matter for good. As it was, we were compelled to hold our heads high and be, respectively, a gentleman and a lady." (Chapter 26)
Being faced with an adult conflict, Scout and Jem are forced to act like adults. It may be less violent than the kid's method of fighting it out, bottling up those emotions means that they are holding more than they would otherwise. The other children at school treat Jem and Scout differently; they also talk behind their backs. Jem and Scout are very mature for their ages; they see the world differently because they have been raised by a good father figure, Atticus. Atticus has taught them a lot about life in their youth. When children are faced with adults' conflicts they can either learn from them or become bitter. Scout and Jem could have chosen to be embarrassed that their dad was supporting a black man in a trial, but they were raised much more open-minded than that. Scout and Jem chose to see the bigger picture; they are proud of their dad for helping someone innocent.
Being faced with an adult conflict, Scout and Jem are forced to act like adults. It may be less violent than the kid's method of fighting it out, bottling up those emotions means that they are holding more than they would otherwise. The other children at school treat Jem and Scout differently; they also talk behind their backs. Jem and Scout are very mature for their ages; they see the world differently because they have been raised by a good father figure, Atticus. Atticus has taught them a lot about life in their youth. When children are faced with adults' conflicts they can either learn from them or become bitter. Scout and Jem could have chosen to be embarrassed that their dad was supporting a black man in a trial, but they were raised much more open-minded than that. Scout and Jem chose to see the bigger picture; they are proud of their dad for helping someone innocent.
Justice
"She has committed no crime, she has merely broken a time-honored code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with. She is the victim of cruel poverty and ignorance, but I cannot pity her: she is white. She knew full well the enormity of her offense, but her desires were stronger than the code she was breaking and she persisted in breaking it." (Chapter 20)
It's not fair at all for Tom on trial and pre-convicted for something he didn't do. But Mayella is also a victim of a secret injustice: dirt poor, kept ignorant, raped by her father, and forbidden to seek companionship from the one person who was ever nice to her. It's no surprise that Atticus is the one to see it, he is very was and understanding. I feel like this situation happens in society all the time; people get blamed for something that they didn't do. Injustice is an unfair subject but there isn't really anything we can do to stop it. The only thing one can do as an individual is to play their part; be honest all the time. What goes around comes around; and Mayella's father will get what's coming to him.
It's not fair at all for Tom on trial and pre-convicted for something he didn't do. But Mayella is also a victim of a secret injustice: dirt poor, kept ignorant, raped by her father, and forbidden to seek companionship from the one person who was ever nice to her. It's no surprise that Atticus is the one to see it, he is very was and understanding. I feel like this situation happens in society all the time; people get blamed for something that they didn't do. Injustice is an unfair subject but there isn't really anything we can do to stop it. The only thing one can do as an individual is to play their part; be honest all the time. What goes around comes around; and Mayella's father will get what's coming to him.
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