"You haven't even seen this town, but all you gotta do is step inside the courthouse." (Dolphus Raymond) Explore the ways in which the Tom Robinson case shows the prejudices of Maycomb Society.

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

“You haven’t even seen this town, but all you gotta do is step inside the courthouse.” (Dolphus Raymond)
Explore the ways in which the Tom Robinson case shows the prejudices of Maycomb Society.

Prejudice- preconceived opinion, bias or partiality, intolerance or discrimination against a person or group on account of race, religion or gender.

Racial prejudice consumed the mob (pg 166), which wished to prevent Tom even gaining a court hearing, the most basic form of justice. This is probably the fiercest form of prejudice in the novel, concerning the court case

Chapter 16, leading up to the court case contains various examples of racial discrimination, through stereotyping and general opinion.
She waited until Calpurnia was in the kitchen, then she said, ‘Don’t talk like that infront of them.’
The quotation above on page 162, follows after a discussion about Mr Underwood who ‘despises Negroes’ and ‘won’t have one near him.’
This shows an example of Aunt Alexandra’s feelings towards Negroes being the reader we are aware Calpurnia has been a loyal servant to the Finch family for many years. So for Aunt Alexandra to come out with such a statement basically shows us she has no respect, and stereotypes Calpurnia based on skin colour using the term ‘them’ to refer to one person. So in effect, the people in Maycomb like Aunt Alexandra are willing to stereotype Negroes like Calpurnia due to their skin colour no matter how well they are known or how honest, loyal they may be.

Further on in the chapter, ‘ As the county went past us, Jem gave Dill the histories and general attitudes of the more prominent figures….’
In the quotation taken from the bottom of page 164 Jem gives brief summaries of the Maycomb society as they pass through on route to the courthouse.
Although Jem talks in a general gossipy manor, this is yet another example of stereotyping people, similarly to doing so due to skin colour. For a child of Jem’s age and maturity the descriptions and opinions he gives are likely to come from what he’s heard spoken by adults. So we can basically conclude this form of giving opinion and categorising the Maycomb society in a prejudice manor is common in Maycomb for a child of Jem’s age to be saying such through word of mouth.

On page 165 we see an exception to the general opinion in Maycomb.

“I am not. ‘t’s morbid, watching a poor devil on trial for his life. Look at all those folks, it’s like a Roman Carnival.”
The quotation taken from page 165, is a response from Miss Maudie when asked if she is going to attend court by Jem.
The reply gives her view on the people in Maycomb attending the courthouse; for sheer pleasure and interest not out of care or duty in effect a prejudice from Miss Maudie, about the rest of Maycomb. She knows Tom Robinson stands ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

On page 165 we see an exception to the general opinion in Maycomb.

Continuing through the chapter, page 166 features a description of the gathering in the courthouse square.
’In the far corner of the square, the negroes sat quietly in the sun…Mr Dolphus Raymond sat with them.’

The quotation talks of the negroes being separate from the whites giving the impression of inequality as it talks of the them sitting ‘in the far corner of the square’ isolated and away from the rest of Maycomb.
This shows an example of prejudice through inequality, based around skin colour a prejudice shared by many of the Maycomb society for such a separation to occur.

The point made in the pervious paragraph about negro prejudice by the majority of Maycomb society is backed up when we hear Dill make the comment ‘He doesn’t look like trash’ about Dolphus Raymond who socialises with Negro people.

In the case of Dolphus Raymond, we know from our own knowledge he is white with a negro wife and half cast children.

On page 167 Jem explains to Scout about Dolphus’s children.

‘They don’t belong anywhere. Coloured folks won’t have ‘em because they’re half white; white folks won’t have ‘em ‘cause they’re coloured, so they’re just in-betweens, don’t belong anywhere’

This statement shows racial prejudice from both coloured and white people, although we know that white people show racial discrimination towards the Negroes, from previous examples this also detects racial discrimination from the Negroes themselves.

More quotations and acts of prejudice are found within chapter 17.

‘All the little man on the witness stand had that made him any better than the nearest neighbours was, that if scrubbed with lye soap in very hot water, his skin was white.’

The description, is given by Scout on page 177, in a narrative type manor to the reader. The description shows prejudice in the respect that it is being implied that the only thing that makes Mr Ewell any better than Tom Robinson is the fact he isn’t black. This prejudice is in the form of stereotyping and having suggestive thoughts based on the colour of their skin, another example of prejudice.

One of the most obvious forms of prejudice and discrimination shown in the courtroom, is that the blacks were having to wait for the white people to enter the court room before hand. This being stereotypical and unfair, the books also tells us that they sit separately also baking up my point.

We also see forms of prejudice when Mr Ewell testifies, ‘I seen that black nigger yonder, ruttin’ on my Mayella!’ referring to him as ‘nigger’ shows his lack of respect and biased attitude towards him for being coloured.

When Tom said in the trial that he felt sorry for Mayella (a crime worse than rape in the jury’s eyes) – the lowest class showing superiority for a class above themselves. The white community was frightened for their own position in society; the only reason Tom was found guilty was to maintain the traditional hierarchies. Yet another form of prejudice in the book for this reason.

Tom Robinson´s hearing was thus not only racial, but also class and gender prejudice entered into it.