To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee and published in 1960, is a novel about three years of the life of a young tomboy named Jean Louise, or "Scout", Finch. This six-year-old lived in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s with her older brother, Jem; black maid, Calpurnia; and father, Atticus. Our story began when Scout and Jem befriended a neighbor boy, Dill, who was visiting Maycomb for the summer. As their camaraderie grew, so did their interest in the Finch's reclusive neighbor, Arthur "Boo" Radley. They spent the summer trying to send messages to him and sneak into his home.
After Dill left Maycomb with the promise of returning next summer, Scout started first grade. School wasn't very enjoyable for her when she was reprimanded for knowing how to read. Sometimes when Scout and Jem walked home from school, they found gifts in the hole of a tree on the Radley's property. This gifts included things such as twine, a clock, and carvings of them, which were mysterious gifts from Boo. Also during this time, Scout was often cruelly teased for her lawyer father being a "nigger-lover, " because he was assigned to defend an innocent black man who had been accused of raping a white woman. While her father, Atticus, tried to the best of his abilities to prove that the man, Tom Robinson, was innocent, he was taunted with nicknames and almost attacked by an angry mob. However, this mob was diverted when Scout, Jem, and Dill showed up and compelled the mob to realize what they were doing.
Tom Robinson's trial soon came, and since Atticus did not want them present, Scout, Jem, and Dill secretly sat in the colored balcony of the courtroom to view it. In this criminal case, the local town trash, Bob Ewell, and his lonesome daughter, Mayella, accused Tom of raping and beating Mayella. By challenging the Ewells at the stand, Atticus proved that they were lying. The truth came out that Mayella was trying to kiss Tom, and her father caught her in the act and beat her for it. However, despite this evidence, Tom was convicted by the all-white jury and sent to jail. Soon after he was incarcerated, Tom tried to escape over a wall and was shot. Meanwhile, Bob Ewell, even though he won his case, was livid at Atticus and swore vengeance.
A few months later, on a late Halloween night when Jem and Scout were walking home from a pageant, they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Jem's arm was broken, but during the fight a stranger came to the aid of Jem and Scout. Once Scout arrived home, the sheriff arrived. He looked over the fight scene and concluded that Bob Ewell fell on his knife during the fight and died. Arthur "Boo" Radley carried Jem home, as he was the one who helped the children during the fight. Boo was then walked home by Scout, who on the way saw his kindness towards them through the past three years. That was the last time Arthur Radley was ever seen.
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Reflection:
In this novel, Harper Lee involves many deep issues in the life of the young girl, Scout. Social, or racial, inequality is the primary issue that creates conflict in a small, southern town in Alabama. In the innocence of her youth, Scout was unaware of the severe racism if the deep South. Racism in this story is termed "Maycomb's usual disease," by Atticus (page 88.) The people in Maycomb seem to be divided based upon this social standing, which mainly depends on their race. Two occurrences of racial inequality in To Kill a Mockingbird is Tom Robinson's case against the Ewells and Jem and Scout's visit to Calpurnia's church.
The main time when racial inequality was an issue in Harper Lee's novel was during the time that Scout's father was defending Tom Robinson's case in Maycombs court. Atticus was assigned to the case, but when asked by a family member why he was really doing it, he responded, ". . . do you think I could face my children otherwise?" (page 88.) However, by several comments that Atticus and other townspeople made in the story, we can guess that Maycomb already knew that Tom would be found guilty, whether he was or not. It was his word against two white people's word. Even though beforehand Atticus and the Finch family were harassed by white townspeople, Atticus did the best he could to prove that Tom was innocent. However, no matter what he could do, Atticus could still not change the racism in people's minds. On page 241 it explains, "Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed." The people in the jury could not find a black man innocent if it meant they would have to admit that a white man as lying. In this example, Harper Lee illustrates how unjust racism can be when it kills an innocent black man.
Another time in the novel when race became an issue in Scout's life was when Calpurnia took Jem and Scout to her church. As Calpurnia was African-American, so was those in her church. Jen and Scout were very graciously welcomed by everyone in the congregation, except for one woman named Lula. When she saw Jem and Scout, she challenged Calpurnia, saying, "I wants to know why you bringin' white chillun' to nigger church. . . you ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here-they got their church, we got our'n," (page 119.) Calpurnia argued by stating that God is the same for both races, and Lula left the church. In this case, the racism that black people received in a white society caused Lula to feel resentment and racism toward the white race, even innocent children. She stated the barrier even between the churches of both races. Since this was the first time Jem and Scout were faced with racism, they were scared and intimidated.
While Atticus, Jem, and Scout Finch were not racist at all, there were many examples of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird that were. Based upon this plot happening about 70 years ago during the Great Depression, one can assume that racial inequality between white and black people was normal in the Southern American society. However, as we see in Lula's case at the church, this inequality also caused some racism towards white people. As Atticus and Miss Maudie both told Scout on page 90, "It is a sin to kill a mockingbird," because mockingbirds do not harm anyone. I believe that Harper Lee used the analogy of killing a mockingbird in this novel, because racial inequality based upon racism is a form of sin that can hurt people and lead to death.
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