Although the novel deals with extreme cases of racism Lee also shows us that the problem is starting to be addressed as not all of the society of Maycomb is racist. Although this view of racism is very much in the minority there are some inhabitants with a more open minded intelligent view. Atticus is definitely against racism and expresses his intelligent views to his children frequently “Nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything-like snot nose.” He tells them “Its hard to explain-ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favouring Negroes over and above themselves.” Feelings like these were advanced for they’re time and not very common in that part of America. This liberal minded non-racist view is shared by others, Miss Maudie, Atticus’ neighbour agrees but chooses not to speak out as much as Atticus is willing to. They regularly have conversations together about issues of the town. Atticus feels that he must defend Tom Robinson as he knows it is right and that not many other lawyers would, even though he knows that he will not win as is evident when Scout asks him, “Atticus are we going to win?” and he replies, “No honey.” Calpurnia a paid carer and house worker for Atticus has a strange relationship with the family. In most families she world be treated cruelly and almost like a slave, as she is black and also the fact that she is not a member of the family, whereas with the Finchs’ she is treated like a member of the family. The fact that “Calpurnia rarely commented on the ways of white people” suggests that she still does not feel a part of their community because of the colour of her skin. In Maycomb County there are not just white racist but black as well although because of their discrimination this is a justifiable reaction. This is shown when Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to the black church as she feels no harm in it and is confronted by Lula who asks, “I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to a nigger church” using the racist word nigger against herself. The Reverend Sykes however the man in charge of this “nigger church” is happy to have two white children in the entirely black church, this may be because he, like Atticus has a broader and more intelligent mind but also because of the fact that Atticus is defending Tom Robinson a good friend of the church and member of the black community this ultimately shows that he and a certain few members of Maycomb are the hope for a future of equality.
During the trial of Tom Robinson the Racism and injustice and inequality of America at the time is really exposed in a courtroom of law a place in which discriminations likes and dislikes should be tossed aside and only the truth should count. Even before the trial has started we can see examples of inequality, there is a special balcony that is called the coloured box for black people, which in itself is fundamentally unjust. Throughout the case we see more evidence of blindly obvious racism, when witnesses such as Bob Ewell take the stand he increasingly uses demoralizing vocabulary towards Tom Robinson “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” without any objections. Lee provokes great feelings of frustration in the reader in this section as Atticus presents such unmistakable evidence that Tom is not guilty, first the fact that they didn’t call a doctor when she was “pretty well beat up” as Bob Ewell said it wasn’t necessary. The next fact was that of the black eye on her right eye and finger marks all around her throat when it is clearly evident that Tom’s left arm is badly injured and he can’t use it, therefore how could he have strangled Mayella with both hands as is shown from the finger marks. Also if he were to punch Mayella it would have to have been with his right arm when it is clear that Mayella was punched by someone who leads with there left arm. Atticus builds up a picture of Mayellas life how she has no friends and doesn’t seem to know what they are how, Bob spends relief checks on alcohol and sometimes disappears for days leaving her to bring up seven younger brothers and sisters. With these facts as well as the fact that her father leads with his left arm Atticus suggests that in fact it was Bob Ewell himself that beat Mayella up and used Tom to cover up the shame of it, Mayella denies this after a pause. Towards the end of the trial when Tom Robinson is questioned by Mr Gilmer, Bob Ewells Lawyer, he repeatedly uses the word boy to a fully grown man a common term used by whites to blacks at the time to show blacks inferior. When asked the question why he did jobs for nothing Tom replies that he “felt right sorry for her”, this is received with sneers from Mr Gilmer as many whites at the time believed that they were better than black people, even the worst and most immoral of them, therefore for a black man to feel sorry for a white woman, he would have to believe himself her equal or her superior.
Atticus’s summary speech is an extremely effective and powerful argument. It deals excellently with themes of racism, criticises accurately the legal system and addresses issues of equality efficiently. He starts his speech by reminding the jury that “this case is not a difficult one” that it “requires no minute sifting of complicated facts” but that it does “require you to be sure beyond reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant.” Thus reminding them that all that matters is his guilt or innocence. He explains that there is not one “iota of medical evidence” that the event ever took place and that instead the trial relies on witness’s biased and racist accounts instead of actual proof. He then goes on to explain that Mayella has accused Tom “in an effort to get rid of her own guilt” and that she has committed no crime but “merely broken a ridged and time-honoured code of our society” she tempted a Negroe and therefore had to “ put the evidence of her offence away from her” the evidence being Tom Robinson. Atticus points out the fact that, the witnesses believe that what ever they say will be taken as the truth and “confident that you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption – the evil assumption – that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are immoral beings, that all Negroe men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their calibre.” He then goes on to say that some Negroes do these things but no more than white men, he points out that, “there is not one person in this court-room who has not told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked apon a woman with desire.” Finally he talks about equality saying that in life you are never equal and that there will always be someone better or worse than you at something or someone with more opportunities than you, “but there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal” and “that institution, gentlemen is a court, it can be the supreme court of the United States, or the humblest J.P court in the land, or this honourable court in which you serve.” His speech is so effective and powerful as it has been brilliantly well structured
Although the verdict of the jury was unfair and the outcome was not as hoped, the case itself was groundbreaking as although the evidence was not taken into account the mere fact that the jury took almost two hours to come to a decision shows that now slowly but surely the prospect of an equal future for black people is getting nearer. Most of the town starts to take the issues into account, Scout has a very interesting lesson in which the class talk about “democracy, equal rights for all, special privileges for none” and discuss discrimination against the Jews showing the gradual maturing of compassion and social insight in children as the Jews are almost in the same situation as the black people. Atticus believes that hopefully he could get an appeal after the case as he has such hard evidence but is devastated after the death of Tom Robinson as he thought he had “such a good shot at it.” After the attempted murder of Jem and Scout by Bob Ewell Atticus realizes that perhaps not all people are good and Lee hints that perhaps this may change his views slightly.
To Kill a Mocking Bird is a truly superb book. Lee creates extremely strong and engaging characters and effectively examines racist topics of America at the time. The novel is very thought provoking and what is key is the fact that as well as tackling racist issues Lee manages to make the political points entertaining and interesting to read with a grippingly strong plot.