Theme Of Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

In Harper Lee’s book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Jem , Scout , and Dill live in Maycomb , Alabama around the time of the 1930’s they all were struggling through racism and poor family’s trying to get by. Harper Lee’s first and only novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” was published during the civil right movements. In this book Jem, Scout, and Dill tend to have courage and loyalty through life and in their relationship toward one another . Jem and Scout are brother and sister, Dill is a friend of the family but they accept him as a brother. Although, Jem and Dill have the most exceptional relationship out of them all. “ To Kill A Mockingbird” the impact racism had on society shows through the setting , characters , and town of Maycomb , Alabama .

Throughout the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, there are various types of themes displayed. One of the most prominent themes highlighted in the novel is racism being kept alive through fear and ignorance. With this theme, Lee is able to portray the time period in which the characters lived in. With this portration, the readers are able to experience what life was like back when racism caused clashes between the whites and African Americans.

Few people can imagine living during the time of racial segregation or the great depression. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place from the year 1933 to 1995. During this time, two siblings named Scout and Jem Finch are living in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. While growing up, they go through many events and learn numerous lessons from their father, Atticus Finch. Throughout the novel, Jem goes through many experiences that change the way he perceives the town of Maycomb and it’s people.

In the story “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the main character Scout realizes the town she lives in is full of bias and prejudice toward negros. Scout, the only daughter of lawyer Atticus Finch, is faced with the activism that follows this prejudice when her father decides to defend a negro, Tom Robinson, in the court of law. She is constantly harassed and tormented by the residence of their small town, Maycom. What Lee is trying to show through these events is that people are always going to have prejudices, and sometimes these prejudices come from the people you least expect it form. In the story, neighbors, friends, and family all show their prejudices about the defendant Tom Robinson to Scout, who finally realize the world isn’t perfect but is, in fact, full of flaws and prejudices.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a book written by Nelle Harper Lee. It’s set in a fictional town in Alabama called Maycomb during the Great Depression. This story follows The Finch family (Scout, Jem and Atticus) during a case that Atticus takes on. Mayella Ewell and her father accuse a man of rape. Since this man, Tom Robinson, is african-american all the occupants of maycomb assume he is guilty. Eventually,

Imagine being persecuted your entire life. Having to constantly respect someone even though they were rude to you. This is what many African-Americans had to go through during the 1930’s. Racism is a major aspect in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The main character, Scout, has to deal with this problem everyday. Bob Ewell, Mr. Cunningham, and other characters are very racist, and don’t approve of Atticus defending a “Negroe”. This causes Scout to be bullied in school and even attacked by Mr. Ewell. Also, characters such as Tom Robinson are negatively affected by racism in Maycomb. Tom is killed just because of his skin color. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee’s use of point-of-view, irony, and symbolism help to develop

Decades ago, in the 1930s, people of color were not treated fairly. Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird took place in the 1930s in the fictional place of Macomb County, Alabama. It was narrated through a young girl named Scout Finch. Throughout the novel, Scout, her older brother, Jem, and their good friend Dill discover realities of society. Scout and Jem’s father, Atticus, was appointed to be the attorney of a black man. Because of the time period, the case was almost hopeless, but Atticus fought anyway. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird displays universal themes such as racial intolerance and innocence of youth.

There are many themes shown throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird. The author, Harper Lee made the novel take place in the 1930s and in a fictional town called Maycomb County in Alabama. The narrator was a young girl in the novel names Scout Finch. Throughout the book Scout, her older brother Jem, and her best friend Dill discover new things and become more mature. Then towards the end of the book Atticus, the father of Jem and Scout, agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a white girl. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, racial intolerance and courage are two of the many themes demonstrated throughout the novel.

In Harper Lee’s classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (Lee, 245). As To Kill A Mockingbird takes place in the 1930’s, for a white woman to accuse a man of color of committing a crime would mean that the man has been declared guilty before they are given a chance to defend themselves, leading to false convictions. Even if they were to be given the chance to try to save themselves from an unjust verdict, the juries normally consisted of white men, consequently leading to an inevitable conviction. With Tom Robinson being a black man and Mayella Ewell being a white woman, this was the reality for Tom when he was accused of raping Mayella. With this accusation, it became very clear who exactly had been infected with “Maycomb’s usual disease”(Lee, 91) especially Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father. Racism and injustice are both heavy influences in To Kill A Mockingbird as the story takes place in 1930 where many white people had racist views towards people of color, giving white people a higher status in Maycomb County, Alabama, thus giving them more power than people of color. This played a large role in one of the bigger conflicts in the story with Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson as the two men hold to different social statuses showing everyone their true colors. Throughout the novel we are presented with numerous quotes showing how Tom Robinson and Mr. Bob Ewell acted before the trial and how the trial has showed us what their true intentions are.

Francis Jeffrey once said, “Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest violence.” This cannot be closer to the truth, especially in regard to the treatment of black people in the United States during their fight for equality in the 1900’s. To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during the early 1900’s. The story is told from Scout’s point of view and follows the lives of her, Jem her brother, Atticus their father, and their friend Dill. Atticus is a lawyer and is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, against charges of beating and raping a white girl. Jem and Scout witness and are subject to prejudice on account of race, gender, and social class. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, fear, gossip and stereotyping play a major role in the creation of discrimination and unjust prejudice between people, but these same people seek out common ground with others despite differences which is often times found by creating a common enemy which is observed and developed throughout the story by the main character, Scout.

Living in 2017, many people believe America is free of racism and prejudice. That it is past the years of wrongfully convicting African-American men and past an unfair judicial system. People believe equality for all is really happening. Yet, studies show that innocent black men are seven times more likely to be convicted of murder than innocent white people. Another study shows that even though black people represent only 13% of the US population they represent 47% of 1,900 exonerations from 1989 to mid-October of 2016. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee shows us that racism and fear are often more powerful than justice and morality. Three characters who understand this injustice include Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Tom

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, many minor themes are present such as gender and age. However, the largest and therefore major theme of the book is racism. All of the events and themes in the book had only one purpose, to support the theme of racism.

names’s Tom Robinson”. Discuss the effects of racism on Maycomb citizens such as Tom and Helen Robinson,

Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is set in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression; the protagonist for the novel is Jean-Louise Finch or Scout due to her observations and questions throughout the novel. Scout lives with her father- Atticus, her older brother- Jem, and Calpurnia- the cook and caretaker of the Finch children. Due to Atticus, a white lawyer, defending Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of beating and raping Mayella Ewell, few are supportive of him, such as Scout, Jem, and Miss. Maudie. Thus, Scout and Jem must face complications, such as the verdict of the trial, Boo Radley, and the incident with Bob Ewell to mature and leave the innocent views they previously had.

Taking place in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s, Atticus Finch a well-known attorney and father, guides his children through the tough period of racism while helping them perceive the importance of understanding and accepting others. The award-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, demonstrates how a broad perspective and the growth of knowledge can contribute significantly to one’s opinion and judgement of others, resulting in increased empathy. As Scout begins to mature, she gains knowledge and experience and learns to demonstrate compassion for the citizens of Maycomb while she experiments with putting herself in their situations.