Preview

To Kill A Mockingbird Dolphus Raymond Character Traits

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
555 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
To Kill A Mockingbird Dolphus Raymond Character Traits
TKAM Character Analysis

In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the people of Maycomb are prejudice. According to them, the only way a white man would be able to like a black man more than a white man is if he was an alcoholic or had some type of dysfunction. This applies to the majority of the people in Maycomb. Dolphus Raymond, however, is not part of this stereotype. He doesn’t have a dysfunction and only pretends to be an alcoholic. Mr. Raymond is both caring and sly. When Dolphus Raymond sees Dill come out of the courthouse crying, he tries to comfort him and help him feel better. This shows that Dolphus Raymond is caring. Dolphus Raymond then calls Dill to come to him and says, “Here, offering Dill his paper sack with
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Scout Character Analysis
    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Scout Character Analysis

    Scout is by far an interesting and unordinary child in the novel of To Kill a Mockingbird. She is the main character and narrator of the story. She is the youngest child of Atticus Finch who is a lawyer and Scout also has an older brother named Jem. What makes Scouts character so special is that she changes her qualities throughout the novel. In the beginning of the novel Scout is an innocent and kind-hearted six-year old girl, only because she has not encountered the true evils of the world. As the novel progresses Scout starts to face evil encounters such as racism, and townspeople wanting to hurt her and her family. These evil encounters and Atticus’s wisdom are the reasons to why Scout has unique character traits. Scout is a fascinating character in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird because she possesses traits of intelligence, courage, and compassion.…

    • 874 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis Of 'Boo Radley In To Kill A Mockingbird'
    • 221 Words
    • 1 Page

    Character Analysis Of 'Boo Radley In To Kill A Mockingbird'

    The second example of a mockingbird is Boo Radley. Boo is a social outcast who is deemed evil from rumours that are spread about him. To begin, the town attacks Boo’s personal identity. When Scout explains all she knows about Boo, she is convinced that “inside the house [lives] a malevolent phantom” (13). Scout has never met Boo but she victimizes him by believing the rumours and calling him evil. Moreover, Boo is slowly attempting to befriend Jem and Scout. Boo leaves small presents for the children in a knothole, the first gift he leaves is gum (38). Boo wants to be in contact with other people but he has been in his house for so many years he does not want to leave what is familiar to him so he communicates the only way he knows how. Furthermore,…

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis
    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page

    To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis

    “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a perfect example of how the plot progression of the story was closely related to the character development. Lee used Jean Louise, also known as “Scout” as a main model of character development, as she grows through her understandings of racism, how to handle social situations and her intelligence . The plot progression throughout the novel was very close in relationship of bildungsroman in the characters personal stories. This book being fiction is not true but it depicts how life was during the time period of the 1930’s. The characters also are very close to portraying common people of the time in Macon County of Alabama.…

    • 203 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Examples Of Racial Prejudice In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'
    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Examples Of Racial Prejudice In 'To Kill A Mockingbird'

    An example, is that Atticus’s children are bullied by townsfolk, because their father is a known lawyer for the black community. “Your father is no better than the niggers and trash he works for,” said Mrs.Dubose. (Lee 135) This shows that even associating and/or working with black people in Maycomb county makes you “trash” and is frowned upon. This example plus many others throughout the book proves Maycomb experiences racial prejudice in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Tommy Lee Hines vs Tom Robinson
    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Tommy Lee Hines vs Tom Robinson

    Being a Black man in Maycomb, Alabama was difficult; Maycomb was a racist town with people who did not want the Blacks to be equal to the Whites. People discriminated Robinson’s race to the point where his race was what defined his character. The Whites in Maycomb had a mentality that all blacks were not to be trusted. This affected Tom Robinson because during his rape trial his lawyer, Atticus Finch states “. . . You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral; some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race and to no particular race of men.” [Lee, 48] Atticus was trying to say that we need to judge people as individuals rather than by their race. Robinson’s race caused him to be discriminated against by the Whites in Maycomb, in particular Bob Ewell. Bob Ewell had seen that his daughter had kissed a Black man and was very upset. He said "I seen that black nigger yonder ruttin' on my Mayella!" [Lee, 84] Because Robinson…

    • 1213 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee
    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Character Analysis: To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

    Analyse how a significant event illustrated one or more key theme(s) in the written text.…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Does Boo Radley Judge People In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Does Boo Radley Judge People In To Kill A Mockingbird

    The characters, Mrs. Dubose, Dolphus Raymond, and Boo Radley all show that, the main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is that it is not right to judge someone before you know them. Mrs. Dubose was a drug addict going through withdraws. Dolphus Raymond acted a little different than the others in the town. Boo Radley was simply a shy man who did not like to leave the comfort of his own home. All of these characters were judged by the people before anyone got a chance to know them. It is wrong to judge a person before you know…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Is Atticus Portrayed In To Kill A Mockingbird
    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Is Atticus Portrayed In To Kill A Mockingbird

    This kind gesture to the children serves as an indicator that they respect Atticus, as they would not have allowed them to sit in their section of the court or treated them as generously otherwise. The last example signifying the blacks’ respect for Atticus is implied through Scout and Dill’s conversation with Mr. Dolphus Raymond. When they speak to Mr. Raymond, he praises Atticus, saying that he is “not a run-of-the-mill man”, and that “it’ll take a few years for that to sink in” (Lee 269). This shows that he respects Atticus, and while is not black himself, he is integrated in their community and shares their views, and as such can represent their opinion of Atticus. Mr. Raymond believes in racial equality, so for him to approve of Atticus indicates that he is someone worthy of respect to the black population of Maycomb. Besides respecting him, the blacks may have also stood to show their gratitude for Atticus defending Tom Robinson. For instance, the blacks know that Atticus did everything in his power to save Tom. While Atticus had no say in taking the case, as it was assigned to him, he genuinely defended Tom to the best of his…

    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Guess Who's Coming To Dinner Interracial Relationship
    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Guess Who's Coming To Dinner Interracial Relationship

    Just as Christine and Matt had been predominantly trepidatious at first, with Christine eventually embracing the relationship, John’s father had taken a bit longer to accept the romance than his wife. John expressed his frustration with his parents’ lack of support, telling his father that he couldn’t “try to get [him] to live [his] life according to [his outdated] rules.” Pristine denounced his father’s reluctance to shed his old-fashioned aversion to interracial relationships, saying that even if he “tried to explain it for the rest of [his father’s life],” he would never understand, as his father’s generation believed “the way it was for [them] is the way it’s got to be.” John’s protests are comparable to the demonstrations of Dolphus Raymond, a character in To Kill A Mockingbird. Raymond is a white man in an interracial relationship with a black woman, who resorted to perpetuating his reputation as a drunkard as a means to protect his family. Because he lived in the South in the 1930s, a time when racism was alive and well, Raymond found it vital to destroy his own reputation, as it would mean that his family would escape persecution due to the crime he had committed - being in love with a black woman. When explaining to Scout that his facade is necessary to continue his way of life, he states that the people of Maycomb "could never, never understand" that he…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To Kill A Mocking Bird And The Help Essay

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To Kill A Mocking Bird And The Help Essay

    Dolphus Raymond lives his life under pretence, and therefore giving the County of Maycomb a reason…

    • 396 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird: Character Analysis
    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird: Character Analysis

    I believe in judging someone by their actions and character rather than by the color of their skin and sexuality. This I believe because there is good and bad in all of us. The color of our skin does not depict the flaws we have. In the second amendment it states that all men are created equal, but we still do not treat each other equally. Defending Tom Robinson was not easy because I knew that from the minute Mayella opened her mouth Tom was a dead man. But everyone including a black man deserves a second chance. How could I ever tell my own children “You never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” if I didn’t pick up Tom’s case because I was afraid of what people would think of me. When people say things about me like “Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets” why would I prove them wrong? You are only as good as you portray yourself to be. But when you are a black man in the town of Maycomb, Alabama you were never dealt the good hand to begin with. Sadly Tom never got a second chance. Tom was a good man but because of the color of his skin he was not treated as fairly as the rest of us.…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Tom Robinson Trial
    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Tom Robinson Trial

    Jem claims Dolphus Raymond’s late fiance shot herself just before their wedding "because she found out about his colored woman, he reckoned he could keep her and get married too. He's been sorta drunk ever since" (215). When finding out about her soon-to-be husband's “colored woman,” Dolphus Raymond’s deceased fiance probably thought being rejected for a person of color was “social suicide.” This emphasizes the disgrace being associated with blacks brings. When Scout asks Mr. Raymond, “Why do you do like you do?” Raymond replies, "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--that's why he won't change his ways... that's why he lives the way he does"(268). Raymond pretending to be drunk all the time gives people a reason to justify his actions. To Maycomb, the only logical explanation for Dolphus preferring negroes over whites is that his actions are being controlled by alcohol. Before Dill, Scout, and Jem left Dolphus Raymond, he hastens, “You little folks won’t tell on me now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did" (267). This quote clarifies Dolphus Raymond understands some people don't understand how a white man can be with a black woman and he knows it would cause problems if people didn't have a justification for his actions. It is evident…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay
    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

    Although Dolphus is thought of as the town drunk, he actually only drinks Coke out of a brown paper bag. He says, “I try to give ‘em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason” (Lee 200). Dolphus is used in this novel as the other extreme of racism compared to the rest of the townspeople. He prefers spending his time with blacks rather than whites when the rest of the whites in Maycomb could not fathom ever even associating with blacks. While Dolphus represents the extreme of not hating blacks, Atticus Finch only tries to do the right thing by Tom Robinson, and because of that, is judged and looked down upon just as much. This character was yet another great idea by Harper Lee; she uses Atticus Finch is an upstanding lawyer, father, and citizen of Maycomb who must overcome the obstacle of defending Tom Robinson while still maintaining his stature in the town and remaining true to himself. He is also used as another example of a white person who does not hate blacks and actually helps them. Atticus describes the case of Tom as “something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience” (Lee 104). Many people in the town are against Atticus defending Tom, such as Mrs. Henry…

    • 1838 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay
    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages

    To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay

    In the court case, mr Dolphus Raymond , (who is looked apon as a sinful men by the community because he has fathered mixed children) talks to Scout and Dill . To contemplate this felony he pretended to be a drunk "Secretly, Miss Finch, I'm not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that is the way I want to…

    • 559 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    To Kill A Mockingbird Character Development
    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages

    To Kill A Mockingbird Character Development

    Everybody experiences change in their life. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem grows up during his time in Maycomb, and he begins to understand the town and it’s negatives. Maycomb is packed with negatives, starting from the discrimination between blacks and whites, and the four kinds of folks, each treated worse or better. Jem is able to embrace the town and learn from it through major events taken place in the novel. As Jem starts to understand the social classes, two reasons that prove this are his understanding of the town’s groupings and his understanding of what occurred in the courtroom, the readers relate to the development through the understanding of differences in people and society.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics