Atticus Speech “Our courts have their faults, as does any human institution, but in this country our courts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are created equal.” “Gentlemen, we are living in times of racism, in times of poverty, in times of cruel judgement. But let me ask you gentlemen, how are negroes worse than caucasians? How does the color of your skin determine whether you deserve to live or not? Think about these questions to yourselves. Everyone knows this case should not have taken place.
Racial prejudice was a way of life in the deep south of the United States in the 1930’s and it dictated what people thought, how they acted, and what they believed in. Despite efforts to initiate change, most peoples’ repugnant attitudes towards African Americans in the South remained the same. After being badgered by numerous residents, Scout asks her father, Atticus, “Do you defend niggers?” prompting Atticus to explain, “Of course I do. Don’t say nigger, Scout” (Lee, 75). Although it seems so simple, Atticus redressing Scout about using this contemptuous term is a big step in helping her understand that African Americans are human beings.
To Kill a Mockingbird Essay In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee gives the reader an inside look on the racial complexities of Maycomb County. Although not every character got justice in the end the reader can learn the important moral on how just because one is a minority does not mean they should be harassed. An example of discrimination is how Tom Robinson was accused of something he didn’t do just because he was a minority. Also in the court house how the whites and blacks are segregated. An example of an acceptance of a minority is Calpurnia because Atticus respects her for who she is no matter if she is white Atticus is a man of justice.
Gender role differences aren’t the only reason African American men are being surpassed by their female counterparts in earnings, but because of incarceration rates. With African American men having the highest rates of incarceration they are not only unable to compete with women as wage earners, they are also hindering themselves a great deal when it comes to sustaining healthy relationships (Hattery-Smith, p. 49). The intent of this paper is to examine how economy, gender role ideologies, and incarceration have influenced family formation; which will forever change the visage of the African American
The lack of knowledge in Maycomb about the outside world and their opinions about black people ingrains ‘Maycomb’s usual disease’ into their minds as they have no other opinions about black people. This is shown by the crowd’s outrage as they gather to lynch Tom, not knowing that he was innocent, but blinded by ... ... middle of paper ... ...sirable traits to have as they can motivate you through the toughest tasks and drive you to do what should be done instead of abandon your duties. In conclusion, Harper Lee’s book To Kill a Mockingbird highlights the horrible prejudice and ignorance towards black people in the southern town of Maycomb, but also shows wisdom and compassion as not only desirable but necessary traits to have to withstand the bombardment of pre-conceived ideas from the people surrounding you, and also portrays these qualities as a shield to people around
It is hard to state in particular to why Maycomb holds such ideas towards Black people, but Lee blames this to the conditions of the country and how it influenced each and every citizen present at the time. Lee gives her opinions through Atticus as he states on Page 98, chapter 9, ‘’Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a negro comes up is something I don’t pretend to understand’’. It is quite plain what Atticus means when he says the he doesn’t ‘’pretend to understand’, this shows how Atticus responds away from the norm of the society towards the racism and is actively against it, and is also one of the reasons to why he defends Tom Robinson in the first place, other than ‘it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ the metaphorical term for the innocent Tom. It is further evident in chapter 16, page 176, what was meant by ‘’people go stark raving mad when anything
He calls himself a coward because he does not stand up for himself or others when the time calls, until the end of the story when he saves Sohrab. However, other people show courage throughout their entire part of the book. The main people who do this are Baba, and Hassan. The first act of courage that you really get to see and understand is when Assef and his boys are hassling Amir and Hassan. Amir tries to talk to the older boys, and make them leave them alone.
They discriminate against blacks, mulattos, the poor, and people they do not even know any information about. Blacks encountered most of the discrimination, by the people of Maycomb. Tom Robinson is a black man that is accused of raping a poor girl names Mayella Ewell. Atticus Finch the father of Scout and
In to Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee revealed that empathy is a learned trait, and it is hard to rid old ways. This is exhibited through 3 important characters in the novel; Atticus Finch, Bob Ewell, and Jean Louise Finch (Scout.) Atticus, Scout, and Bob Ewell are all very important examples of people who empathy has affected the most. Atticus shows how necessary of a skill empathy is in the book, and teaches it to the whole town; even his enemies. Scout originally did not have the skill to empathize, but thanks to Atticus, earns it.
In the society today, social norms are determined by the aesthetic appearance of a person, black or white, as well as social economic class. This is mostly a circle of events because African Americans are not given the chance to prosper there for are insufficient in both groups by their skin tone and economic class. This, over time, also leads to a gap in accumulated wealth. In a 2010 study, The Other Pay Gap, researchers found that while the median net worth of single white women between the ages of 36-49 is $42,600, the median net worth of single women of color in the same age range is $5. While this is a median, meaning there are figures above and below $5, the pay and wealth gap is a tragic reality for women of color (The pay gap, 2013).