Racism

According to the Dictionary, racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.” Harper Lee’s, 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird takes place is the early 1930’s during the Great Depression in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama. The town of Maycomb has shown its racism in many different ways. Racism is shown through the Tom Robinson case, Bob Ewell’s actions, and the actions of Aunt Alexandra.

Throughout the Tom Robinson Case racism is shown through the jury and its actions. Tom Robinson was accused of rape and even after all of Atticus’ hard work to try and prove him innocent, he was found guilty and sentenced to death.When …show more content…
Bob goes into the court and tells everyone that Tom Robinson raped and beat up his daughter Mayella but in reality when Bob saw Mayella throwing herself on Tom he got angry and beat her up. Mr. Ewell has no respect for Negroes and you can tell this by the way he addresses them, for example “He stood up and pointed his finger at Tom Robinson. ‘-I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!’ ’’ (231). Calling a black person a “Nigger” is very disrespectful and gives people the impression that you think you are better then them. Bob uses this word alot becuase he he thinks it makes him seem for powerful since he is in the lowest class for whites. After the case, Bob Ewell was upset that Atticus made him seem like a fool in front of the whole town by showing them the evidence pointing to Toms innocents and showing that Mr. Ewell could’ve beat up Mayella. A little while after the trial he found Atticus and the whole town was talking about how how Bob “...spat in his face,and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life.” (290). He went on to say “ ‘Too proud to fight you nigger-lovin’ bastard?’ ” but Atticus was not scared by his threats and said “ ‘No, too old’ ” (291). Bob Ewell disapproves of Atticus, a respectable white man, defending a negro who in Bob’s eyes is no better than trash. This is yet another example of the racism Mr. Ewell has …show more content…
She doesn’t agree with her brothers decision to defend a black man and doesn’t like the fact that he has a black housemaid. One day Calpurnia took Jem and Scout to the Negro church and Scout loved it, “ ‘Yessum, and she promised me I could come out to her house some afternoon. Atticus, I’ll go next sunday if it’s alright, can I? Cal said she’d come get me if you were off in the car.’ ‘You may not.’ Aunt Alexandra said it. I wheeled around, startled, then turned back to Atticus in time to catch his swift glance at her but it was too late.” (181) Aunt Alexandra doesn’t want them to go to a black church because she knows that the whole town will talk about it and she will get embarrassed. She thinks that whites are aboves blacks and is too prideful to let them go around town with Calpurnia. The same night they were just talking and she confronted him about firing Cal because she is black, “ ‘And don’t try to get around it. You’ve got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don’t need her now.’ ” (182). Alexandra thinks that because Calpurnia is black she isn’t a good example for Jem and Scout. She wants Atticus to fire her but he tells her that Calpurnia is like family and she can stay for as long as she wants. Aunt Alexandra isn’t happy about this decision but she knows that she shouldn’t fight with him and leaves it. Aunt Alexandra believes she is better than Negroes and that they should