How is racial segregation demonstrated in Chapter 16 of To Kill A Mockingbird?

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How racial segregation is demonstrated in chapter 16?

Crystal Wong

10S

The theme of race is particularly prominent in To Kill A Mockingbird. In chapter 16, the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white girl, the theme of racial segregation in the American South becomes obvious.

We begin to see racial segregation early on in chapter 16 where Scout describes the scene outside the courthouse: the colored people sat “in the far corner of the square” and the reader is introduced to Mr. Dolphus Raymond, a man who despite his skin color, “sat with them,” with “them” referred to as the Negroes. The use of an impersonal pronoun “them” suggest that Scout herself might feel as if the Negro community are separate to the white community. This perhaps gives us, as readers a more critical viewpoint of the narrator. The idea of racial segregation is continued as Scout describes the picnic. When she asks Jem about Dolphus Raymond, Jem replies: “’He’s got a colored woman…all sorts of mixed chillun.’”.  This demonstrates the character of Dolphus Raymond as perceived by Maycomb County. He is introduced as a wealthy but disliked man in Maycomb County despite the fact that he “owns all one side of the riverbank [and is] from a real old family”. Though he has traits valued by Maycomb County residents, he is still disliked by them due to his marriage with a black woman. He is often seen drinking what is presumed to be whiskey out of a paper bag. The character of Dolphus Raymond could be also be symbolic of the broader theme of prejudice in Maycomb County as a white man who associates himself with the black community would still be considered as black. When asked about what mixed children were, Jem says that they were “’Half-white…They’re real sad.”  He mentions that “colored folks “ won’t consider that they are the same because they are “half-white” and “white folks” won’t consider them as the same because they are “half-black” He mentions that these “mixed chilluns”  “don’t belong anywhere” because they are  “in-between”.  This gives a more critical viewpoint of not only the white community as well as the black community, showing, as well, that the black community is just as racist as the white community.   Jem goes on to say that they are “real sad”, showing a sense of maturity and understanding that is similar to Atticus.

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As the three children enter the courthouse, Scout overhears a conversation between Idler’s Club members, one saying, “Yeah, but Atticus aims to defend him. That’s what I don’t like about.” use of the word “aim” in the quote, “Atticus aims to defend him”, suggest that the Idler’s Club member suspect that Atticus is conspiring with the black community to get Tom Robinson acquitted. However, as readers, we understand that since the court has appointed Atticus to defend Tom Robinson’s case, it is Atticus’ job to get him acquitted. This quote shows how despite the fact that there are more ...

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