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To Kill a Mockingbird Racism Cliff Notes

 

            In Harper Lee's book, To Kill A Mockingbird, there are many examples of racism. During this time in history racism was acceptable; as a matter of fact if you were not racist to blacks they would call you names such as "nigger lover" so in a way people were forced to do whatever society did or you would be socially shunned. But Atticus pushed past the boundaries and supported a black man in the court of law, and you could say he was shunned but in reality he made a big step for Macomb. Racism is a key theme in To Kill a Mocking Bird.
             Maycomb has both a black and white community; both sides have racial views against the other. When Jem and Scout go to the black church a woman comes out and says, "You Ain't got no business bringin" white chillun here - they got their church, we out ours." (Pg. 119) Both communities are hostile towards each other. And the blacks are just as discriminative as the whites sometimes. When a black man is accused of a crime he didn't commit, he is still found guilty because of his skin color. "In our courts, when its white man's word against a black man's, the white always wins. They"re ugly, but those are the facts of life." (Pg. 220) However not all of the white people agree with this. Most of them think that Tom Robinson is guilty just because of the color of his skin because society has taught them that. When both races are fighting neither can then see the bad, and thus becomes discrimination.
             Since Atticus is defending this man, he has also had men try to jump him many times and got in an altercation with a mob. But Atticus makes a very interesting point in his final statement; "The witnesses for the state have presented themselves to you gentlemen, to this court, in the cynical confidence that their testimony would not be doubted. Confident that you gentlemen, would go along with them on one assumption, the evil assumption, that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are immoral beings, that all Negroes are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption that of one mind of their caliber.


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