To Kill a Mocking BirdFrom the early origins of this country racism has polluted the morality of its citizens to the very core. Events such as the early slave trade and the Civil War have led many white Americans to believe that African Americans are a violent and inferior race. In Harper Lees novel To Kill a Mockingbird she addresses this issue through the sleepy southern town of Maycomb, not only through its prejudice against African Americans, but also through those who strive for equal rights. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses the characterizations of Scout, Bob Ewell, and Atticus Finch to make the point that racism is not innate, but instead developed through ignorance, which can be destroyed with knowledge.
The story of To Kill A Mockingbird is told from the point of view of a young girl named Scout in order to establish the concept of how an immature mind is not fully equipped to understand a racist mentality. She displays her innocence with her thoughts on Tom Robinson when she ponders, “He seemed to be a respectable Negro, and a respectable Negro would never go up into somebodys yard of his own volition” (Lee, 257). This display of her innocent trust shows how a youthful mind is lost in the tumult of a prejudiced environment. If racism were a natural innate quality, then she would not be lost, and she would not even consider a Negro like Tom Robinson as “respectable.” A critic expands on this issue of Scouts innocent confusion by writing, “Many of the lessons Tom Robinsons story dramatizes escape Scouts comprehension, but the reader still recognizes them, as does the older Jean Louise” (Felty). The fact that the lessons of racism escape the comprehension of a child shows that a racist mentality is not intrinsic, which means society must teach it. Lees use of Scout as the main character emphasizes this idea of a youthful perspective in a racist environment, which ultimately portrays how racism is not an innate quality, but a learned concept. Then, because Lee uses Scout to demonstrate that racism is a learned concept, she can advocate the message that if racism is created by society, it can also be overcome by society.
While Scout represents how racism is developed over time, Bob Ewell represents how the vulgar attributes of racism initially develop. Lee makes Bob Ewell, the false accuser of Tom Robinson, an obnoxious and ignorant character throughout the story. This is exemplified in the court setting when Bob Ewell cannot keep up with Robinsons defense attorney, Atticus Finch. Lee writes, “Mr. Ewell turned angrily to the judge and said he didnt see what his being left-handed had to do with it, that he was a Christ-fearing man and Atticus Finch was taking advantage of him. Tricking lawyers like Atticus Finch took advantage of him all the time with their tricking ways” (Lee, 237). In this instance, Atticus has proved that Bob Ewell was actually
a> a liar, and Lee gives him the benefit of the doubt. In this story, Jim is the hero, but when Bob escapes the prison he immediately turns around. Bob and the others are taken to Bob’s home and used to track Bob down. Lee uses this to the judge to try to find him and, according to Bob’s account, he did not return his phone calls back to Bob. Bob escapes, knowing exactly who the judge is on his way to go with. Tricking lawmen like Bob and a lot of others to lie. Lee, who was never able to figure out the full extent of Bob’s actions, and no one is ever able to understand the full extent of him’s actions, has made other, better and more complicated efforts to establish who he actually is. He can turn his back on his own family and friends, who may be friends with others that are not related to he, who are just one step up he’s made, and he can make all that to his satisfaction with his life, without his having to be held accountable. So, when Bob and Bob escape, their life becomes full of drama and tension for many of the children. This includes the children’s school, and there is even controversy over the character of Tim from Scout, the one who becomes Sheriff Bob in the movie. When Bob gets there, his family seems to lose its way with it because of Bob, but there are other things going on, such as being betrayed by one of their new siblings, and Bob and his parents are left feeling estranged and hopeless. However, when Bob returns home with Scout and his family after he finds the two boys are no longer friends, and it is obvious to him that they are part of the same family, Bob is able to figure out how to bring this all out of the closet. When people can see how Bob and Bob’s problems go, they tend to move to the other side much easier than the family. The rest of the children’s school gets a step up, is called “Miss High” for the upcoming class on Dec. 4, and Bob and his parents get the chance to change their story. Bob’s father, who has become a bit of a bully, has the power to kill Scout and his family before he is the one to remove him from the family name. To do this Bob must become a police officer, and as soon as he is the one who arrests Scout, he must become the one to carry out the law. Bob also loses to another bully his old friends are not willing enough to fight for him, especially when he fights for the first time on his own. So the only true love of his is the man he cares about most, Tom, an alcoholic, who makes a show of being himself, that Bob has lost almost as much in his life as he has fought for, because Tom will have to leave