to kill a mockingbird essay on racism

To Kill a Mockingbird Racism

Racism implies prejudice, bias , or discrimination directed either at an individual or an entire race or group of people belonging to a different ethnicity. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird presents racism in Maycomb society where most of the people belong to different races. Harper Lee projects racism and details how social injustice, prejudices, and class discrimination ruin social harmony. Although the whole text depicts racism, a few prominent incidents of racism in the novel have been discussed below.

Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird

Incident -1.

Tom’s trial is the major incident of racism as the entire novel revolves around it. His arrested for rape and assault on Myella Ewell, a white woman. This incident turns the whole population of Maycomb against him. He becomes an easy victim of racism just because of the color of his skin. Everyone in the town believes in Myella’s side of the story except Atticus. Although there is no proof of his crime, yet he faces hatred from the citizens of his own community as well as the court. This trial provides an opportunity to examine the racist stance of an entire community.

Incident -2

The second incident of racism involves Atticus and his defense of Tom. He decides to stand with Tom because he believes his innocence. This decision invites the wrath of the Maycomb society. In chapter nine, Scout’s classmate, Cecil Jacob, announces that Scout’s father is defending a ‘Negro’ which causes a brawl between Scout and Cecil. Racism has poisoned the atmosphere so much so that Scouts forgets her promise and loses her temper. The association of this incident of racism becomes prominent here for supporting an innocent.

Incident -3

Another incident of racism involves a white character , Boo Radley, who stabs his father with a scissor. Despite his crime, he is not locked up with the dark-skinned criminals in prison. He is, instead, locked up in the courthouse basement. The sheriff thinks it will be a harsh treatment if he is imprisoned with the black people. You can notice the difference in the justice system as Boo, a white teen, receives a prejudicial treatment even after confessing his crime. On the other hand, innocent Tom faces ill-treatment because of his dark skin. This incident shows how prejudice discriminates people, and how people in authority lose the sense of justice and decision-making process.

Incident – 4

The fourth significant incident of racism involves verbal abuse when Mrs. Dubose confronts Jem and Scout. When they pass by Mrs. Dubose’s house, she yells at them and expresses her hatred because of their father’s action of defending Tom. Also, because Tom is black and Atticus is white, she along with many other people from the society disapproved Atticus’s choice. Jem gets furious at these remarks, and in response, he destroys Mrs. Dubose’s Camellia bush. This incident shows the negative attitude of Maycomb people toward Atticus, who loses his esteemed position after believing in Tom and deciding to defend him.

Incident -5

The fifth important incident of racism involves a description of black people’s love life often called Nigger-love, a term prevalent at that time. Scout’s inquiry about this term foreshadows the treatment of African-Americans in Maycomb society. Atticus’s explanation of the term in a positive way is remarkable. He explains that people who hate black people use foul words and offend each other. Atticus restores Scout’s confidence, explaining to her that she is above all the negative things she hears. This incident shows that in the racist society of Maycomb, people like Atticus, dare to uphold the slogans of equality , justice, and fair treatment.

Incident -6

Another incident of racism involves the negative treatment experienced by Jem and Scout in a church. One day, Calpurnia, their caretaker, takes them to her church where they face social hostility and prejudice. On seeing them, a black woman expresses her anger saying whites have their own church. Jem and Scout appear as enemies of the blacks at that very moment because of their white skin. This hatred is caused because of the way the dominant white people treated the black community during that period. This incident shows how people have become hostile in their attitudes, even towards children, they even cannot stand together in their worship places.

Incident -7

This incident of racism involves Atticus and the angry mob. Throughout the novel, Atticus tries to prove Tom’s innocence in the eyes of court but fails. One day, the society of Maycomb stands together outside the jail to punish Tom but Atticus, as always, tries to protect him. The lynch mob threatens him and his children, however, Atticus does not give up. At this, Scout jumps into the situation and turns the angry people back with an impressive response. This event also signifies the racist mentality of the people of that time.

Incident -8

Another unusual incident involves the description of a mixed-child. In a racist society like Maycomb, even a mixed-child faces the same treatment as the black people. Despite having one white parent, they receive the same biased treatment like blacks because even a single drop of other ethnic blood makes them all black. Jem also explains that the lines of strict division in racism are less active in North but in South the mixed-race is considered trash. This incident displays Jem as matured teen, Jem and also explains the treatment shown towards the mixed-race people.

Incident -9

One more incident involves Atticus and Tom’s defense in the courtroom. In chapter 23, Atticus says to the court that Mayella Ewell is taking advantage of her white privilege by accusing an innocent man, Tom. She does not provide any proof of her innocence to the court yet Tom becomes a victim of the crime he did not commit. He proposes that decisions of the court should be free from discrimination because the court is a place where justice exercises supremacy regardless of color, caste, or creed. This incident shows that even the judicial system in Maycomb is not free from racism.

Incident -10

Another incident of racism includes Atticus and his understanding of the judicial system after Tom’s trial. He strives to win justice for Tom but fails. His decision of defending Tom proves a revolt against society. Throughout the novel, he keeps on transferring positive values to his children. However, when the court system proves biased, he admits that in prejudicial societies white man words have credence and black man’s words are unreliable. This incident proves that no matter how honest, truthful and committed you are, and you cannot go against the accepted social norms.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

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Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird , Scout witnesses many different types of prejudice—and even promotes these attitudes herself—including classism, sexism, and racism. Regardless of the type of prejudicial worldview, each one treats people as stereotyped groups, demands conformity, and doesn’t give any credit to individuals. Over and over again, To Kill a Mockingbird illustrates how prejudice can be closed-minded and dangerous, as well as seemingly benign—but in all cases, it’s ridiculous and misguided.

Though racism is the type of prejudice that shines through the novel the most, Mockingbird is careful to show that this not the only kind of prejudice at work—and, at least for a white girl like Scout, it’s not even the most pressing issue in her life. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that racism isn’t Scout’s biggest issue exactly because she’s white, and what bothers her more is the sexism she experiences, and the classism expressed most often by her Aunt Alexandra . Scout is a tomboy and states clearly that she has no interest in being a lady, so she finds attempts by her Uncle Jack , Aunt Alexandra, and occasionally Jem to force her into acting more like a lady to be especially offensive, especially when this concerns wearing dresses instead of her preferred overalls. While certainly not a direct equivalent to racism, the sexism that Scout experiences at times impresses upon her just how silly prejudice is in general. Despite this, she still holds and espouses her own sexist views—she laughs when her cousin Francis says that Aunt Alexandra is going to teach him to cook, as she believes that boys don’t cook. To an outside observer, the juxtaposition of Scout’s annoyance with others’ clothing preferences with her own sexist ideas makes the point that anyone, even the victims of unfair treatment themselves, can hold questionable views.

Similarly, Scout gradually comes to the understanding that a person’s financial situation or family history shouldn’t have any bearing on whether or not they’re thought of as good people—though in many cases, she sees clearly that it does. While Aunt Alexandra outright forbids Scout from playing with Walter Cunningham , a poor farm boy at school, Scout sees that the only thing that separates her and Walter is that Walter has to miss school to work on the farm and his family doesn’t have any money—neither of which are things with which Scout (whose father, Atticus , is a lawyer) has to contend. Further, Scout feels especially warm toward the Cunningham family in general following Tom Robinson ’s trial, as someone in the family was on the jury and was the one who fought to acquit Robinson. For Scout, this is proof that Walter isn’t all that different from her, and moreover, is a good person deserving of respect and kindness. To Aunt Alexandra, however, the possibility of Scout being friends with Walter represents an existential threat to the Finch family name, as she believes that being anything but polite and detached toward poor individuals sullies one’s own reputation—again, something Scout sees as being ridiculous, misguided, and selfish.

While the existence of racism in Maycomb becomes clearest to Scout during and immediately after Tom Robinson’s trial, the novel goes to great lengths to show that the racism hurled at Robinson doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it’s a part of the way Maycomb operates. Scout learns in the year or so before the trial that segregation and a general dislike of black people isn’t something benign or normal: rather, it exists thanks to a strong undercurrent of hate on the part of white people in Maycomb. During and after the trial, Scout hears friends, family, and neighbors verbally attack Atticus for taking Tom Robinson’s defense seriously—in their opinion, Robinson doesn’t deserve a fair trial because of the color of his skin. She and Jem also suffer abuse for Atticus’s choice to defend Robinson, suggesting that in Maycomb, treating a black person with anything other than distant contempt is an unspeakable offense. Similarly, Atticus makes the case in his closing argument that the case, which relies on he-said-she-said argumentation rather than medical evidence or eyewitness testimony, asks the jury to believe that all black men are dangerous rapists—even if there’s no compelling evidence that Robinson raped Mayella Ewell , and even if there’s a very good chance that Mr. Ewell , Mayella’s father, was the one who beat her instead.

Through all of this, Scout gradually comes to the conclusion that prejudice of any kind is ridiculous and misguided—after all, she sees that the town becomes increasingly hostile toward Atticus, whom she believes is unwaveringly good, when he stands up against prejudice by defending Robinson. Further, she begins to interrogate her own prejudiced thoughts about Boo Radley , especially after he saves her and Jem’s lives. Scout’s gradual realization that it’s not fruitful or worth her time to dislike or fear people for their differences, no matter what they are, makes the case that it’s possible to move on from prejudice as people gain exposure to others who are different—especially when those seemingly different people turn out to be not so different from oneself.

Prejudice ThemeTracker

Prejudice Quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird

“There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” “He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham—“ “Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!”

“There are just some kind of men who—who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”

“If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?”

“For a number of reasons,” said Atticus. “The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.”

"Atticus, are we going to win it?"

“No, honey.”

“Then why—”

“Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” Atticus said.

“Atticus, you must be wrong…”

“How's that?”

“Well, most folks seem to think they're right and you're wrong…”

Lula stopped, but she said, “You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?”

When I looked down the pathway again, Lula was gone. In her place was a solid mass of colored people.

One of them stepped from the crowd. It was Zeebo, the garbage collector. “Mister Jem,” he said, “we're mighty glad to have you all here. Don't pay no 'tention to Lula, she's contentious because Reverend Sykes threatened to church her. She's a troublemaker from way back, got fancy ideas an' haughty ways—we're mighty glad to have you all.”

Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was.

“Well how do you know we ain't Negroes?”

“Uncle Jack Finch says we really don't know. He says as far as he can trace back the Finches we ain't, but for all he knows we mighta come straight out of Ethiopia durin' the Old Testament.”

“Well if we came out durin' the Old Testament it's too long ago to matter.”

“That's what I thought," said Jem, “but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black.”

“If you had a clear conscience, why were you scared?”

“Like I says before, it weren't safe for any nigger to be in a—fix like that.”

“But you weren't in a fix—you testified that you were resisting Miss Ewell. Were you so scared that she'd hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?”

“No suh, I's scared I'd be in court, just like I am now.”

“Scared of arrest, scared you'd have to face up to what you did?”

“No suh, scared I'd hafta face up to what I didn't do.”

“The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered— … It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do 'em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talkin' like that—it just makes me sick.”

“They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it—seems that only children weep.”

“Oh child, those poor Mrunas,” she said, and was off. Few other questions would be necessary.

Mrs. Merriweather's large brown eyes always filled with tears when she considered the oppressed. “Living in that jungle with nobody but J. Grimes Everett,” she said. “Not a white person'll go near 'em but that saintly J. Grimes Everett.”

Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.

“When they finally saw him, why he hadn't done any of those things…Atticus, he was real nice…” His hands were under my chin, pulling up the cover, tucking it around me. “Most people are, Scout, when you finally see them.” He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.

Themes and Analysis

To kill a mockingbird, by harper lee.

The theme of race and injustice is a powerful element of 'To Kill A Mockingbird' by Harper Lee that makes the novel a great sensation.

Article written by Onyekachi Osuji

B.A. in Public Administration and certified in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction)

Race is the most prominent theme in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. However, Lee also explores other important themes like innocence, reputation, and parenting in the novel. The novel is written in the first-person narrative, but Lee’s genius shows in how she balances the limited perspective of the first-person narrator and the need to give readers a complete picture of events.

Race is a major theme in To Kill A Mockingbird . We see racial inequality and injustice in the Depression-Era South throughout the novel . The most striking evidence of racial injustice is the unfair accusation of rape on Tom Robinson—Mayella Ewell and her father Bob contrive to accuse Tom of rape because they cannot stand it being known by the public that Mayella who is white tried to seduce a black man. Then we see the racism of the people in the mob that attempt to lynch Tom Robinson before his trial and ultimately, in the jury who pronounce him guilty despite strong evidence and a brilliant argument by Atticus Finch in his defense.

Aside the prominent case of racism against Tom Robinson, we also see other instances of racism in the social structure of the South at the time. The blacks live in separate neighborhoods from the whites, most of the black people are illiterate because there are no schools for them, and the career options available to the blacks are limited to domestic servants, field hands, and garbage collectors.

Another subtle indication of racism is Aunt Alexandra’s outrage that Scout lacks a female influence in her life despite knowing that Calpurnia is a female and has been in Scout’s life since birth. Calpurnia’s feminine influence on Scout counts as nothing to Aunt Alexandra because Calpurnia is a black woman and Scout a white girl.

To Kill A Mockingbird addresses the interplay between what the public perceives a person to be and what a person truly is. In the novel, we see that sometimes, people are truly what their reputation says they are, while some other people are different from what they are reputed to be.

Atticus Finch is a man whose reputation is consistent with his true personality. He is known across town as a ”n****r lover” which he truly is, and every other aspect of his character is public knowledge. In Maudie Atkinson’s words: ”Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets.”

For some other characters, their reputation is a misrepresentation of their personality. For instance, Boo Radley’s reputation as a monster is wrong because, in truth, he is a kind young man who is just shy and keeps to himself. Another instance is Mr Dolphus Raymond’s reputation as a drunkard, which is false as he is a sober man who is a happy and loving father and husband to his colored wife and children. He keeps up that reputation for giving society something to cling to as a reason to pity him while they condemn his decisions.

Childlike Innocence

Childlike innocence is a powerful theme in To Kill A Mockingbird. Childlike innocence exposes the folly of racial and class prejudice exhibited by adults. And the irony is that the adults are the ones who should know better but end up being the ignorant ones. Scout as a child does not see any reason to discriminate against people because of gender and class and she becomes saddened by the realization that the society in which she lives has such prejudicial sentiments.

We also see how the evil ways of adults can threaten and corrupt childlike innocence. For instance, Aunt Alexandra’s grandson Francis, learns racial slurs against blacks from his conventionally southern white grandparents.

At the end of the day, Scout’s experiences of hatred and racial prejudice in her hometown make her wise beyond her age but she still maintains her childhood innocence of regarding people as equal and protecting the helpless.

Gender is a social construct that comes with expectations and limitations in the South. There are expectations of how a girl ought to dress, and act, and standards of propriety for ladies.

Scout, a girl, dresses, and plays like a boy. Early in their childhood, her being a girl makes no difference to her brother Jem and friend Dill, but as they grow up, they begin to exclude her from their play and from their secrets for the reason that she is a girl.

Aunt Alexandra always disapproves of Scout for being a tomboy and insists that Scout ought to wear dresses and play with dolls with is a conventionally feminine way for a girl to behave.

Scout meets the white ladies of the County when her aunt Alexandra hosts them in their home and the hypocrisy of their speech and manners makes her feel more like an outsider to people of her own gender.

Injustice and Unfairness

In To Kill A Mockingbird, we see that there is injustice and unfairness in the world and that even the law sometimes cannot protect the innocent from injustice.

Tom Robinson is pronounced guilty and killed violently despite being an innocent good man. It shows that good does not always prevail over evil and that the cruelty of the world sometimes succeeds in destroying good harmless people.

Analysis of Key Moments

• Two siblings, Scout and Jem live in a nice neighborhood with their widowed father Atticus Finch. The siblings only play with each other as there are no other children in the neighborhood to play with until a boy named Dill visits one summer and they become friends.
• There is a house in the neighborhood that is always shut and never receives visitors. The occupants of the house are the Radleys and their son Boo Radley is never seen outside which makes children formulate many legends about him being a monster.
• The children devise various plots to see Boo Radley but never succeed.
• Atticus Finch’s sister Alexandra comes to live with them because she does not approve of Atticus’s unconventional parenting style
• Atticus is assigned to defend a crippled black man called Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white young lady called Mayella Ewell.
• Atticus goes to guard the accused Tom Robinson in his cell following rumors that a mob is trying to lynch him.
• Scout, Jem, and Dill surreptitiously follow Atticus to the cell.
• When the lynching mob arrives, Scout unwittingly talks them out of their intention to lynch Tom Robinson.
• Tom Robinson goes to trial but is pronounced guilty by the jury despite Atticus Finch’s strong argument and defense.
•  Atticus promises Tom that they will appeal the decision of the court. But before that, Tom is killed while trying to escape from prison.
•  Bob Ewell, the father of the allegedly raped Mayella Ewell, who felt Atticus Finch humiliated him in court, attacks Jem and Scout on their way back from a Halloween party. Boo Radley rescues them from the attack and the children’s perception of him changes from phantom to hero.

Style, Tone, and Figurative Language

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is told in the first-person narration. The story is a flashback to childhood days of the past and a narration of those events in retrospect . The current age of the narrator is not specified but we know that the narrator is older and has gained more wisdom with age as she narrates the events.

Even though there are some complex words in the novel, the diction is generally simple. The writing style is not flowery or exaggeratedly artistic, the writing is direct and conversational.

The tone of the narrator is nostalgic and playful at the beginning but becomes progressively melancholic as she narrates grave events.

Sarcasm and euphemism are also prominent figures of speech used in the novel. For instance, on page 79, Harper Lee simplifies Aunt Alexandra’s sexual copulation with her husband, the conception and birth of her child as: ” Long ago, in a burst of friendliness, Aunty and Uncle Jimmy produced a son called Henry.” Read more quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird here .

Foreshadowing is a notable literary device deployed in the story. For instance, the climactic event of Scout and Jem’s attack is foreshadowed by the statement ”And thus began our longest walk together.”

Analysis of Symbols

The mockingbird.

The Mockingbird is a symbol of goodness and innocence that should be allowed to exist and thrive but is unfortunately preyed upon and destroyed by the wickedness and injustice in the world. The character Tom Robinson is a mockingbird—an innocent man who works hard, takes care of his family, does not make any trouble, and renders assistance to those in need of it without asking for anything in return. But unfortunately, the unjust society in which he lives destroys him with a false rape allegation and a violent death.

Boo Radley is another mockingbird whose personality is subdued by his family’s cruelty.

The Mockingbird gives the novel its title as Atticus teaches his children that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

The Rabid Dog

This symbolizes the unpleasant reality which looms in the South but that the average people would rather not confront. The rabid dog poses a danger to all but none of the people in the neighborhood take any decisive action to confront it, they rather retire indoors and shut their doors. Even the sheriff stalls and manages to place the task of killing the dog on Atticus Finch.

The rabid dog is just as unpleasant and as dangerous as racism but even the good people in Maycomb County are afraid to confront it and the fight is and so the responsibility is always left on Atticus Finch’s shoulders.

The Refuse Dump

The refuse dump is the abode of the Ewells. Living in the refuse dump symbolizes that the Ewells are trash both literally and figuratively.

What is the main message in To Kill A Mockingbird ?

The main message in To Kill A Mockingbird is that it is wrong to prey on the innocent and that racial prejudice is cruel and wrong.

Who is the narrator in To Kill A Mockingbird ?

The narrator of To Kill A Mockingbird is a girl called Scout. Her full name is Jean Louise Finch and narrates the story as she recalls the events that took place during her childhood. She is a white girl from a relatively wealthy home. She is playful, stubborn, and tomboyish and begins to realize that she lives in a racially prejudiced society as she comes of age.

Why is it a sin to kill a mockingbird?

The answer to this is given by Miss Maudie Atkinson when she explains to Scout that the only thing mockingbirds do is make music for others to enjoy, they do not destroy people’s crops, do not nest in corncribs, and so it is a kill to kill such a creature that does nothing but bring pleasantness to others.

Is To Kill A Mockingbird based on a true story?

No, To Kill A Mockingbird is not based on a true story, it is fictional.

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About Onyekachi Osuji

Onyekachi was already an adult when she discovered the rich artistry in the storytelling craft of her people—the native Igbo tribe of Africa. This connection to her roots has inspired her to become a Literature enthusiast with an interest in the stories of Igbo origin and books from writers of diverse backgrounds. She writes stories of her own and works on Literary Analysis in various genres.

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To Kill a Mockingbird Racism

This essay will examine the theme of racism in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It will discuss how the novel portrays racial prejudices and injustices in the American South and the moral lessons it conveys. The piece will analyze key characters and events to understand the novel’s critique of racism and its relevance today. On PapersOwl, there’s also a selection of free essay templates associated with Racism.

How it works

Justice and racial prejudice

To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill illustrates the deep-rooted racism and discriminatory society in the timeline that was difficult to change the equal rights of blacks at that time. These prejudices make innocent people ineligible to justify anything they do, and most of them are black. In To Killing a Mockingbird, Harper Lee describes a story of Tom Robinson, who was accused of rape, just because he was a black man. Atticus Finch was commissioned by the District Court to defend him.

In A Time to Kill by John Grisham is a story of Carl Lee Hailey is a black worker in a small town in the southern United States. His daughter was robbed and jealous by two white racists. He looked around for the murderer and killed them, then surrendered himself. Jack Brigance was assigned as a defense attorney. Both stories describe blacks seeking justice and equal rights in a society that is unfair to them. It also effectively proves racist injustices and social inequalities and prevents blacks from being treated equally with whites in society.

To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill both occurs in the social structure of which there are many unequal views. In the timeline described by To Kill a Mockingbird, where inequality was not justified. Such a society leaves them have no qualification to change the life of inequality. This problem happens when a white man says: “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin on my Mayella”(174). This quote demonstrate that Tom Robinson is the one that hurt and rape the girl. Everyone in the town does not believe in Tom even though he did not do such a thing. In contrast, everyone in the town believes what the white man said, even if he said it was completely wrong. Atticus emphasized this idea by saying, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.”(224). This quote means that in the town do not care about the unfair treatment of black people, because most people accept as true that only whites are qualified to have power.

As a result, Tom Robinson had no rights or even a chance to defend themselves. Causes his life to be rejected and abandoned by others. A Time To Kill revolves around a black girl, who was raped by two whites. Jake Brigance asked the jury to imagine Tanya as a white girl, which he says: ‘Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body, soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. Now imagine she’s white.'(156). This quote means Jack is telling the jury that if an innocent white girl experiences this, will you sympathize with her? This reminds us that we must transcend race, color, and faith and seek equality in the purest form. If you don’t have equality for every single person just by the color of their skin, you can’t feel the pain they suffer and let the real criminal escape. Therefore, equality in society does not exist and is determined by people because of their skin color. But in these two societies, it is necessary to face and change the situation of inequality, making life and the court a fair place.

To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill illustrates that justice is not always color-blind. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Robinson has been arrested under false accusations, however, even though the jury knew he was innocent, they still declared him guilty, which shows the justice system is an injustice. As Atticus explains to Jem, “The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box”(221). In the court, Finch proved that Robinson’s left hand was disabled, had no ability to violence against others, asked the court to sentence him to acquittal, and righteously appealed to people to respect the facts and safeguard human dignity and equality.

However, in the face of a series of facts, prosecutors and juries with deep racial prejudice still believe in the plaintiff and insist on robbing Robinson. Learning to cope with injustice is an ongoing struggle for the book’s main characters, who must continue to fight for justice even as they recognize the difficulty of their quest. In A Time to Kill, the jury think Carl Lee is guilty, but the crimes committed by these two whites are unforgivable. This has stated when one of a citizen and days: “If convicted may have been free in only ten years”(208). This quote describe when jury hears the terrible event that happens to his daughter Tony, the jury expressed sympathy to him, which affects the jury’s decision and states him as innocent. As a result, neither story has a background in equal rights and justice for black people, but both lawyers in both stories are willing to stand up and change societies that are deeply rooted because of injustice against black people. This is where people start changing the view of prejudices, and equal rights for every person.

In both stories, Tom Robinson and Carl Lee could not be tried fairly because of the existence of racism. When Atticus was willing to defend a black defendant as a white lawyer, almost all whites were unacceptable. Which is presented when a child tells Scout and says: “My folks said your daddy was a disgrace”(76). The reason everyone opposes Atticus is that blacks have no right to let whites speak for them. In addition, the very serious racism in the town is that the older generation believes that the existence of black people has no value at all. This idea is passed on to the younger generation, which will affect their future views on racial discrimination. In A Time To Kill, since Carl Lee Hailey lives in a predominantly white county, a great chance will be tried by the all-white jury.

Jake Brigance tells him the fact by saying “I could probably get off…I’m white, and this is a white county…I could get an all-white jury, which will naturally be sympathetic”(60). Jack aware that he and Carl Lee’s situation has reversed, and he is more likely to be acquitted because if Jack murdered two black men, the jury would reduce the crime because he was white. Therefore, the sympathy of whites against white murderers is more sympathetic than blacks. In general, no matter who sins, it does not benefit the blacks. In both stories, individuals are not treated equally in both societies.

Today, racial equality and social and civil rights are all coordinated and helped. But discrimination limits many opportunities, such as housing, employment, health care, education, and etc, which cause many blacks and other minorities to yearn for an equal life. In order for many innocent people to receive the same treatment as ordinary people, we must correct the impact of discrimination on society. For example, blacks, as agricultural workers, are mostly suppressed by their bosses and lower income. Although we have made great progress now, there is still a long way to go in some areas. Due to the racism in the two stories, the preconceived notion of the person who ultimately determines his own destiny. In general, racism has become such a profound problem in our society that it has the power to influence our judicial system, society, and the new generation.

In the time period of the two stories is located, where racism, inequality, and injustice dictated the norms of society. To Kill a Mockingbird and A Time to Kill are similar in the way that Atticus and Jack both stand up for what they think is right even if it isn’t what everyone else believes. They both believe in equality and don’t believe in discrimination. Everyone has a desire for fairness, justice, and kindness in their hearts. Even in the harsh racial discrimination and the destruction of human nature in the context of the Great Depression, this desire is the same, but people sometimes may not dare to speak out their inner voice because of fear of the dark forces. Overall, it teaches people how to treat people equally no matter what skin color we have, accumulate righteousness in unfairness, how to shape their moral bottom line in a world full of ugliness and problems, and maintain a spiritual decent. 

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To Kill a Mockingbird Racism. (2021, Jan 15). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/to-kill-a-mockingbird-racism/

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PapersOwl.com. (2021). To Kill a Mockingbird Racism . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/to-kill-a-mockingbird-racism/ [Accessed: 1 May. 2024]

"To Kill a Mockingbird Racism." PapersOwl.com, Jan 15, 2021. Accessed May 1, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/to-kill-a-mockingbird-racism/

"To Kill a Mockingbird Racism," PapersOwl.com , 15-Jan-2021. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/to-kill-a-mockingbird-racism/. [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2021). To Kill a Mockingbird Racism . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/to-kill-a-mockingbird-racism/ [Accessed: 1-May-2024]

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