How Does Racism Occur In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 1965

Pages: 8

Open Document

August 9, 2014, a white police officer, Darren Wilson shot and killed a black teenager, Michael Brown, who was unarmed (What Happened in Ferguson). Michael Brown and his friend Dorian Johnson were leaving a local store and at this establishment Brown is allegedly accused of stealing; Brown and Johnson leave the store and the theft is reported to the police (What Happened in Ferguson). Brown and Johnson are walking in the middle of the street when police officer Darren Wilson, who is alone in his vehicle, tells the two young men to move to the sidewalk instead of walking in the middle of the street; it is then that Wilson notices that Brown fits the description of the theft (What Happened in Ferguson). Officer Wilson proceeds to call dispatch …show more content…
In both of these scenarios the biggest theme that comes into question is racism. It will be shown how racism occurs throughout the novel and the shooting by comparing what happened in the shooting of Michael Brown and quotes from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, how the racism impacted others in the novel similarly in the shooting of Michael Brown, and how racism should not be as big of an issue as it is today. Before the comparison of the shooting and the novel a brief summary of the book needs to …show more content…
During the trial of Tom Robinson; Bob Ewell is on the witness stand giving his testimony, “I seen that black n***er yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella (Lee 173). This quote Ewell gives is a critical statement that proves how racism was prominent during this time. This statement given by Bob Ewell shows racism because he won’t even give Tom Robinson an identity or a name, instead he degrades and disregards Robinson. There is a quote by Atticus that is clear how racism distresses people during the 20th century. Atticus

Examples Of Sexism In To Kill A Mockingbird

Everyday society picks and chooses who to discriminate against. Maycomb, Alabama is no exception to this rule. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee writes about the people and how they discriminate or how they are being discriminated against. Scout realizes the rights and wrongs of classism, sexism, and racism and how these isms hurt society. In the tiny town of Maycomb, everyone knows everyone and everyone is put into a class. Scout realizes the rights and wrongs of classism through her…

Words 675 - Pages 3

Coming Of Age Journey

The Coming-of-Age Journey: Confronting Racism and Prejudice in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a work that explores themes of racial injustice and the loss of innocence in the American South. One of the most key moments in the novel occurs during Tom Robinson's trial. The trial scene stands as a pivotal moment that marks the coming-of-age journey of Jem and Scout Finch. As the trial of Tom Robinson unfolds in the racially charged atmosphere of Maycomb, Alabama…

Words 832 - Pages 4

To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

Audrey Barclay Ms. Henke English II 12 March 2014 Racism Then and Now In the book To Kill a Mockingbird many examples of extreme racism occur which can be compared to the racism still happening in the twenty-first century. People may think racism has improved over the years, but in reality we’ve just become better at covering it up. Racism is beginning to get better, although, some people have grown up with the norm and begin stereotyping before they even have the chance to think to themselves…

Words 823 - Pages 4

Examples Of Racial Prejudice In To Kill A Mockingbird

during the early quarter of the twentieth century. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird this problem is evident in Maycomb. Boo Radley, Atticus Finch and Tom Robinson are all victims of prejudice, and all three characters are plagued by this. It affects them all differently; crippling them and disabling them from acting as they wish. The object of this study is Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. , Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird tries to talk about prejudice from some angles. The author wants to…

Words 2008 - Pages 9

To Kill A Mockingbird Justice Quotes

check, rewards good deeds, and fixes evil. Although justice is displayed throughout To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM), The Power of One (TPO) displays the most justice because Peekay wins the big boxing match, his childhood enemy is killed, and Peekay’s goals are achieved. The first area where TPO exceeds the justice in TKAM is when Peekay wins his boxing championship. When Peekay is a young boy several awful events occur in his life including both his…

Words 1005 - Pages 5

Atticus Finch Injustice

either about themselves or about the environment around them. In Harper Lee’s novel titled To Kill a Mockingbird, the main characters Jem and Scout learn about themselves and their surroundings. As the story develops, one may learn multiple life lessons including those of being courageous, categorization of people and how they have been judged, and how injustice occurs. During the story, characters show how one can be courageous through multiple events. Atticus is one of the characters that shows a…

Words 760 - Pages 4

Similarities Between To Kill A Mockingbird And The Help

and racism towards black people. Although most today believe in this movement and what it stands for, it has not always been this way. Many years ago, this wouldn’t have been even a mere thought in someone’s head. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and the movie, The Help, show the negativity that brought this segregation and discrimination to attention. The novel and the film have many similarities and differences, which provides opportunities to make character connections, and to see how the segregation…

Words 1197 - Pages 5

Life Lessons Passed Through Generations Essay

Life Lessons Passed Through Generations To Kill a Mockingbird By: Harper Lee What does it mean to sin? A sin is defined as an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. So then what is a sin? Well, according to Atticus Finch, it's a sin to kill a mockingbird (Lee 94). Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960. The well known Atticus Finch has some important values to pass down to his children. He teaches Jem and Scout the importance of…

Words 1502 - Pages 7

Gender Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

Harper Lee brings the issue of racism, classism, and sexism in the 1930’s to life in To Kill a Mockingbird through the narrator, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch with her brother, Jem Finch. Scout and Jem are going through their childhood with many different expe-riences, such as the situation when they go to Cal’s church (for black people). Another time, Scout was told by her brother that she was acting too ‘girly’ day by day. As most of the places, Maycomb has three classes: upper class, middle class…

Words 1118 - Pages 5

Racial Prejudice and Injustice: To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay

To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel rifle with references of racial prejudice and injustice. The South has never been a bastion for racial equality, and still can be seen by some to harbor the last vestiges of bigotry. Harper Lee does a great job demonstrating the effects of racial inequality, through the main character s reactions, and the overall outcome of the novel. The novel itself encompasses many of the feelings that were flying around during the time atwhich it was written. The first racist…

Words 383 - Pages 2