Racism In Tom Robinson's To Kill A Mockingbird

Improved Essays
Not Everything is Just Black and White
Rosa Parks was raised during a time when segregation was normal and cultural suppression of African Americans was a way of life. On December 1, 1955 Rosa Parks did something very simple that turned into something great. She refused to give up her seat on the bus riding home after work to a white man. Not to make a point or start a protest, because it had been a long day and she was tired. Her actions that day started a protest of the bus companies ' practices that would grow into a movement that changed not only Montgomery, Alabama but our nation. (Wilson,). Even though the novel To Kill a Mockingbird was before the time of Rosa Parks they still have many connections between them, the main connection to both Rosa Parks and the novel is the racism in both stories, like Calpurnia, Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s story and most importantly the Tom Robinson trial. Racism is the major theme throughout the novel. Racism is defined as “Discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is
…show more content…
24) If you look at this situation in a different perspective it’s showing the racist nature of the prison guards. Tom Robinson was just another black man to them, in their eyes, a world with one less black man was a better world. A quote to support this is, "Depends on how you look at it," he said. "What was one Negro, more or less, among two hundred of 'em?”(Lee, Ch. 24) He wasn 't Tom to them, he was an escaping prisoner. The guards probably had no sympathy toward Tom Robinson, because he was black. Even though he was still black he shouldn 't have been treated so brutally and disrespected. If it was a white prisoner escaping I think they probably wouldn 't have shot him so many times.

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Racism stands for more than one thing. In this case Harper Lee expresses that the theme in “ To Kill A MocKingbird” is you should never judge or mistreat someone because of their skin color. In this book a black man was found guilty for raping a white women when he was clearly innocent, in addition he was also shot 17 times because he was black. In some cases shooting someone 17 times and is unarmed is called overkill. So, therefore, racism is still a big thing in the U.S. today Tom Robinson, an African American man found guilty for a crime he didn’t commit such as raping a white women, whose name is Mayella.…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Ihe idea of racism is a major role in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Racism plays an important role in this novel and shows how it can be passed through generations. Scout’s cousin Francis…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The people of Maycomb are significantly affected by racism and prejudice. Although there are many examples of this present throughout the text, I will be highlighting three of them; the first one being the Tom Robinson’s case. Another example of this is the bullying Jem and Scout receive as a result of Atticus defending Tom Robinson in court. The last example I’m going to share is the town's disapproval of Mr. Dolphus Raymond’s interracial relationship. All of these examples support my thesis of racism and prejudice being extraordinarily present in maycomb.…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird: A Blow To Racism Beginning in the mid-1950s, the civil rights movement began to gain traction. There was an uproar aimed at addressing the racism and segregation that was prevalent and widespread in the United States. During this time, some activists—authors and public speakers—gained notoriety for their work with civil rights.…

    • 919 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The word racism, what does it referred to? According to google definitions, “The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races”. As individuals, we see ourselves more superior than others. In "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD", one of the major themes is racism.…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As a result of the case’s ruling, racism became more prominent. In To Kill a Mockingbird many instances of racism are included, the most outstanding example would be Tom Robinson. Robinson’s treatment in this story is unfortunately very historically accurate to how African Americans were treated in this time. He was treated as if he were less than a white man, and looked down upon because of his skin color. At Tom Robinson’s trial he is convicted of raping Mayella Ewell, despite all of the evidence pointing to the fact that he was innocent.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Racism In To Kill A Mockingbird

    • 1358 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 10 Works Cited

    Boo doesn’t really leave his house but he does still try to talk to some of the people in the town. He starts putting gifts in the tree by his house for Jem and Scout to show how nice he really is he once fix Jem’s pants for him to show his kindness (Lee). Boo was a very heroic man and didn’t whatever he could to help once when Miss Maudie’s house caught on fire and Scout was watching it Boo snuck over and put a blanket around her. When Boo save’s the kids Scout changed her mind about him and tried to get to know the real person that sacrifices his self and not judge him (Felty).…

    • 1358 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 10 Works Cited
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism is a key theme in her book. Not only those who were black, but also those who joined with blacks, were considered inferior. Tom Robinson, Mayella Ewell, and Jem faced a lot of affects of racism that the people in Maycomb were extremely showing it in an immoral way! Primarily, Tom Robinson is affected by racism through the Maycomb townspeople, and particularly by Mayella and Mr. Ewell.…

    • 797 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is a fictional book set in the small segregated town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the 1930’s. Narrated by young girl named Scout Finch who is growing up with her older brother Jem and friend Dill. Scout explores with little understanding the concept of racism through the town gossip, and her own first hand experiences. She begins learning more about her father Atticus Finch, an attorney who strives to prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, a coloured man, unjustly accused of raping a white woman (Mayella Ewell). Scout, Jem and Dill are also fascinated with the mysterious neighbor who hasn't been seen out of his house in years, Arthur Radley/ Boo Radley.…

    • 1246 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The reason Tom Robinson became afraid was because Mayella, a white woman, desired him, a black man, and in the Maycomb society, that is a disgrace with dire consequences because black people have lower social status according to the people of Maycomb. “... A quiet, respectable, humble Negro who had the unmitigated temerity to ‘feel sorry’ for a white woman has had to put his word against two white people’s” (Lee, 273). Two witnesses and the victim, who are all white, testify against Tom, a black man.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee addresses racial discrimination and injustice through its characters, their internal and external conflicts, events, and symbolism. For instance, after being sent to prison Tom Robinson was shot seventeen times when trying to escape, “To Maycomb, Tom’s death was typical. Typical of a nigger to cut and run. Typical of a nigger’s mentality to have no plan, no thought for the future, just run blind first chance he saw,” (Lee 322). In other words, the town treated Tom’s death as something they could have bet big on when tried.…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism is detrimental to a society and this is shown when Tom is unjustly convicted of a crime he did not commit, Calpurnia and Dolphus Raymond live double lives to escape the prejudice, and Jem’s view of his home town is shattered. Due to racism, Tom Robinson is treated unfairly resulting…

    • 1054 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Tom Robinson was straightforwardly affected by racism. Tom is an African American being accused of raping a white woman because he is black. One day Tom was just passing by Mayella’s house, and Mayella asks Tom to come in. Eventually, Tom goes inside and helps her with whatever help she needs. Tom felt sorry for…

    • 839 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    “To Kill a Mockingbird” is an award-winning book about outcasts, judgement, and racial segregation in the small community of Maycomb County. The book introduces a young girl, Scout who grows up and starts to learn how the world is working in her small community. The book begins right after the end of certain laws keeping men and women of color segregated from all of the white men and women. Movie theaters, restaurants, communities, and even schools were segregated during this time. This was all because of a set of rules known as the Jim Crow laws.…

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Racism, the belief that one race possesses inherent traits that make that particular race superior to other races. In 1900s black people were treated cruelly, and even got killed because of racism. They were considered inferior to the white race. People used to judge each other based on their skin color, and race. The society used to turn a blind eye to the racial problems.…

    • 766 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays