In everybody’s life, there are times and places where they feel they do, or do not belong. An individual’s sense of belonging is heavily influenced by the relationships and experiences they have throughout their lives. This idea is clearly portrayed through the characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, as well as in Disney’s Pocahontas. In both of these stories, several characters’ relationships and experiences are shown to shape their journey to belong within their community.
Having a relationship or being associated with people outcast within society significantly lowers an individual’s ability to belong. When Atticus decides to take Tom Robinson’s case, the Finch family suddenly starts to experience disdain from others within the …show more content…
In the courtroom in Maycomb, stereotypes are enforced for the black people as justice is biased between races. During trial, the white people’s racist and stereotypical attitudes are portrayed through Mr Gilmer as he interrogates Tom Robinson. As he asks him questions, Mr Gilmer uses the repetition of “boy” to downgrade Tom, suggesting he is a human of lower value who is not deserving of respect. This highlights the negative attitude many have towards those who belong in a social minority. This idea is portrayed again and is further accentuated when Bob Ewell gives his account of his daughter’s rape. During this account, he exclaims: “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” His words dehumanise the black race by labelling Tom as a “nigger”. This shows his disrespect and scorn he has towards the race. In this sentence, the redundancy of “black nigger” also stands out, emphasising Tom’s racial backgrounds above all else. Tom is dehumanised further as Ewell likens him to a wild animal, as the word “rutting” usually relates to mating wild male mammals. It is quite apparent that the racial stereotypes in Maycomb are significantly strong, and as a result, those who do not fit within the white community are isolated. Likewise, the tension between racial groups of quite diverse appearances is further highlighted through the anger shown between the native and white groups in Pocahontas. After casualties are suffered on both sides, feelings of hate are riled up and enlarged. This hatred is highlighted through the use of non-diegetic sounds. A heavy, constant drumbeat can be heard within the song “savages” as the groups prepare themselves for a fight. The beat is quite similar to that of a war drum, suggesting that each side sees the other as great enemy to be defeated only through
Having a relationship or being associated with people outcast within society significantly lowers an individual’s ability to belong. When Atticus decides to take Tom Robinson’s case, the Finch family suddenly starts to experience disdain from others within the …show more content…
In the courtroom in Maycomb, stereotypes are enforced for the black people as justice is biased between races. During trial, the white people’s racist and stereotypical attitudes are portrayed through Mr Gilmer as he interrogates Tom Robinson. As he asks him questions, Mr Gilmer uses the repetition of “boy” to downgrade Tom, suggesting he is a human of lower value who is not deserving of respect. This highlights the negative attitude many have towards those who belong in a social minority. This idea is portrayed again and is further accentuated when Bob Ewell gives his account of his daughter’s rape. During this account, he exclaims: “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” His words dehumanise the black race by labelling Tom as a “nigger”. This shows his disrespect and scorn he has towards the race. In this sentence, the redundancy of “black nigger” also stands out, emphasising Tom’s racial backgrounds above all else. Tom is dehumanised further as Ewell likens him to a wild animal, as the word “rutting” usually relates to mating wild male mammals. It is quite apparent that the racial stereotypes in Maycomb are significantly strong, and as a result, those who do not fit within the white community are isolated. Likewise, the tension between racial groups of quite diverse appearances is further highlighted through the anger shown between the native and white groups in Pocahontas. After casualties are suffered on both sides, feelings of hate are riled up and enlarged. This hatred is highlighted through the use of non-diegetic sounds. A heavy, constant drumbeat can be heard within the song “savages” as the groups prepare themselves for a fight. The beat is quite similar to that of a war drum, suggesting that each side sees the other as great enemy to be defeated only through