Examples Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

How would you react if you were falsely accused of a crime when all of your life you had been a good man. However, the catch was you were African American.  A white man’s word against your own. What would be running through your mind? This is exactly the kind of question that was running through Tom Robinson’s mind in this novel. During the 1930s, discrimination against targeted groups of society was prevalent, but small victories occurred to combat this issue in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. From Tom Robinson’s trial, to various stereotypes being broken, and the incidents that took place in Calpurnia’s church for colored people. All of these factors contribute to the purpose behind this novel’s meaning.

Mob Mentality is strange behavior that is displayed when people are in a large group (Smith). People take part in these mobs because, when a group of people are emotional and angry about something, it takes very little for the crowd to break out in violence (Edmonds). In To Kill a Mockingbird mob mentality is apparent in the book. An example of mob mentality is, typically others will follow the initial rioter’s lead (Edmonds). This is shown in To Kill a Mockingbird when Scout guilts the mob into leaving and Mr. Cunningham tells the rest of the mob lets go and they follow right after him (Lee 206). Along with the Jim Crow laws and mob mentality another influence in To Kill a Mockingbird was the Scottsboro

To Kill a Mockingbird took place during the 1930s, a period shortly after the American civil war in Maycomb County, Alabama, the deep south where black people suffered from racism and discrimination. In this book, Tom Robinson was accused of raping a white woman, which was something that he’s never done, even though all the evidence proved that he did not violate that white woman, Tom was judged guilty because he was a black man. Racism is presented throughout the entire book especially when Scout got teased by her family about Atticus taking Tom’s case, and the townspeople's perception about Atticus, as well as during the trial of Tom Robinson.

During the 1930’s depression, there was a great divide between black and white America. There were many communities and groups who had been exposed to the same treatment and persecution as the Negroes in To Kill a Mockingbird. Harper Lee has used a small town setting, such as that in To Kill a Mockingbird, to illustrate America’s views on white supremacy and the inferiority of the black race. The author has illustrated view that are expressed world-wide through her characters in Maycomb county.

Racism is the belief that characteristics and abilities can be attributed to people simply based on their race and that some racial groups are superior to others. This has been a problem in our world forever. In to Kill a Mockingbird there are so many racist events and it reflects on the society as a whole till this day. The book setting was the 1930’s in a small county of Maycomb, where most people were racist and discriminatory. People think racism has died off, but it is still a huge problem. People choose to raise their children and teach them that racism is okay and that is how there is still racism today. There are so many statistics out there based on skin color that right there is even racist if everyone is equal why are there polls being taken separating people by the color of their skin?

Lynch mob as a literal concept is self-evident. Clark uses the mob as a form of criticism against the lynching that occurred in 1870’s to 1960’s in the southern United States against the African-American citizens. He also uses it to symbolise the corruption and the power play of the white in establishing the white supremacy and

In To Kill a Mockingbird, and in the world today there is racial and social inequality going on all around us. I am sure that there will never be true racial and social equality, but I think that it will get dramatically better. Just like it has gotten better since the 1930’s, which is the time that To Kill a Mockingbird is set in.

“Devastation and uncertainty” are two words that describe the feelings of thousands of Americans during the Great Depression(McCabe 12). From losing homes to jobs, many Americans were left devastated. These feelings during this time period were Harper Lee’s main inspiration to writing her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Within the novel, there were many connections to the Jim Crows laws, mob mentality, and the Scottsboro trials.

The first historical influence in Lee’s book is the Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow are the rules set upon black people to take their rights away. White folk thought that they needed Jim Crow because they wanted to remain superior. White folk also believed that they were the chosen ones. A few examples of Jim Crow are that black people could never say that a white person was lying, even if they were. Black people had separate, hospitals, ect. If there was any sexual interactions between a black and a white person it was illegal. These are just a few of the unfair laws, but if they broke one of these laws the punishments were unimaginable. The whites believed that violence must be used to keep the whites superior, and the blacks were arrested for crimes they didn't do. If a black person disobeyed one of the Jim Crow laws they would risk their jobs, homes, and their lives. One of the worst punishments when a black person would disobey one of the laws were Lynchings. Lynchings were public murders that were sadistic and hosted by mobs(Pilgrim). The

In the novel, Harper Lee emphasizes about how difficult for the black people to live in the 1930s when racial discrimination was a normal activity. The problem of racism was rampant and was as strong as ever in southern

The slave mindset of white families and slaveowners continued after the abolishment of slavery in 1865 in the form of segregation which was enforced by state and local governments through the use of Jim Crow laws. The levels of racism in the 1930s versus the lower levels of racism in the present correspond with the decline of Jim Crow laws beginning in the mid-20th century, which affected the societal status of black people, their economic status, and their continued effect on today’s laws.

In the riveting coming-of-age novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author Harper Lee projects the idea of acceptance of all people, through the eyes of a child. Harper Lee combats the prejudice of social standing when she proves that some of the poorest people have the best of character traits. While racism of African Americans is first and foremost in this novel, the acceptance of white people into the African American community shows racism can be beaten from both point of views. Finally, the disabilities that Arthur Radley portrays, is forgotten, when his actions help him soar above the bigotry of the people of Maycomb County. The most obvious topic is the overt racism based on a person's skin color, however, Harper Lee takes us beneath the skin to show that discrimination occurs in other ways.

After reading and viewing the mob mentality pieces, I conclude that people in a mob mentality situation do not think rationally and conform under peer pressure. I was able to come to this conclusion because of the articles explaining human behaviors. Many behavioral studies have been conducted on animals and humans. One reason many people conform to others around them is because of wanting to be accepted or have a sense of belonging (Smith). In the photograph by Lawrence Beitler at the lynching many people came from all over the area to see the lynching take place. People in the mob beat the boys up before they were lynched (“Strange Fruit: Anniversary of a Lynching”) The men who did this obviously were not thinking very rationally

Racism: the belief that all members of a specific race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race. This belief has been a part of society for many, many years, and while racism is slowly diminishing, there are still some who believe one's appearance and ethnicity are the defining point for their character. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the citizens of Maycomb repeatedly misjudge African Americans. They treat them as garbage, and continuously make sure they feel left out and unwanted.

Black prejudice continued after the abolishment of slavery in 1865 in the form of segregation which was enforced through the use of the Jim Crow laws. The levels of racism in the 1930s versus the lower levels of racism in the present correspond with the decline of Jim Crow laws beginning in the mid-20th century, which affected the societal status of black people, their economical status, and their continued effect on today’s laws.