Throughout the novel, the black community earn our respect in many ways. Their unfailing passive stance to the racism they faced in their everyday lives provides a great admiration for them, as not many people could take abuse such as “Come here, nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I gotta nickel for you.” Or “I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin’ on my Mayella!” These cusses were the kind of language a black person there and in those times could expect when talking to a white person. They simply accepted this and did not complain. They were of course also driven to this civility by the knowledge that, should one of them put so much as a toe out of line, they would be taken to court and sentenced to death, or lynched on the spot.
As well as that, they even willingly helped white members of the community, for example, Tom Robinson helped Mayella Ewell daily without once refusing or even complaining. He didn’t mind being helpful in this way, even when he did not have to be. He was just being nice; though the Ewell’s had done nothing to earn this good treatment, they had always been nasty and racist towards Tom and the rest of the black community.
The black community are also shown as simply being nicer people on the whole. They are very supportive, for example they all raise money for Helen when they know she is in need. They also stand for Atticus when he enters the courtroom, a sign of respect showing how much they appreciate his efforts. Also they show respect for Tom Robinson at the trial, while the white people all see it as a “gala occasion”.
The black people are also very proud, they do not want to accept gifts from people and would much rather make their own way. For example they give gifts to Atticus, though they cannot really afford to, and they pay their own way, despite their poverty due to the great depression and the racism they endure. Another example of them in fact being better mannered than whites is the “neat and snug cabins” which they live in. these are juxtaposed by the squalor which the Ewells live in.
Calpurnia is shown in a very good light throughout the novel, and she elevates the entire black community through this. She is shown as having strict moral values, and very well mannered, as shown by her dealing with Scout’s rudeness towards Walter: “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him”. She is also shown as being a well-educated woman and not as the ignorant fools that the whites portrayed blacks as being. One of the best indications of her good nature is Atticus’ treatment of her; he values her greatly and says, “We couldn’t operate a single day without Cal”. This shows just how great an asset she is to the family and gives a very positive view of black people in that time.
In the novel, the black community is always portrayed very well, and this means that the reader is mortified when they read about the racism which they encounter. A lot of racism is shown through the novel, for example the segregation of the different races. The blacks have to use a separate church and in the courtroom there is an area for black people only. Also, there are numerous racist remarks and derogatory comments made throughout, such as “nigger” and “sulky darkies”. The black community are constantly being abused by the whites verbally. As well as that, Aunt Alexandra wants for Calpurnia to be sacked because she is black, with no regard as to how good at her good and versatile she is. Also we see that when Mr. Radley thinks a black man is in his garden, he immediately starts shooting, whereas if it had been a white man, he would have questioned them before taking action. It is also made evident that a fair trial is impossible for a black man, as in Tom’s case, Mr. Gilmer, and Bob and Mayella Ewell are all racist towards him, with only Atticus fighting for him.
Another example of one person shedding good light on the whole black community is Tom Robinson. He is always shown as nice, helpful and respectful. It is said that he was a churchgoer ever since he was a boy, with a strong faith. His family are also described as “clean-living folks”, the antithesis of the Ewells, who are always shown as filthy white trash. Tom is also always courteous, even being polite and friendly to the Ewells, and helping Mayella whenever she asks, as he “felt sorry” for her, as she had no one to help her. His handicap of having one arm 12 inches shorter than the other and a shrivelled hand gives him pathos, and shows his vulnerability, it makes the reader feel all the more sorry for him.
All of these good qualities of Tom Robinson’s make us feel all the more that he does not deserve the racism which he faces. This is particularly shown when he is found guilty at the end despite all of the evidence being clearly pointed towards his innocence. Also his wife Helen is stalked by Bob Ewell “all the way to the house, Helen said, she heard a soft voice behind her, crooning foul words.” Bob even punishes Tom’s wife, though she is not even involved with Tom’s supposed crime. The accusations made against Tom were actually only made because Mayella was attracted to him, he was used as a scapegoat to cover up the fact that Mayella had feelings for a black man. Tom also has a very lowly job picking cotton, as this is the only work available for a black man. Tom says that he felt sorry for Mayella, and that this was why he had always helped her, as she seemed to have noon else to help her around in reply to a question. Scout says that “nobody liked [his] answer” as they were outraged that a black man would have the nerve to feel sorry for a white woman. Also when Tom is killed in the end, he is shot far more times than would be necessary to kill him. Finally Tom embodies the metaphor of killing a mockingbird. He did nothing but help out but he was killed anyway.
The whole of Maycomb is in fact portrayed as racist in the novel, not just individuals, racism had become institutional, so it appeared everywhere. The black people in Maycomb were denied education simply out of racial hatred. Also Jem and Scout are insulted because their father is defending Tom Robinson, as this was seen as unthinkable, how could the black man be right and the white man wrong? Also the jobs which black people were able to get were always very lowly and degrading, such as Calpurnia the housekeeper, Tom as a cotton picker, and Zeebo the dustbin man. They were not put in any position where they may have any sort of power. Dolphus Raymond is another good example of how unacceptable black people were. When he married a black woman, he was condemned and he pretends to drink whisky all the time (when he is in fact drinking Coca Cola) so that people will say “Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whisky-that’s why he won’t change his ways.” The missionary society ironically tries to help the Mruna tribe, yet they continue to persecute the black people in their own home. The racist attitude there is so deep rooted that they do not even realise their own hypocrisy. There is also a description of racism as “Maycomb’s usual disease”. The negative connotations of the word disease show us what a terrible thing the racism was, and the quote shows that it really was simply the way of life in the Deep South. Atticus refers to the “time-honoured code” which states that whites cannot be attracted to black people. Showing how set in their ways the people of Maycomb are.
The most positive aspect of the blacks is how dignified the black people remain in the face of all the racism which comes their way. Even though he will die if found guilty, Tom does not accuse Mayella of lying in her testimony, though he knows that she did. Also the way in which the black people behave in court, being very quiet and respectful, standing up for Atticus to honour his efforts. They also show their pride and dignity in that their first priority after being freed is to buy the church, showing their poverty. They show their kindness by letting Jem and Scout sit in the balcony for black people in the courtroom, when any white person would have thrown a black person out of the white’s area. They are always respectful to white people; even though Mr. Gilmer always calls him “boy” in the trial, Tom still calls him “sir”.
The narrative perspective of the novel highlights the injustice of racism, as Scout is always so upset by the goings on in the courtroom, and Atticus says that “only the children weep” as they have yet to understand the racist mentality of their society. Also Dolphus Raymond and Atticus show Harper Lee’s contempt for racism. Dolphus Raymond because he tells Dill to “cry about the hell white people give coloured folks” and says “They could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.” Also Atticus’ attitude towards racist men, saying that a white man is “trash” for cheating a black man. These both sum up the way Harper Lee felt about the racism in the Deep South.
In conclusion, though it could be said that the blacks in the novel are shown as needing a white hero to save them, Harper Lee in fact makes them heroes by making them so dignified and proud in the face of racism. The black community gain our admiration through the novel and are portrayed very positively, so the racist attitude of the people of Maycomb is shown badly, and the racists as the enemies of the heroes, Atticus and the black people.
