tkam racism thesis

To Kill a Mockingbird Racism

Racism implies prejudice, bias , or discrimination directed either at an individual or an entire race or group of people belonging to a different ethnicity. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird presents racism in Maycomb society where most of the people belong to different races. Harper Lee projects racism and details how social injustice, prejudices, and class discrimination ruin social harmony. Although the whole text depicts racism, a few prominent incidents of racism in the novel have been discussed below.

Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird

Incident -1.

Tom’s trial is the major incident of racism as the entire novel revolves around it. His arrested for rape and assault on Myella Ewell, a white woman. This incident turns the whole population of Maycomb against him. He becomes an easy victim of racism just because of the color of his skin. Everyone in the town believes in Myella’s side of the story except Atticus. Although there is no proof of his crime, yet he faces hatred from the citizens of his own community as well as the court. This trial provides an opportunity to examine the racist stance of an entire community.

Incident -2

The second incident of racism involves Atticus and his defense of Tom. He decides to stand with Tom because he believes his innocence. This decision invites the wrath of the Maycomb society. In chapter nine, Scout’s classmate, Cecil Jacob, announces that Scout’s father is defending a ‘Negro’ which causes a brawl between Scout and Cecil. Racism has poisoned the atmosphere so much so that Scouts forgets her promise and loses her temper. The association of this incident of racism becomes prominent here for supporting an innocent.

Incident -3

Another incident of racism involves a white character , Boo Radley, who stabs his father with a scissor. Despite his crime, he is not locked up with the dark-skinned criminals in prison. He is, instead, locked up in the courthouse basement. The sheriff thinks it will be a harsh treatment if he is imprisoned with the black people. You can notice the difference in the justice system as Boo, a white teen, receives a prejudicial treatment even after confessing his crime. On the other hand, innocent Tom faces ill-treatment because of his dark skin. This incident shows how prejudice discriminates people, and how people in authority lose the sense of justice and decision-making process.

Incident – 4

The fourth significant incident of racism involves verbal abuse when Mrs. Dubose confronts Jem and Scout. When they pass by Mrs. Dubose’s house, she yells at them and expresses her hatred because of their father’s action of defending Tom. Also, because Tom is black and Atticus is white, she along with many other people from the society disapproved Atticus’s choice. Jem gets furious at these remarks, and in response, he destroys Mrs. Dubose’s Camellia bush. This incident shows the negative attitude of Maycomb people toward Atticus, who loses his esteemed position after believing in Tom and deciding to defend him.

Incident -5

The fifth important incident of racism involves a description of black people’s love life often called Nigger-love, a term prevalent at that time. Scout’s inquiry about this term foreshadows the treatment of African-Americans in Maycomb society. Atticus’s explanation of the term in a positive way is remarkable. He explains that people who hate black people use foul words and offend each other. Atticus restores Scout’s confidence, explaining to her that she is above all the negative things she hears. This incident shows that in the racist society of Maycomb, people like Atticus, dare to uphold the slogans of equality , justice, and fair treatment.

Incident -6

Another incident of racism involves the negative treatment experienced by Jem and Scout in a church. One day, Calpurnia, their caretaker, takes them to her church where they face social hostility and prejudice. On seeing them, a black woman expresses her anger saying whites have their own church. Jem and Scout appear as enemies of the blacks at that very moment because of their white skin. This hatred is caused because of the way the dominant white people treated the black community during that period. This incident shows how people have become hostile in their attitudes, even towards children, they even cannot stand together in their worship places.

Incident -7

This incident of racism involves Atticus and the angry mob. Throughout the novel, Atticus tries to prove Tom’s innocence in the eyes of court but fails. One day, the society of Maycomb stands together outside the jail to punish Tom but Atticus, as always, tries to protect him. The lynch mob threatens him and his children, however, Atticus does not give up. At this, Scout jumps into the situation and turns the angry people back with an impressive response. This event also signifies the racist mentality of the people of that time.

Incident -8

Another unusual incident involves the description of a mixed-child. In a racist society like Maycomb, even a mixed-child faces the same treatment as the black people. Despite having one white parent, they receive the same biased treatment like blacks because even a single drop of other ethnic blood makes them all black. Jem also explains that the lines of strict division in racism are less active in North but in South the mixed-race is considered trash. This incident displays Jem as matured teen, Jem and also explains the treatment shown towards the mixed-race people.

Incident -9

One more incident involves Atticus and Tom’s defense in the courtroom. In chapter 23, Atticus says to the court that Mayella Ewell is taking advantage of her white privilege by accusing an innocent man, Tom. She does not provide any proof of her innocence to the court yet Tom becomes a victim of the crime he did not commit. He proposes that decisions of the court should be free from discrimination because the court is a place where justice exercises supremacy regardless of color, caste, or creed. This incident shows that even the judicial system in Maycomb is not free from racism.

Incident -10

Another incident of racism includes Atticus and his understanding of the judicial system after Tom’s trial. He strives to win justice for Tom but fails. His decision of defending Tom proves a revolt against society. Throughout the novel, he keeps on transferring positive values to his children. However, when the court system proves biased, he admits that in prejudicial societies white man words have credence and black man’s words are unreliable. This incident proves that no matter how honest, truthful and committed you are, and you cannot go against the accepted social norms.

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• To Kill a Mockingbird
• Literature Notes
• Comparing To Kill a Mockingbird to Its Movie Version
• To Kill a Mockingbird at a Glance
• Book Summary
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Part 1: Chapter 1
• Part 1: Chapters 2-3
• Part 1: Chapters 4-5
• Part 1: Chapters 6-7
• Part 1: Chapters 8-9
• Part 1: Chapters 10-11
• Part 2: Chapters 12-13
• Part 2: Chapters 14-16
• Part 2: Chapters 17-20
• Part 2: Chapters 21-23
• Part 2: Chapters 24-26
• Part 2: Chapters 27-28
• Part 2: Chapters 29-31
• Character Analysis
• Scout (Jean Louise) Finch
• Atticus Finch
• Dill Harris
• Boo Radley and Tom Robinson
• Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie Atkinson
• Bob and Mayella Ewell
• Character Map
• About To Kill a Mockingbird
• Harper Lee Biography
• Critical Essays
• Racial Relations in the Southern United States
• Famous Quotes from To Kill a Mockingbird
• Film Versions of To Kill a Mockingbird
• Full Glossary for To Kill a Mockingbird
• Essay Questions
• Practice Projects
• Cite this Literature Note

Critical Essays Comparing To Kill a Mockingbird to Its Movie Version

Introduction

The film version of To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), which stars Gregory Peck as Atticus and Mary Badham as Scout, is as much a classic as the novel itself. (The film received eight Academy Awards nominations and netted awards for Best Actor, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and Best Art Direction — Set Decoration, Black and White.)

Ideally, a novel and its film version complement each other, which, on many levels, is the case with To Kill a Mockingbird. However, film can accomplish things that novels can't, and vice versa. Likewise, film has limitations that a novel doesn't. This essay explores some of the differences between To Kill a Mockingbird , the film and the novel.

By its nature, film is a visual medium, which makes a first-person story difficult to tell. To have Scout narrating throughout the film as she does in the book would prove distracting, so Scout as narrator is only presented to set the mood of a scene in the film. As a result, viewers don't get a strong sense of Scout's first-person narration as they do in the book; instead, they simply notice the childlike perspective portrayed in the story. (The film uses music to help reinforce the child's point-of-view. The music is very elementary, and much of the score is composed of single notes without chords or embellishments.)

Because the narration is not as straightforward in the film, the film seems to shift more to Jem's experiences. For example, Jem finds all the articles in the tree. Jem accompanies Atticus to tell Helen Robinson of her husband's death. Jem is left alone to watch his sister. Scout is still an important character, but the film expands on her brother's role.

A film has less time to tell its story and therefore often concentrates the events of a story into fewer characters; when a book makes the transition to film, characters and their actions are often combined. For instance, Miss Stephanie Crawford is Dill's aunt and Cecil Jacobs, not Francis Hancock, drives Scout to break her promise to Atticus about fighting. Aunt Alexandra isn't present in the movie at all, so the issue of Scout "acting like a lady" never plays a major role in the film.

Film also often introduces new characters to help develop the story line. In the film, Scout and Jem have a conversation about their deceased mother which brings her alive for the viewers; the book devotes a single paragraph to her. Viewers also meet Tom Robinson's children and father. His father isn't mentioned in the book, and his children receive only a brief mention.

The benefit of film is that viewers get to see the characters. They can put a face with a name, so to speak. And characters can say things with facial expressions, hand gestures, and posture that an author must describe to readers. Many people enjoy the advantage of being able to visualize a character; however, viewers can be thrown out of the story if the actor playing the part doesn't fit the reader's vision of the character. For instance, the actress who plays Miss Maudie is thin, much younger, and more conventional than Scout describes in the book, which takes some of the bite out of the character. On the other hand, Gregory Peck, by Lee's own assertion, is the perfect embodiment of Atticus Finch, which gives the character a far greater depth than the book, alone, can provide.

Because a film has a limited time in which to tell the story, events from a novel are invariably dropped when the book becomes a film. Although the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird includes every major event from the novel, the screenplay takes place over two years, not three, and many events are left out. For example, the children have virtually no contact with Mrs. Dubose, and the film never shows the inside of a classroom, so viewers don't experience any of the episodes with Miss Caroline, Miss Gates, and some of the other minor characters that create Maycomb's texture and layers.

Lee's novel is a coming-of-age story influenced by a major event in the community and within one family. Scout not only tries to understand and process the trial, but she's also wrestling with the expectations those around her have of little girls. The film, on the other hand, is a courtroom drama that happens to include something about the lead attorney's home life. In its film version, To Kill a Mockingbird only touches on the issues of femininity. The movie never gets into Maycomb's caste system, so viewers don't necessarily know that the Ewells are considered to be "trash."

The implied incest between Bob and Mayella Ewell is never discussed during the course of the trial. Unlike today's films, movies in 1962 weren't allowed to cover such controversial subject matter. Instead, films had to find ways to work around taboo subjects. In this case, the film works around the incest issue by showing Bob Ewell's unscrupulous behavior in other ways. For instance, he begins stalking Jem and Scout before Tom's trial begins, and viewers can see from Mayella's facial expressions in the courtroom that she's frightened of her father.

The courtroom scenes are condensed in the film. Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch delivers a shortened version of Atticus' closing arguments to the jury. The lines he does say are verbatim, but several points from the speech aren't included. Neither does the film explore the aftermath of the trial or portray the conversations Atticus has with his children in trying to help them understand the situation.

The film addresses the plight of African Americans only through the trial. Calpurnia is treated respectfully by everyone, the children never attend Calpurnia's church, and on the day of the trial, blacks and whites enter the courtroom together (although the blacks, and Scout, Jem, and Dill, sit separately in a balcony, just as they do in the book). Remember, though, that at the time this film was in theaters, audiences wouldn't have needed an explanation for these sorts of things. They knew first-hand the challenges African Americans faced. The idea that blacks would sit separate from whites would have been expected — or understood, at the very least — by anyone viewing the film.

Film is very much reflective of the original audience's culture. As a film ages, audiences need more information to fully grasp the story. The fact that the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird is still so powerful is a testament to a fine adaptation of a classic story.

Previous Racial Relations in the Southern United States

• Social Issues,
• Discrimination

Related Topics

• Urbanization
• Social Responsibility
• Affirmative Action
• Sociological Imagination
• Socialization
• Arranged Marriage
• Immigration
• Intersectionality
• Social Problems

Tom Robinson: A Representation of Racial Injustice in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

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The character of Tom Robinson, from Harper Lee’s landmark novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”, plays a pivotal role in demonstrating the racial injustice prevalent in Maycomb, Alabama. Robinson, an African American unfairly accused of a crime he did not commit, encapsulates the systemic racism embedded within the fabric of 1930s Southern American society. This essay scrutinizes the characterization of Tom Robinson and examines the wider implications of his predicament on the portrayal of race and justice in the novel.

Tom Robinson is depicted as an innocent, hardworking, and compassionate individual, who, despite his virtues, becomes a victim of Maycomb’s racial prejudice. His mere association with Mayella Ewell, a white woman, results in him being accused of rape – a charge orchestrated through the falsehoods and prejudice prevalent in the town. The integrity of Tom’s character, as seen through the eyes of Scout and Atticus Finch, starkly contrasts with the damaging stereotype portrayed by the prosecution and many townsfolk.

Atticus Finch’s staunch defense of Tom Robinson becomes a central conflict in the narrative. Despite clear evidence that Tom is innocent, including the fact that his disabled left arm makes him incapable of committing the crime as described by Mayella, the racial bias of the jury forecloses any possibility of a fair trial. His situation underscores the deeply entrenched racial prejudice in society and its devastating consequences for African Americans.

Even after his conviction, Tom’s humanity shines through his despair. His attempt to escape from prison, resulting in his tragic death, represents a desperate pursuit of justice that the legal system denied him. This tragic end further cements the harsh realities faced by African Americans in a racially biased society.

In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Tom Robinson stands as a symbol of innocence destroyed by injustice. His character serves to expose the pervasive racism of the time, demonstrating the ways in which society often fails its most vulnerable citizens. Despite his kindness, honesty, and patience, Tom is unable to overcome the damaging stereotypes and unjust suspicions cast upon him because of his race.

Moreover, Tom’s character provides a lens through which the younger characters, particularly Scout and Jem, come to understand the complexity and injustice of the world around them. They witness firsthand the destructive consequences of prejudice, forever shaping their views on morality, empathy, and justice

In conclusion, Tom Robinson is more than just a character in “To Kill a Mockingbird”. He embodies the racial prejudices and miscarriages of justice suffered by African Americans in the 1930s American South. His plight serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of systemic racism and serves to challenge the reader’s perceptions of justice and equality. Ultimately, through the tragic figure of Tom Robinson, Harper Lee presents a powerful indictment of racial prejudice, prompting introspection and dialogue on societal discrimination.

• Johnson, Claudia Durst. “Understanding To Kill a Mockingbird: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historic Documents.” Greenwood Publishing Group, 1994.
• Shields, Charles J. “Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee.” Henry Holt and Company, 2006.
• Lee, Harper. “To Kill a Mockingbird.” HarperCollins, 1960.
• Murphy, Mary McDonagh. “Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of To Kill a Mockingbird.” HarperCollins, 2010.
• Petry, Alice Hall. “On Harper Lee: Essays and Reflections.” University of Tennessee Press, 2007.

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Tom Robinson: A Representation of Racial Injustice in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. (2023, Jul 12). Retrieved from https://artscolumbia.org/tom-robinson-a-representation-of-racial-injustice-in-to-kill-a-mockingbird/

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