Wednesday 4 April 2018

THE THEME OF RACISM

WHAT KIND OF RACISM IS SHOWN IN "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" ?

13 comments:

  1. “To Kill A Mockingbird” is marvelous and unforgettable novel. Not only show how dramatic, sad in and old town – Maycomb be like, but through her unique writings, some big conflicts about politics and critical is going on through this tired old Southern town. Not just in general like education, friendship, neighbors but also pacific in individuals like family and the people’s characteristics themselves. In one book yet can covered with such many problems, Harper Lee must have been experienced a lot and deeply understanding that time. That is why the book lives, becoming literature and get the love from the audiences a lot. One of the problem and mostly run along with the story and interest me is racism between white people and black people socially.
    Fiction usually based on what happened in real life. This novel, Harper Lee based on what she seen and writes about it. Racism was quite popular that moment. At the start of the story Harper doesn’t want to go directly into the problems but wanted it grows slowly through a vision of a little girl – Scout. It begins with the memories of a child “when he was nearly thirteen”. This is another interesting way from style of writing, beginning slowly and calm yet deeply meaning in the end. In this novel and all above 15 first chapters, racism exist in people’s mind, on actions and mostly from dialogue, questions they’ve been asked by people around. Relationship in social also causes the problems like this to happen too. 
    White people always think about racism, they usually messed up with people around and rarely respect colored people. They always think white people are the definition of perfect and others don’t which is not true.  This happen a lot in real life, even nowadays, not only about racism but also about how you look, what appearance, rich or poor, pretty or not. 
    Sum up, the social relationship between these people here, this old town Maycomb is complicated and pretty tense. This novel has taught us so much, thanks to Harper Lee – one of the greatest writers of all time. It has opened our eyes wider about racism at that time and compared it to nowadays it has become so much better. People are equally, no matter what skin color you are, what religion you have, or where you’re from, what you’re appearance looks like, we are all equal, and we are all the same – human. So instead of treating badly to one another we should all united and make the world a better place. 

    Hadil Midassi 1°S5

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  2. Racism is a theme which appeared usually in art. "To Kill a Mocking Bird" is a book written by Harper Lee which highlight racism and discriminations in American society.
    The xenophobia is shown through the Radley. In Maycom city, Scout and her friends are scared by Radley because he is weird and seems antisocial. Nevertheless, the main kind of racism shown in this book is between white and black Americans.
    Maycomb, the city that Haper Lee mentioned, has intolerant and racist residents. The racism exists in people's mind and it exists in the majority of Americans as well during this period.
    Nonetheless, we can't see violent acts in the city before the Robinson's trial. Haper Lee showed racism through experiences in Atticus's family's life. I will tell you an example in the book. We learn expression's used at the Maycomb school: "nigger". Atticus prevent his child to speak with such vocabulary. Atticus is a lawyer and he defends a black man. Francis, the Scout's cousin repeat "nigger lover" all the time to Scout. Atticus taught tolerance to Scout so she was upset by Francis and his expression "nigger lover".

    Finally, Haper Lee, to denounce racism, showed a tolerant family in a American racist city, Maycomb, to show us contrast between fairness and discrimination.

    Théo PUTEGNAT 1S5

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    Replies
    1. Sorry I made mistakes. It´s which highlights / discrimination. We say « are scared of » we say racisme and not the racism
      We say Scout’s cousin and not The scout’s cousin

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    2. Sorry I made mistakes.
      I forgot the « s » in « which highlights » and I had one in « discrimination ».
      It’s « scared of something » and not « scared something »
      It’s « Racism » and not « the racism » and « scout’s cousin » and not « the scout’s cousin »

      Delete
  3. Hello,
    I think there is only one kind of racism. There is in "TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD" segregation against Tom Robinson : a black man. As you know he is accused to have rapped a white woman (even it is not the truth). Even if Atticus conviced judges Tom is send to jail. There is in this book racism against black people.
    Ewan Lagain 1S5

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  4. "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a very famous book written by Harper Lee to denounce discrimination against black people for that he uses a fair and modest American family with two main characters Atticus exemplary lawyer believing in equality and the fraternity, father of two children but especially Scout tomboy who at several times during the book helps his father for the defense of a black American accused of raping a white woman. From a personal point of view, this book is divided into six, first of all the exhibition scene presenting the Finch family living in Maycomb, Alabama, and the period of racism and prejudices suffered by black people. In the second, the conflict tells us that a young black man is accused of raping a white woman and that it is Atticus who will have to defend him. In the third action rising, the children of Atticus become a center of attention because their father represents a black man. Throughout the process children learn valuable lessons about justice, commitment and what is right. Fourthly, the climax Tom is found guilty, and the innocent children can not believe that the judges could send an innocent man to the electric chain. In the fifth action that failed Bob Ewell made his disapproval at Atticus, he threatened Atticus and the wife of Tom. And to finish the resolution, ultimately Ewell meaning takes to Scout and Jem instead of Atticus and it is Boo Radley strange man who wields the occupation of the children who save their lives and kill Ewell.

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  5. Hello everybody,

    First of all, even though there is one kind of racism, there are different types of discrimination shown in « To kill a Mockingbird ».

    There is discrimination against black people, like Tom Robinson who is unfairly convicted because he’s accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Atticus says that « in an Alabama court, a white person’s word always defeat a black person’s word » which is unfair and discriminating. There is also intolerance against white people who defend black people. They are insulted, being called « nigger lovers ». Other white people who are racists, like Mrs. Dubose, say that « nigger lovers like Atticus are not better than any black people ».
    In the book, social classes injustice is also shown. Poor people are discriminated, like Walter Cunningham Jr. who can’t even buy a lunch. When Scout asks if she can invite him at home, Aunt Alexandra says that « the Finches don’t associate with trash ».

    Racism, between black people and white people, is present in the book, but I think there’s also other discriminations, like discrimination against poor people.

    Thelma D. 1S5
    (180 Words)

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  6. Hi everyone !
    I would like to share my point of view about the book.

    « To Kill a Mockingbird » is a very famous novel in all over the world. The author, Harper Lee describes a little city, Maycomb in the thirties where people's mentality is racist. In her book, Harper Lee denounces racism thanks the character of Tom Robinson. She shows racism against black people and social inequality. In fact, Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a young girl of nineteen years old just because his skin colour is black. Tom Robinson's lawyer proves that he is innocent but he is still sent to jail where he will die because he wanted to escape. Unfortunately, she also shows white people who are not racist like Atticus, the lawyer of the black man.

    Sarah H. 1S5

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  7. Racism is all prejudices, discriminations, or antagonism directed against someone of a different « race » or ethnic group based on the belief that one's own « race » is superior. Harper Lee, in her book To Kill A Mockingbird published in 1960, talked about this subject. I am going to tell you what kind of racism is shown in it.

    First, Harper Lee wrote To Kill a Mockingbird which the story is based on a real event : the Scottsboro Trial happened in 1931. The Scottsboro Trial is about nine black men who were accused of raping two white women. Even thought there was medical evidence that proved their innocence, the all-white jury sentenced all the men except the youngest to death. Harper Lee was inspired by this story for her book : Tom Robinson's trial. Tom Robinson is falsely accused of raping a white women : Mayella Ewell. During the trial a lot of evidences, shown by his lawyer M. Atticus, proved that he doesn't do anything to her. But he's black, and during this period  : you were black so you were guilty for anything. Black word didn't mean anything contrary to white word. Besides, the story takes place during the Great Depression : people were very poor and they wanted to blame someone for their poverty and black people were an easy target. Inegualities between black and white are hightlighted in this book, then the fact that they didn't have the same rights and discriminations created by those inegualities inflicted to black people.

    Finally, I think that they is one kind of racism in this book : against black people.

    Cassandre M. 1S5
    272 words

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    Replies
    1. Sorry I made a mistake : it's "there is" instead of "they is".

      Delete
  8. Hi everyone,
    In thebook "to kill a mockingbird", there is a kind of racism: there are discrimination and segregation of black people. Harper Lee denounced the racism by narrated the story of a lawyer who defend a black man. The black man is Tom Robinson, he is accused to have rapped the daughter of Bob Ewell.
    During the process, there isn't enough proofs to judge Tom, but he is admitted guilty (probably because he is black).
    In mu opinion, the segregation and the discrimination are two ways of thinking which shouldn't exist in our world, because they created wars and suffering.
    I can't undersatand how did the humans arrive to think about racism in the past.

    Jules C. 1S5

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    1. Hello everyone,
      I made a lot of mistakes in my text, I'm really sorry.
      It's not "to kill a mockingbird" but "To Kill a Mockingbird"; not "the racism" but "racism"; not "narrated" but "narrating"; not "defend" but "defends".
      It's accused of having raped; it's not "there isn't enough proofs...guilty" but "The judge didn't have any proof but he sentenced Tom".
      I made a mistake of taping, it's not "mu" but "my".
      In front of segregation and discrimination, there isn't "the".
      My last sentence is wrong, the correct is "I can't understand how humans could think of racism in the past".

      Jules C. 1S5

      Delete
  9. Hello everyone,
    In class, we studied the book "To kill a Mockingbird". It has been published in 1690. This story is about discrimination. I'm going to talk to you about which discrimination is shown here.
    First, this story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama, it deals with a trial who is based on a real event. In this book there are Tom Robinson, a black men who is accused of raping a white young girl. During his trial Atticus, his lawyer said that his client is innocent. However a lot of people think that he is guilty. Tom Robinson's lawyer talking about several arguments during the trial that shows that Tom is innocent like when he says that his client can't used his right hand and Mayella was hit on the left side of her face. Tom couldn't hit Mayella. However the jury said that Tom is guilty.
    Finally Tom is accused just because is a black men, a negros like said a lot of people. It's racism and injustice.

    Estelle Martin 1S5

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