Racial Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the game of chess, white is given the unfair advantage of the first move and is theoretically more likely to beat the black. It is like the type of advantage that is seen in racial discrimination. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, racial discrimination is an underlying theme. This issue is brought up in a town in the south and then narrated by the uncorrupted view of a child. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, racial discrimination is brought to light in a single chapter through the character Crooks. Both novels were set around the Great Depression Era, around the 1930 in the United States. These plots reflected the reality at the time; shadowing real people and real trials. A future influenced by implicit bias is and will be the
Tom Robinson from To Kill a Mockingbird is a negro and brings awareness to racial discrimination. For example, Scout notices, “It was Jem’s turn to cry. His face was streaked with anger as we made our way through the cheerful crowd ‘It ain't right,” (Steinbeck 212). Jem is indignant because he is not yet indoctrinated with the Southern ideas and realizes that the decision is prejudice based. The crowd which is all white cheers when Tom is convicted and is happy because they have the common thinking that all blacks are bad. Likewise in California, the mythology of criminality was widely believed and accepted. Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men undoubtedly knows that everyone will think the black man is guilty. She demonstrates her knowledge by saying, “Well, you keep your place then, Nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy, it ain't even funny" (Steinbeck 121). She knows how her word, even a lie will always and historically defeat Crooks just because he’s black. Crooks knows that the jury will discriminate against him because he is black and won’t receive a fair trial. Tom and Crooks are unequal to whites in court simply because of skin
Awareness through news and literature may be the current way to end the long history of racial discrimination. An instance of positive attention that worked was Emmett Till’s funeral. A photo of his body was in Jet magazine and the Whack wrote, “Seeing the bodies of these young men haunted angered and rallied many African-Americans into action,” (60 Years after Emmett Till’s Murder, Black Lives Still Matter, Whack). The photos, through a magazine was able to inform others and even get them to act. This is similar to the effect of To Kill a Mockingbird, it motivated people which then has the potential to change things. Furthermore, the news spread to the North. Gregory gave an account of the event and said, “‘It was the first time those of us who lived up North felt a kinship … It was a shocker.’” (60 Years after Emmett Till’s Murder, Black Lives Still Matter, Whack). The North was unaware of this type of racial discrimination. With the North educated, they felt more connected and making them more likely to help. Emmett Till’s murder showed the nation the reality, brought attention, and got supporters against this type of discrimination. This was quite effective and should be replicated to eventually end racial