Is Reputation The Most Important Aspect Of Life?

Mayella had a great amount of power in the courtroom during the trial of Tom Robinson. This completely classless manipulative woman used the disadvantages she was dealt in life to her benefit. She made advances toward this black man, when he did not reciprocate those feelings she accused him of rape. He is convicted and sent to prison because of her. Through this, she also gains power that removes her from her father’s sexual abuse. He does not want her because of the relations with a

In other words, having a good reputation can be good, as can most things, as long as one does not focus solely on it.

This statement is extremely noticeable and it becomes clear as the novel progresses that racism among the white characters is a result of fearfulness and concern for their own interests. Examples of this is apparent where a group of men go to where Tom Robinson is detained, with the intention to beat him up, rationalizing that this is the right thing to do because he “raped” a white woman. This can also be seen when Mayella attempts to reconcile herself with the fact that she will be sending an innocent man to prison by justifying this as being a victim herself, in reference to her social stance in society, her father’s abusiveness towards her and the ridicule she would endure if she told the

Racism is an issue that blacks face, and have faced throughout history directly and indirectly. Ralph Ellison has done a great job in demonstrating the effects of racism on individual identity through a black narrator. Throughout the story, Ellison provides several examples of what the narrator faced in trying to make his-self visible and acceptable in the white culture. Ellison engages the reader so deeply in the occurrences through the narrator’s agony, confusion, and ambiguity. In order to understand the narrators plight, and to see things through his eyes, it is important to understand that main characters of the story which contributes to his plight as well as the era in which the story takes place.

Have you ever been too filled with hate and pride to see the obvious truth right in front of you? The year was 1935 in the small town of Maycomb Alabama. During this time an important trial would be taking place. The trial of Tom Robinson, an African and American who had been promptly accused of rape by the one man who had seen the incident. Bob Ewell a despised person throughout the community and the father of the victim, Mayella Ewell, Bob’s abused, lonely, unhappy daughter. Though one can pity Mayella because of her overbearing father, one cannot pardon her for her shameful indictment of Tom Robinson.

says, “My folks said your daddy was a disgrace an that nigger oughta hang from the water-tank!”

Due to Mayella's race she gains power. Mayella is white, living in the 1930's time period. So she will have very little power. The jury will take the side of a white woman over the side of a negro man. This is the only power that Mayella has and uses her race to her advantage in a bad way.

From the beginning of the story, we are shown racial inequalities. Ellison introduces us to our character who is a broke and hungry African American economically struggling to save his lady friend’s, Laura’s, life. The protagonist “got no birth certificate to

The two people involved in the so-called crime, Tom Robinson and Mayella Ewell, are at the very bottom of Maycomb society. Tom is black and Mayella one of the poorest of the poor whites. However, neither of them fits into the stereotypes held by the people of Maycomb. Tom is honest, hardworking and dependable, as Mr Link Deas's shouted testimony and his demeanour in court

Tom discovers his real identity which changes his life drastically. He is finally aware of the fact that he is not white and it become noticeable in various ways. “It was the ‘nigger’ in him asserting its humility, and he blushed and was abashed. And the ‘nigger’ in him was surprised when the white friend put out his hand for a shake with him” P.56 Tom’s behavior is innate and raises the question of nature and nurture, and racial heritage.

Since Mayella is the lowest in her class she is almost equal to an African-American. African- Americans had no power and were not respected by anyone during the time the book was written. In Mayella’s case against Tom Robinson she is about equal to him. The only way Mayella and her dad win the case against Tom is, because they are white and he is African- American. There is also a white judge,a white jury and the jury is mostly like Mayella and her dad, they decide if Tom is guilty or not.

This enables us to see the white society’s prejudice consumption to believe that all Negroes are alike and dumb witted savages who do not have any thought for their life or future. Prejudice is further seen during Tom Robinson’s trial through the usage of idiom of the racist south such as ‘nigger, darky, and boy’ by the general white society. The use of offensive language which is usually reserved for animals such as ‘I seen that black nigger… ruttin’ on my Mayella!’ further shows the vast amounts of racial prejudice sewn in the white man’s heart. This metaphor of Tom ‘ruttin’ depicts that the black man has been reduced to such low levels in society that he is compared to an animal.

“Father, just gi' ussen de money, fo' God's sake, and we's—we's ain't gwine come out deh and dirty up yo' white folks neighborhood ... And I'll feel fine! Fine! FINE!”

     "You're nobody, son.  You don't exist-can't you see that?  The white folk tell everybody what to think-except men like me.  I tell them: that's my life, telling white folk how to think about the things I know about....But I've made my place in it and I'll have every Negro in the country hanging on tree limbs by morning if it means staying where I am" (Ellison 143).

The book’s character’s main problem is finding individuality in racism. For the duration of the book, the narrator is constantly fighting racism and stereotypes. Ellison put many examples in the book to help show the character’s fight to be seen equal. Ellison shows that, through the character himself, that you can not tell people who to be. However, Ellison throws curves at the narrator that challenges