Write an essay on Harper Lee's presentation of the black characters in "To Kill A Mockingbird".

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Stevie Brewster.  11.22

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Question

Write an essay on Harper Lee’s presentation of the black characters in “To Kill A Mockingbird”.

Essay

The story of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is based in a fictional town in the southern state of Alabama, USA.  The book was written and published just before the peak of the American civil rights movement.  But the book became very popular in the 1960’s because the atmosphere amongst the American citizens was very racially charged.

The main plot of the story is that of the trial of Tom Robinson against the Ewells for his ‘rape’ of Mayella Ewell.  He was found guilty of this charge because he was a black man giving his word against a white man.  The black characters in the novel are all presented timid and well mannered.  However, due to the attitudes of the society at the time the black citizens were ‘below’ the white citizens and were not even treated as third class citizens but more as animals, who have no feelings or rights in society.

The actual trial of Tom Robinson is based on a trial that occurred when Lee was just five years old.  In that trial nine black men were accused of raping two white women.  These men were all innocent and it was later revealed that the women had lied.  The same is true in the case of Tom Robinson.  Mayella Ewell liked Tom Robinson but again due to the attitudes of society was unable to show this.  When Bob Ewell, her father saw them together he beat Mayella up.  However, he had to get rid of his daughter’s feelings for a black man and the only way he knew how to do this was to accuse Tom of raping her.  As the reader we believe that Tom is innocent of the charge and so do the other black citizens and some of the white citizens.  However, Tom is still found guilty because of the attitudes of the society at the time.

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In order to make us feel for the black characters, Harper Lee tells us about the natural and personal traits that the black characters in the novel have.  She focuses on are Tom Robinson, Calpurnia, and Rev. Sykes.  However we are told about other black characters when they are in big groups or meetings, such as at church and the trial of Tom Robinson.  We are also told about the attitudes of the white characters towards the blacks.

The white characters have no trust for the black characters; the jury and other white characters do not trust Tom’s ...

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