Racism was an open and obvious issue in Maycomb society; overall the white community hated Negroes, because they were not able to accept the cultural and traditional background the Negroes hailed from. The white community judged the black community by the skin color, not by the content of their character. ‘They did manage to go to schools; the standard of education was very limited, and above all they were treated with contempt by most of their white neighbors, frequently being referred as ‘niggers’ and ‘trash’, the quote here supports the fact that whites were racist against the blacks and concludes the “Jim Crow” law in alternate ways, because the quote says that black children did not get enough facilities in the schools compared to white children, there was low level educational advancement in the black schools. This is what happened; black community did not possess freedom due to the unfair policies.
Mentioning schools when Jim Crow was active, the educational system described in the book inter- connects the situation. Harper Lee has depicted the school as a dull and unimaginative regime. She has described the school educational system as ineffectual and not productive. According to Scout, when Miss Caroline came to the school she was ‘introducing a new way of teaching. She learned about it in college’. But she was unaware about the fact that hardly anybody took interest in the teaching done at school. That’s how the society’s education system was clayed up. ‘Miss Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged, denim-shirted and floursack-skirted first grade, most of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs from time they were able to walk, were immune to imaginative literature’, the quote present clearly represents the fact that the children in the school never paid attention or took interest in school and that’s how the system had been before Miss Caroline.
Overall, the education system in Maycomb was poor due to the inefficiency of the system which was molded automatically due to the partitioned casts. However Scout and Jem were literate, that was due to Atticus who thought that education was one of the most important aspect of life.
Moving backwards to segregation, a mentioned example in the book was in the court. Black people were only allowed to sit in the balcony, not the main front.
Another issue that is closely related to racism and Harper Lee has mentioned it in context (Chapter 26) is institutional racism and Hitler. This closely relates with the situation in Maycomb where institutional racism was more or less active because when we review the black trials, hardly any ever got justice, ‘Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I didn’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man’ the quote clearly embodies the fact that black people were being racially discriminated in the courts. This can conclude the fact that institutional racism was more or less active in the law enforcement agencies.
An important relevance that has to be raised when we are evaluating racism against the black community is the Ku Klux Klang group. This was a community of white people who opposed the advancement of black people. Formed as a social club by a group of confederate army veterans in Pulaski, Tennessee, 1865 turned out to be very violent. The KKK was also extremely hostile to those whites who showed sympathy for blacks. White teachers in black schools were extremely vulnerable. Although the book does not report any incidence of teachers getting lynched but a link that conjoins an event in the book with a KKK like mob was when the Cunninghams with other people gathered up at the county jail the night when Atticus was keeping a watch alone on Tom Robinson. The Cunninghams threatened Attius, told him to stand aside and let them take Tom, ‘You know what we want ….. get aside from the door, Mr. finch’, the quote interconnects the KKK methods with the very hostile situation Atticus was that night.
Coming back to the social structure of the society, it has been mentioned that the society is divided into certain casts and categories, for example the Cunninghams, the Ewells, the educated middle class and at the bottom of the pyramid the Negroes. But when referring to the book another main base that emerges is the term prejudice. The whole story line is based upon prejudice and it is like the pivot joint for the events that take place.
Looking further into the society, white people are racist against the black community because they are prejudiced towards their background origin. They don’t want to learn about the cultural background and accept it to solve the tensions.
The society is prejudiced. One of the terms is of equal opportunities for both sexes. Women do not have equal rights as men; they have to dress up according to the society’s acceptance otherwise they will be commented about. ‘Well, you won’t get very far until you start wearing dresses more often’ (Aunt Alexandra to Scout, ch.24), the quote here from Aunt Alexandra indubitably represent that the concept of the dressing had been on in her times too.
‘Our kinds of folks don’t like the Cunninghams, the Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells, and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks’, the quote here is relational to the main frame quote that the essay is based upon. Here it is being proved that the community itself is split up into “Streaks” referring to Aunt Alexandra. These four categories have their own approach towards life and no matter what happens their attitudes will stay the same against each other; this is prior to the misunderstanding caused by prejudice. All these categories hate each other, as mentioned in the quote above, because they never look deep inside each others hearts to find out their character and sort out problems.
Arthur or Boo Radley who is indeed another member of the society, but hidden! Boo plays a key role at the near end of the novel by saving Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell’s attack. Boo represents fear. The whole community fears that if they act eccentric and fail to adhere the social rules and procedures, they too will end up like Boo Radley, isolated and remembered as a grotesque monster. It is fear that supports the social status quo and keeps individuals from standing up for what they believe. It is prejudice that is causing Arthur to be considered as a fearsome monster.
Another example of social fear is Mr. Dolphus Raymond. He married a colored woman and now fears that the society will never accept him. Mr. Raymond acts like he is drunk all the time when he is actually pretending. He does this because he wants the society to believe that it was his drinking influence that caused him to marry a colored woman. But to him he wanted to marry a colored woman, despite of all the critics that were against the decision, to him she was a normal lady with simple beliefs. ‘Because you are children, you can understand it’ (to Jem and scout from Mr Raymond) what Mr. Raymond means here is, Jem and Scout are children with innocent minds that still have to be polished with the Society’s rules. But they will understand and judge things without prior notice to the rules and regulations. Again it is prejudice that is causing Mr. Raymond to pretend drunk. He is afraid that he will also be neglected like Boo and the Negroes if he doesn’t give the society an answer as to why did he marry a colored woman. Drinking influence was his answer.
The society of Maycomb is defiant to a change, this will create injustice to the extent of the death of a man to keep their ideas that “all Negroes lie, all Negroes are basically immoral beings; all Negro men are not to be trusted around women
However when there is trouble or conflictions the whole community does gather up to help and support each other. An example is when Miss Maudie Atkinson’s house caught fire and everyone in the community gathered up to help her.
Arthur Radley or Boo, helped Jem and Scout when they were attacked by Bob Ewell at the near end of the novel.
Atticus helped Mr. Cunningham in the entailment case and didn’t expect any payment.
Overall I would like to comment that the society has divisions but they apply effort when fellow community members need help. However until people can understand, accept people like Boo and Mr. Raymond as Scout does at the end of the novel with Boo, they will be wedged in a world of lies, hatred and ignorance. ‘I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo stayed shut up in the house all this time’ the quote at this juncture concisely supports the fact that Scout was beginning to understand Boo’s situation in the society.
Atticus plays a key role in the novel. He is projected as the defender. He is not only the most proficient lawyer who defends Tom Robinson in the case but also a guardian of the society. Atticus is a very broad minded person and tries to bring in the same in his children. He tries to project them that every person in the world has a different approach to different things. You cannot judge their decisions unless you ‘walk into their shoes’. ‘You cannot understand a person until you consider things from his point of view’, the quote here undoubtedly represents that Atticus has a broad minded approach to all situations. The mentioned motif is mentioned throughout the novel. Besides I would say that it is one of the main base morals of the story.
At the beginning of the novel, Scout and Jem were ashamed of Atticus because they thought he was more or less like a paranoid and just a lawyer who is only interest in reading and office. ‘I sure would, Atticus can’t do anything’ (scout), The quote obviously conspire the fact Scout and Jem had negative attitudes towards Atticus’s profession. When he presents Jem with his rifle, he refuses to teach him how to shoot, but asks his brother to teach him. The comment he gives to Jem about shooting was to never shoot a Mockingbird as it is a ‘sin to kill a Mockingbird’. But the attitudes change when the children find out that Atticus was the best shooter in town after the mad dog incident, ‘Atticus was feeble’(pg.98). He tries to explain as to why didn’t he ever mention his ability from Mrs. Dubose’s illness due to morphine addiction. He tries to explain him as to why she didn’t mention it.
Atticus has represented Guns as false strength. According to him, guns do not prove manhood or bravery. Manhood and bravery come from a man’s ability to preserve and fight using his wits, his heart, and his character. The message is explained through tom Robinson’s case, ‘If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent my county as a legistrate, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again’ (atticusPg.83), The present quote clearly represent that Atticus knew that he would lose the case but he still tried in order to protect an innocent negro who is not the convicted but a victim of racial discrimination between Blacks and whites.
I think that Atticus was the protector, guardian for the whole community. He tried to protect everyone from being criticized due to racial or cast issues. He also represents a mockingbird as they ‘don’t do one thing other than to sing songs for us’, so was Atticus who was trying to defend everyone and working hard for the community.
Moving away from Atticus’s role and the society division towards the Mocking bird motif, that has a lot to do with the trial and other events in the book. The mocking bird motif represents innocence. Like hunters who kill Mockingbird for sport, people kill innocence, without thinking about what they are doing. ‘killing a mockingbird is a sin’, ’they don’t do one thing to us other than to sing’, the quotes present clearly support my comments and also explain that Atticus wanted his children to support the fact too. Atticus stands firm in his defense of innocence and urges his children to do the same both literally and figuratively.
The Mockingbird Motif arises four times, first when Atticus gives Jem and Scout the rifles and urges them not to shoot mockingbirds. Second, when B.B underwood writes about Tom Robinson’s death in his column. Third, a mockingbird singing right before Scout and Jem are attacked by Bob Ewell. Finally, when Scout agrees with Atticus that prosecuting Boo for Ewell’s murder would be like killing a Mockingbird. Overall the Mockingbird motif stands against, prejudice, racism and segregation.
Finally, what I would like to conclude out of the whole analysis is that Maycomb society is highly influenced by factors like racism, prejudice, educational system and the strong discrimination against the Black community. The society is resistant to change, even after the abolishment of slavery. Another factor that joins the list is Hypocrisy, the white feeling superior to the Black people. Figures like Mrs. Perkins represent Hypocrisy in the missionary circle . However broad minded people like Atticus Finch have strong disbelief in these Hypo critic factors. Reputation of the different categories was taken very seriously in the society. Negroes who belonged at the bottom of the triangle were neglected strongly by most of the white community. In the end I would like to comment that the three basic morals for the novel represent, not to be prejudice, not to kill innocence and finally to achieve morals education is important.
