To Kill A Mockingbird Racial Prejudice Analysis

Throughout history, human beings of different demographics have separated and dominated over each other because they do not share the same hue of skin. The most predominant and recent example of this is the enslavement then segregation of African-Americans in the late-18th to mid-19th century. The racial ignorance was so deeply engrained within western culture that children were taught to look down upon and mock people of colour. Furthermore, people of colour were believed to be inherently evil and not human. In Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, this prejudice against race is illustrated by: the conviction of Tom Robinson, Negros in Maycomb being viewed as lesser beings, and Lula refusing to let Jem and Scout enter the First Purchase church. To begin, the conviction of Tom Robinson is clearly the product of racist beliefs. Tom Robinson (a black man) is accused of raping and physically assaulting Mayella Ewell (a white women). Through the brilliance of Robinson’s attorney, Atticus Finch, it is revealed that it would have been reasonably unlikely for the defendant to have assaulted Mayella. This is because her injury was inflicted by a left hand on the right side of her face, whereas Tom is right handed and his left arm is crippled. During Scouts observation of Tom during the trial, she confirms that his hand is crippled, “It [Tom’s left hand] ended in a small shriveled hand and from as far away as the balcony I could see that it was no use to him.” (Lee.186). In addition, Tom raping Mayella is also unlikely because he is recognized as a hardworking and honest man. Also, Mayella is known to be infatuated with Tom and regularly attempts to get close to him. Although there is enough feasible evidence to acquit Tom of his alleged crime, it is all futile compared to the word of a white male and female, “In our courts, when it's a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.” (186). Therefore, the tragic hero Tom Robinson’s conviction and subsequent death was nothing more than a racist act committed by a racist society. Secondly, in To Kill a Mockingbird, black people were considered to be lesser beings compared to whites. It has already been established that the fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama, is rich with racist culture. For example, of the commonly used slurs in Maycomb’s dialect, nigger is most often said. Nigger is a highly offensive …show more content…
It seems that racist values in Maycomb are exclusive to Caucasians. Rather, it is evident in the black community as well. However, this tier of racism towards whites is much less systematic then the one towards blacks. Harper Lee purposely inputs this quote, “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?” (158), to show the resentment black people have for members of the white community. Also, it must be noted that when Lula says, “Its is our church, ain’t it”, she is referring to the fact that not only was First Purchase bought using the money of freed slaves—therefore making it sacred—but she uses it as an opportunity to mock the Jim Crow laws of that time. Therefore, racial prejudice is shown in the black community although they are the ones