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
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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
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