Examine the writes' presentation of racism and their narrators' courage in the face of adversity in 'Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Examine the writes’ presentation of racism and their narrators’ courage in the face of adversity in ‘Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’

In the period prior to the Civil War, enormous divisions had already developed between the northern and the southern states, with the people in the North being more industrialised, believing that slavery was morally wrong. The South however, relied heavily on agriculture, and had black slaves working predominantly on the land. Without them, people in the South feared for their wealth and economy. The civil war ended in 1865 and although slavery was abolished and slaves were made free men, resentment was still present amongst whites in the South, who largely viewed blacks as ill educated with low morals and hardly human at all. These views still exist although it is less apparent than in the previous eras. Racism is a potent theme around which both novels revolve.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is set in a small town in Alabama called Maycomb in the Southern States of America. Although it is fictitious, it is based on Harper Lee’s home town in Monroeville. This novel is written in the late 1950s though set in the era of 1933-5. The story is narrated by Scout and is about one man, a lawyer, trying to jolt his society out of this isolationist mentality and towards recognising that Blacks are humans, who deserve equal opportunities as Whites as he defends an innocent black man, charged with the rape of a white girl. “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” is also set in 1933 in the Southern State of Mississippi. Here the black children of the Logan family, especially Cassie who is the narrator, are growing up during the hard times in a state where the black community is already subject to extreme racist attitudes. In the course of the story we see how Cassie begins to reach a painful understanding as she witnesses the hatred and destruction around her and learns when it is important to fight for a principle, even if it brings terrible hardships.

Racial prejudice is arguably the most prominent theme of both novels. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, several examples of this are demonstrated. Aunt Alexandra and Atticus argue over Calpurnia’s position in the Finch home, and to some extent, it is suggested that Alexandra feels threatened and jealous of Cal, because she has more power over the children and is closer to the family than Alexandra herself. However, there is also an implication that Aunt Alexandra is racist towards Cal, a black, when she says:

“…we don’t need her now”

She feels that their reputation will be affected if they associate with her, thus advising Atticus to let her go. Aunt Alexandra and Atticus have fundamentally different attitudes to servant supervision as she still holds onto traditional views, believing that whites are superior to the untrustworthy blacks. Consequently, she feels Cal is not ‘good enough’ to be a part of the Finch family. Later on, Aunt Alexandra is entertaining the Maycomb Missionary Society at the Finch home and they are debating the harshness of the ‘squalid lives of the Mrunas’ led by Mrs Meriweather. There is irony in the ladies’ conversation in that there are blacks in their own society living in similar conditions. Harper Lee brings this to the reader’s attention by Mrs Merriweather’s use of alliteration in ‘sin and squalor’ which is then repeated for effect. This again shows social prejudice on blacks because the ‘s’ is harsh sounding which suggests that the blacks have low morals which the whites think are not even worth knowing of. The Ewells who are despised by the Maycomb community as ‘white trash’ are poor, uneducated, crude and dirty and would most keenly feel the threat of the Blacks. They are uncertain of their position in society, thus they assert prejudice on Blacks to make themselves feel more superior. Due to their fear of racial disturbance, they want to get rid of the Blacks, so they choose Tom Robinson to be charged with rape, a crime he does not commit. During the trial, Tom says he feels sorry for Mayella. Mr Gilmer, Mayella’s defendant, picks up on the point and states hastily:

‘you feel sorry for her, you feel sorry for her?’

For a Black to feel sorry for a White is the same as a black showing superiority towards whites and therefore would be seen as a crime worse than rape itself in the White jury’s eyes. From this, we see how whites are allowed to assert prejudice over blacks but for blacks to show the slightest hint of discontent or even sincerity is forbidden.

“Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” is also set against a background of racial hatred which permeates the lives of all. However, racism in society ...

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‘you feel sorry for her, you feel sorry for her?’

“Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” is also set against a background of racial hatred which permeates the lives of all. However, racism in society is often shown through violence.

Cassie experiences some hard times at Strawberry herself when Big Ma decides to allow Stacey and Cassie to accompany her to this festival. It turns out to be a day of disappointments and humiliation, starting with the town itself which does not live up to her expectations. Then Cassie is confused by Big Ma’s choice of pitch at the far and least accessible end of the market. Big Ma explains to her that the best positions are reserved for ‘them’s white folks’ wagons’. We see from this that whites feel they are more superior and therefore are prejudiced against blacks, who according to them are of a lower class and do not deserve much. After the sale, Cassie accompanies T.J and Stacey to the store against Big Ma’s orders. Cassie is appalled to find that the storekeeper, Mr Barnett, serves the white customers even a white girl who was no bigger than she was before them. Cassie is determined to wreak revenge by tackling Mr Barnett about this. She feels it is unfair to be prejudiced against someone simply because of their race and colour. Cassie has been brought up to try and change what little she can, to do something to fight back against injustice. It will not prevent such things from happening again but at least she is not accepting the treatment she has received. When Cassie touches Mr Barnett, his response is one that is unacceptable:

‘he recoiled as if I had struck him’

It is as if he is physically repelled by her presence. The reader acknowledges that this is due to his racist attitudes. This act to try and seek revenge shows Cassie as a courageous character for she has the guts to stand up for her beliefs, to fight for justice. Mr Barnett becomes angry and shouts at Cassie:

‘whose little nigger is this!’

He speaks in total contempt, taking no account of her age. The word ‘nigger’ is used, a rude and offensive term for Blacks, suggesting that he will not countenance any suggestion of equality for them. Stacey is equally angry, but has to drag Cassie out of the store to prevent her from getting hurt. The final straw comes for Cassie when she bumps into Lillian Jean Simms, who holds strong prejudices against Blacks. Lillian Jean orders Cassie to apologise, but expects her to get down on the road and do so. Mr Simms shortly arrives and the scene becomes ugly and dangerous. He snaps at Cassie saying:

‘when my gal Lillian Jean says for you to get yo’self off the sidewalk, you get, you hear?’

Here, Lillian Jean demonstrates the blind prejudice of her father. Big Ma comes along and senses the threatening nature of the situation. Mildred Taylor makes this known to the readers through the ‘fear in her eyes’. She reluctantly commands Cassie to apologise again. Although Big Ma is equally furious, she has enough courage to hold back her feelings and avoid retaliation. By doing so she might have prevented a potentially dangerous fight. Mr Simms however is not satisfied and requests Cassie to address her daughter as ‘Miz’. This shows how Mr Simms uses prejudice to fulfil his need for superiority. Mama supports this when she explains to Cassie that Mr Simms acts that way for he thinks Lillian Jean is better than her, solely because she’s white. Mama then goes on to say:

‘he’s one of those people who has to believe that white people are better than black people to make them feel big.’

We learn of the importance of superiority to the whites and perhaps it is the reason behind some racist attitudes. After all these incidents, we learn that both Stacey and Big Ma have to humble themselves in front of a White person and Cassie is compelled to do the same in fear of getting hurt.

The final chapters of the story are filled with racism and violence. After T.J. has been caught stealing with the Simms brothers, we witness the savage and brutal assault on T.J. and his family through Cassie’s young eyes. She says:

‘Mr and Mrs Avery are dragged savagely by their feet from the house. The Avery girls are thrown through the open windows. The older girls, attempting to gather the younger children to them, are slapped back and spit upon. Then quiet, gentle Claude is hauled out, knocked to the ground and kicked.’

We see yet again the dangers of the night men and the effects of racial prejudice. Even if T.J. had not been stealing, it is assumed that he has committed the crime as he is seen as one of the black people with low morals, thus he is punished, but it was one for the whole family, even the innocent. It teaches other blacks not to ‘step out of line’ and that they should be prepared to suffer the consequences of their actions if they do. Mrs Barnett’s conviction that all three boys are black even though R.W. and Melvin had their faces hidden under stockings says a great deal about the extent of her prejudice. She is a microcosm of the 1930s’ white society, reflecting the severe prejudices shown towards blacks.

At the end of the novel, the two communities are united in their fight against the fire, Mr Lanier and Mr Simms ‘each oblivious of the other’. The need of Whites to overpower the Blacks is overridden by a stronger need- to douse the flames as they are all dependant on the cotton crops for their livelihoods. There is irony in that they can work in harmony and for the common good. This is a scene of reconciliation however, for it is made clear that T.J. will still be tried and almost certainly found guilty for the robbery.

Predominantly, violence and racism is of whites against blacks, but this may not always be the case. An occasion where the opposite happens in “To Kill a Mockingbird” is when Cal takes Jem and Scout to the First Purchase Church on Sunday. They were halted by a Negro woman, Lula May, who objects to the presence of the white children in their church. She believes that whites and blacks are segregated, thus Lula May shows her discontent through:

‘you ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillin here, they got their church, we got our’n’

Black discontent can only be shown towards a white child who is breaking the rules of segregation that have been imposed by the whites on the blacks for usually, Blacks cannot show their disapproval of white ways, for fear of prejudice leading to violence and unemployment. Lula may is the only black character who has sufficient courage to expose her fury and feelings towards their racist white community. She is not afraid to make known her opinions even though consequences could be enormous, and perhaps this is the first step in the breaking down of prejudice.

In “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” there are also times when the anger in blacks’ hearts are too much to bear and they show their rage through violence. Their actions are understandable under these circumstances. Unlike “To Kill a Mockingbird” situations are not as clear cut as to whether they are the result of black prejudice against whites, but there is certainly an implication of it. When Stacey, Papa and Mr Morrison are faced with the unprovoked attack by the Wallaces on their way back from Vicksburg, Mr Morrison retaliates and inflicts grievous injuries on the Wallaces brothers. This can be justified as self-defence, it being made clear to the readers that Stacey and Papa would have had little chance of survival if Mr Morrison had not been there. It also shows that Mr Morrison is courageous as attacking whites puts him in great danger and his own life might be at risk. Therefore, this act requires a lot of audacity. Another example is when Cassie seeks revenge for the humiliation she suffered in Strawberry by attacking Lillian Jean. The author deliberately diminishes her triumph by showing Lillian Jean to be both confused and upset by Cassie’s actions, saying:

‘Cassie, you wouldn’t do that, not after I trusted you…’

Lillian Jean does not understand the apparent change in Cassie. She regards her subservient behaviour as normal and her bewildered reaction takes the pleasure away from Cassie’s victory. Again this attack on a white shows the tremendous courage and determination Cassie holds in order to seek justice. Through this, Mildred Taylor suggests that Lillian Jean is also a victim of the attitudes of society in which she lives. We can now see that sometimes, prejudice might be of blacks against whites but usually these are acceptable and can be explained.

Courage is an important element which can help people through periods of hardships. In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Miss Maudie is optimistic after the burning of her house. She says:

‘always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch, gives me more yard.’

She has the courage to look on the brighter future rather than reminiscing over the past. ‘Real courage’ is shown when Atticus and the children are called to Mrs Dubose’s death bed. Atticus explains to the children that the reason for Mrs Dubose’s cantankerous nature is that she has been in the middle of fighting a morphine addiction, so that she could die a free woman. He says:

‘I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.’

Mrs Dubose continues to fight her addiction even though she is fighting a losing battle. Her courage helps her through it and allows her to succeed. Scout learns that courage is a vital part of life to support one through hard times. She realises that she should also strengthen her courage and learn to tolerate nasty comments about her family to avoid more trouble for her father. Another type of courage that is emphasised is the fighting against evil and prejudice. Understanding of others is sometimes not enough; an act of bravery is demanded to try to prevent evil taking place and to override prejudice. This type of courage is shown by Boo Radley’s heroic act when he rescues Jem from Robert Ewell. He has a compassion for the children and fears for their safety. When he sees Robert Ewell attacking Jem, he does not hesitate to save him, even though he knows he is attacking a White, a man in the class above. This shows the enormous courage that Boo holds. Both these main types of courage are evident when Atticus agrees to represent Tom Robinson for ‘rape’ despite knowing that success is unlikely. His self respect and pride demand that he makes sure Tom Robinson gets a fair trial. His case is ordered and his oratory is admired. He is a man of extreme integrity, fighting against racial prejudice, setting an example for his children and it is through his mouth that Harper Lee expresses his moral philosophy. Atticus hopes to lead people to the understanding that Blacks deserve the same rights as Whites by setting a good example himself. Atticus also believes that one’s courage derives from the soul. He says:

‘The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.’

This is implying that courage can be found within those who hold on to their values and do not allow themselves to be swayed by the jibes and opinions of others. He teaches Jem and Scout to appreciate other’s opinions but should keep an open mind to form true views of someone.

In “Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry”, courage is shown when Stacey leads the others in getting revenge on the bus and its occupants by digging a deep gully in which the bus becomes stranded, forcing its occupants to wade through the mud and water. Stacey, like Boo, even though knowing he is attacking Whites, has enough courage to seek justice. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes and it is that that made them successful. Mama also has the courage to teach her own version of American history, not what appears in the approved county textbooks, even though it eventually leads to her dismissal. Her courage continues however and it is she who encourages a boycott of the Wallace store, despite knowing that consequences could be immense. Papa is prepared to stand against Mr Granger and to risk his life to prevent a lynching taking place. The enormity of his courage is illustrated when he sacrifices a quarter of his land, burning up the cotton crop in his efforts to save T.J.. This act is not easy to perform but with great intrepidity and presence of mind, Papa is able to diffuse the potentially tragic situation that befalls T.J.. Papa is attempting to seek justice for T.J.. Like Atticus, he has the intention to combat prejudice. Thus he plucks up his courage to set an example.

Mildred Taylor and Harper Lee have both created very powerful stories. Whilst there are moments of warmth, security and love within the families, there are also terrifying times of fear, violence and destruction not only in blacks but which whites also have to endure in their struggle for survival. Through “To Kill a Mockingbird”, Harper Lee demonstrates the presence of racial discrimination amongst both black and white members of a community. Through their words, we see how life was unfair and unequal for many, and how they gathered enough courage and moral tolerance to face the racist attitudes and bigotry that have been inflicted against them. Today, prejudice is still a lingering issue of everyday life, but with time, it has become much easier and opposed more often. There are still people who are striving for equality, however, and therefore by reading these books, we learn to follow the characters’ examples and aim to eliminate racism and discrimination.

Stephanie Poon