To Kill A Mockingbird: Racial Issues Relevant Today

How does racism affect a story? As a kid in the 1930s, Harper Lee grew up when there was hardly any equality for African Americans. Harper Lee’s only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is heavily based off of prejudice and racism from her childhood. In her book, she writes about racial discrimination through the eyes of a six year-old girl, named Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, during the Great Depression. Her and her family are deeply tied into racism and prejudice involved throughout this story. Racism in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is ever apparent as the story is located in a small southern town in Alabama; it is reflected upon three of the main characters: Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, Jem Finch and their father, Atticus Finch.

Today, if one was asked about racism, ageism or stereotypes,  most likely their reaction would be to think about the news reports and stories appearing daily. The issues themselves, however, are not new as shown in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. In the book, the main character Scout retells experiences she had as a child with these same prejudices. Racism, ageism and stereotypes are all significant components in both the novel and modern life.

Is Stereotyping and racism truly wrong? In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee six year old Scout Finch, and her older brother Jem, live with their father in cozy Maycomb, Alabama. They love to spend time with their close friend Dill, and also spy on their mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley. Later Atticus, there widowed father, defends a black man named Tom Robinson against fabricated rape charges from the Ewell family, exposing the children to the evil of stereotyping and racism in the South. Throughout the trial Atticus taught his children to respect others, no matter what action they were accused of committing. Atticus lived by the theme respect others, protect the innocent, and always take a moral stance.

The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, addresses the issues of racism and discrimination in the south during the 1930s through a trial concerning rape. Tom Robinson, though convicted of this crime, was innocent. The evidence within the case shows that Tom Robinson is innocent because of Mayella Ewell, the young lady that claims she was raped, has most of her bruises on her right side, however, Tom Robinson’s left arm is completely useless. To add, Tom sounds more trustworthy than the other two witnesses, Mayella and Bob Ewell. The first witness, Heck Tate, says during his testimony, “‘It was her right eye, Mr. Finch. I remember now, she was bunged up on that side of the face…’” (Lee 225), with this information, it makes it less likely that Tom Robinson had assaulted Mayella because “his left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right” (Lee 248). However, it is more probable that Bob Ewell abused Mayella because, during Bob Ewell’s cross-examination, Atticus asks him to write his name, and Judge Taylor realizes Bob Ewell is left-handed when announcing, “‘You’re left-handed, Mr. Ewell’” (Lee 237). During Heck Tate’s testimony, he says that Mayella’s right side of the face was beaten up, however, Tom Robinson’s left arm is shorter than his right, so it is implausible he would have pummelled Mayella’s face, but it’s more likely for Bob Ewell to do so because he is left-handed, and, in general, is a horrible person. This proves Tom could not have walloped Mayella’s right

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.

Considering To Kill a Mockingbird took place in the South in the 1930s, there is bound to be racial bigotry, especially in a trial consisting of a black man against a white woman. While being questioned on the witness stand, “Mr. Ewell [...] stood up and pointed his finger at Tom Robinson. ‘—I seen that black [ni**er] yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!’” (173). By using this derogative term to identify someone, it is clear to the reader that Mr. Ewell has a prejudice against African-Americans. Though it can be argued that Mr. Ewell was only saying this out of spite to hurt Tom Robinson for allegedly rqping his daughter, racism was a constant theme throughout the novel that was shown by most of the

American racism has been a topic of discussion for 240 years. Recently it’s been in the spotlight a lot more and it’s been captured evermore so more by handheld technology. The unequal treatment of people based on race goes back to the ancient peoples. The book To Kill A MockingBird demonstrates it well. In the book there's a trial in which a black man named Tom Robinson is being accused of rape by a white women and her father (Mayella and Bob Ewells). There was no evidence against Tom but he was still convicted. This shows how unfair the justice system was and may even still be.

In Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, that was written in 1960, the racial issues are a big part of the story. In the Tom Robinson case, the racial issue is what makes Atticus think he will lose the case. Tom is a black man accused of raping a white woman. In this time, a white man’s word was more trusted than a black man’s. The jury for the case was made of all white men so they would be against Tom. Also, it was a white woman which made the case worse. Blacks were looked down upon and did not have a say in the government. Atticus tries his best to defend Tom because he knows he can’t do anything due to the racial issues.

In Maya Angelou’s words, “ Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future and renders the present inaccessible.” Society has begun to accept all races, genders, and beliefs, and has achieved “the political correctness,” but much of the world’s history is based upon hatred and individuals who discriminated based upon these issues. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, sets this novel in the 1930’s, in Maycomb County, Alabama, USA about the Finch family: a daughter, Scout, whos the narrator of the novel, Jem, the son, and the father, Atticus, who is a prestigious lawyer. The father is given a case to defend a black man who was convicted for allegedly raping a white woman. In which, the town folks disagree with a white man

This part of the book explains how Bob Ewell had went as far as trying to kill Atticus’s kids because of the event that took place in the court even though Ewell won. Ewell wanted revenge on Atticus because even though he won the case, he was publicly humiliated by Atticus for implying that he was the one who beat up Mayella, and that he falsely convicted Tom Robinson. Bob Ewell’s action stems from his racial discrimination against Tom Robinson maybe even before that, and when he saw Mayella kissing a colored man, he wanted to accuse and place the entire blame on Tom, but the trial didn’t fully go his way. That led him to take actions into his own hands and try to harm Atticus’s kids in order to take his revenge. This relation explains how racial discrimination effects a person’s course of

As an eighth grader in the United States of America, I have grown up with an African American president for more than half of my life, and, therefore, the most diverse administration in U.S history. As an eighth grader in New York City, I have grown up in an environment where almost 70% is composed of people of color, making this city amongst the ten most racially diverse in the world. Correspondingly, the world in my eyes is far more different than that represented in To Kill a Mockingbird. In over 80 years of American history (1930s-2017) we have faced immense racial and social progress; The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed public segregation and employment discrimination and four laws have since been added to prevent discrimination. In the text, this improvement was not present. During the trial, white people sat on the first floor and black people sat on the balcony; Jem and Scout are brought to an all-colored church

Harper Lee's To kill a Mockingbird addresses many forms of discrimination. Scouts father, Atticus is a lawyer defending the whites and blacks in his community. People discriminate by gender, race, religion, sexual preferences, social class, wealth class, and by disabilities. Many and if not all are shown is this book. Racism, sexism, and social class are the most significant form of discrimination in the book and the most actively used form. According to Rezazade blacks have been “considered as the inferior creatures who are socially, politically, and culturally deprived of their rights as human beings” (1). This is completely true and is shown in To kill a Mockingbird.

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is well renowned for giving accurate insight on racism in the southern United States in the early twentieth century, an issue that is still controversial in present day. Racism creates inequalities amongst different ethnic groups that have implications on the mental well being of individuals. The culture of racism needs to be put to an end as it is destructive for all members of society.

In the 1930s racial issues did exist, this is also the time setting for To Kill a Mockingbird. Racial issues were not only between African Americans and Whites, racial issues also arose with Asian and Americans heavily leading into the 1940s. Being an African American appeared to be the most difficult because racial tensions were so popular and known, while racial discrimination between Asians and Americans were not as common. The strict segregation and rules that were put in place by the government were horrific and terrible, for example African Americans had to not only go to separate schools and Churches but also separated water fountains, stairs, and some stores. The Tom Robinson case handled racial issues in To Kill a Mockingbird, The Scottsboro Boys, Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, and Roosevelt’s internment all handled racial discrimination.

Throughout America Racism has been a major problem. One of the reasons it is a problem is because of the KKK or Ku Klux Klan and it is clearly seen that the group is racist. In Harper Lee’s Novel “ To Kill A Mockingbird” racism is also clearly seen throughout the town. When an angry mob ambushes Tom Robinson it is similar to what the KKK did.