‘First Purchase African M.E. Church was in the Quarters outside the southern town limits.’ The first description we see regarding the church immediately tells us about the segregation in Maycomb and how blacks are only allowed to inhibit certain areas as the church is ‘outside southern town limits.’ Harper Lee states this during the first chapter of part two showing that she has already plummeted into the world of prejudice and racism in Maycomb.
The appearance of the First Purchase Church allows us to infer many things about the situation of prejudice and racism in Maycomb. Firstly, the name of the church itself tells us that after the freeing of the slaves the first thing they did with the money saved was build a church hence being titled …show more content…
This novel was written in the 1950s during the time of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Lula is just scraping the surface regarding the racism in Maycomb as the novel is set in the 1930s. This tells us that at that time no one would have done something to stop the racism as many blacks were too afraid to stand up to the whites. Lula is described to be ‘bullet-headed’ and the noun bullet can be perceived as danger/dangerous. Lula can be seen to be dangerous because other blacks are worried about her ‘fancy ideas an’ haughty ways’ suggesting that it was concerning to the blacks if one was to approach the whites stating the facts of inequality in Maycomb. Zeebo is another character who suffers from racism in Maycomb as he is one of few who is educated but cannot obtain a job which better suits his abilities. Thus he is handed the job of a garbage man, one who has to deal with Tim Johnson therefore showing the social distinction in Maycomb. Lee has strategically placed this chapter in the novel. We previously see the situation of Tim Johnson, which represents physical courage, the situation of Mrs Dubose, which represents moral courage. Now Lee has shown us the lives of the black community and their daily hardships, all of this is Lee teaching us important lessons before the trial of Tom …show more content…
When Scout enquires about Calpurnia’s birthday she replies stating that she doesn’t ‘have a real birthday’. Here we see how blacks are not considered a part of society hence no one registered their birth; they weren’t considered people. Earlier in the novel Scout was reminded of something Atticus once said, ‘Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ which tells us that it’s a sin to kill innocents which is exactly what Bob Ewell did. Although it was done indirectly, if Bob Ewell never accused Tom in the first place he wouldn’t have been dead and Bob never would have sinned by killing the innocent. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are two of the mockingbirds in the novel and both are referred to directly or indirectly in chapter 12.We are invariably reminded of the mockingbirds as they represent innocence and what the unpleasantness of some in Maycomb can do. For example the Ewells accusing Tom of rape or the belief that Boo is this ‘malevolent phantom’. People in Maycomb tend to make assumptions and judgements regarding the blacks but they’re all meaningless because ‘you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.’ We see the progression of Scout’s maturity as she slowly begins to understand what
The appearance of the First Purchase Church allows us to infer many things about the situation of prejudice and racism in Maycomb. Firstly, the name of the church itself tells us that after the freeing of the slaves the first thing they did with the money saved was build a church hence being titled …show more content…
This novel was written in the 1950s during the time of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. Lula is just scraping the surface regarding the racism in Maycomb as the novel is set in the 1930s. This tells us that at that time no one would have done something to stop the racism as many blacks were too afraid to stand up to the whites. Lula is described to be ‘bullet-headed’ and the noun bullet can be perceived as danger/dangerous. Lula can be seen to be dangerous because other blacks are worried about her ‘fancy ideas an’ haughty ways’ suggesting that it was concerning to the blacks if one was to approach the whites stating the facts of inequality in Maycomb. Zeebo is another character who suffers from racism in Maycomb as he is one of few who is educated but cannot obtain a job which better suits his abilities. Thus he is handed the job of a garbage man, one who has to deal with Tim Johnson therefore showing the social distinction in Maycomb. Lee has strategically placed this chapter in the novel. We previously see the situation of Tim Johnson, which represents physical courage, the situation of Mrs Dubose, which represents moral courage. Now Lee has shown us the lives of the black community and their daily hardships, all of this is Lee teaching us important lessons before the trial of Tom …show more content…
When Scout enquires about Calpurnia’s birthday she replies stating that she doesn’t ‘have a real birthday’. Here we see how blacks are not considered a part of society hence no one registered their birth; they weren’t considered people. Earlier in the novel Scout was reminded of something Atticus once said, ‘Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird’ which tells us that it’s a sin to kill innocents which is exactly what Bob Ewell did. Although it was done indirectly, if Bob Ewell never accused Tom in the first place he wouldn’t have been dead and Bob never would have sinned by killing the innocent. Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are two of the mockingbirds in the novel and both are referred to directly or indirectly in chapter 12.We are invariably reminded of the mockingbirds as they represent innocence and what the unpleasantness of some in Maycomb can do. For example the Ewells accusing Tom of rape or the belief that Boo is this ‘malevolent phantom’. People in Maycomb tend to make assumptions and judgements regarding the blacks but they’re all meaningless because ‘you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.’ We see the progression of Scout’s maturity as she slowly begins to understand what