Racism in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

The Rise of Racism

Maycomb County, Alabama is a town against a black man, Tom Robinson who is on trial for raping a white girl Mayella Ewell. The whole Maycomb County is a good example of an influence to why kids show racism in To kill a mockingbird.

Cecil Jacobs is a bully at Scouts elementary school who declared Scouts dad a defender of a nigger in the school yard before the announcement of the trial. Cecil Jacobs displays what Maycomb County adults and community is doing in spreading word and influence to children, just by knowing that Scouts father is defending a nigger shows how good the word is going around in town. The next day Scout met up with Cecil Jacobs again at the school yard and explained that his folks said your daddy was a disgrace an that nigger oughta hang from a tank. Most Adults in Maycomb are the start of racism and the same values is passed through their children like Cecil.

Many of the white people such as Bob Ewell and Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose express their hatred by saying bad things about colored people. Most of the adults in Maycomb County like Aunt Alexandra give great influence to children like her grandson, Francis. Aunt Alexandra, Atticuss sister feel that Atticus is ruining the Finch family because Atticus is niggerlover. It was a term used by Cecil Jacobs a bully and Francis, cousin of Scout.

During Christmas time when Scout, Jem and Atticus stayed at the Finch landing for the holiday, Scout gets in trouble from Aunt Alexandra and Uncle Jack because of what she said to Francis, calling him a whore-lady. But it all started when Francis called Atticus a Niggerlover to Scout. He got it from Aunt Alexandra whom thinks Atticus is ruining the Finches reputation in Maycomb and theyll never walk on Maycomb streets again because he is a Niggerlover. Aunt Alexandra is a good example of the rise of racism because she also thinks Calpurnia is not doing a very good job in raising Scout and Jem. She doesnt trust Calpurnia when she took Jem and Scout to her Church First Purchase because Calpurnia is associating them with colored people.

Several people in Maycomb Count were also prejudice such as Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose and Mr. Bob Ewell who express their hatred by saying bad things about colored people. Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose displays her feelings of what is happening to Maycomb by belittling Atticus acts in defending Tom Robinson and cursing on his children. Similar to Bob Ewells situation in accusing Tom because he knew the court wouldnt believe in a black mans word over a white girls, it is also belittling. As Mr. Dolphus Raymond puts it, Maycomb Countys true self is racist.

bibliography:

Harper lee. To kill a mockingbird.