How Does Tom Robinson Use Racial Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

Ever since African Americans were brought to the New World, racial inequality has been a huge issue both socially and politically. Whether it was slavery during the 1800s or the Civil Rights Movement in the 1900s, the fight for equal treatment between African Americans and Whites has been waging for centuries. During the 20th century, while race equality movements were being used to try and change views and attitudes, even respectable African American were still being treated as inferior to whites regardless of their class. One example of this is Tom Robinson and the Ewells from To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson is a respectable hardworking man. During his trial one of his former employers, Mr. Link Deas, vouches for Tom saying, “I just …show more content…
Calpurnia is an educated and respectable African American, but Aunt Alexandra still treats her as inferior. When Aunt Alexandra first arrives at the Finch house she immediately orders Calpurnia to take her suitcase. “Put my bag in the front bedroom, Calpurnia” (Lee 169). Her first reaction to Calpurnia is to order her to put her bag away, giving no acknowledgment that she is anything other than a servant. When Scout asks to go over to Calpurnia’s house, Aunt Alexandra refuses to let her go. “Yessum, and she promised me I could come out to her house some afternoon. Atticus, I’ll go out next Sunday if it’s all right, can I? Cal said she’d come get me if you were off in the car. ‘You may not’ Aunt Alexandra said it” (Lee 181). Aunt Alexandra is applauded by the thought that Scout would go over to Calpurnia’s house. After this incident Aunt Alexandra is heard telling Atticus that Calpurnia must go “... you’ve got to do something about her. You’ve let things go on too long, Atticus, too long.” (Lee 182). Aunt Alexandra believes that Atticus has let Calpurnia become too much of an influence in Scout and Jem’s life. Only a few minutes after Scout expresses her desire to go over to Calpurnia’s house, Aunt Alexandra is pushing Atticus to let Calpuria go. She can not fathom the thought that Scout would want to associate so closely with someone beneath her, let alone an African American. Calpurnia …show more content…
According to “Jackie Robinson Biography” by Biography.com, when Jackie Robinson was signed to the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, he was immediately subjected to hateful and racist responses. The thought that an African American “boy” would play among White men was appalling to White society. Jackie Robinson calmly and respectfully endured the racial slurs during baseball games, knowing that if he lost his cool, it would only justify thoughts that African Americans did not belong in the league (Bagwell, “Jackie Robinson”). Even though he helped the Dodgers win a National League pennant in his first year, while batting .297 with 12 home runs, he still experienced jeers from fans and players alike (“Jackie Robinson Biography”). Many players, both on his team and the opposing, refused to play with him, on the premise that he was African American and therefore inferior.
These examples show that even respectable African Americans were seen as inferior to Whites. It did not matter to White society that many of these African Americans were educated or hard working people. The thought that these inferior “things” could be as or more respectable than a White person was unheard of in White society. They were African American, which made it possible for White society to see them as inferior. It did not matter their economic class or credibility, African Americans were still seen