Theme Of Segregation In To Kill A Mockingbird

As stated by Alex Haley, “Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics” (Haley). The oldest generations of America who grew up during the time of segregation have greatly affected the mindset of most of today’s middle age adults. For many citizens of the United States, racism towards African Americans is an inherited behavior, intercepted from great-grand-parents or other relatives. Some parents do not intentionally teach their children to show hatred towards one another, but their racial acts against African Americans influence their offspring otherwise. Children look up to adults more than what is initially thought of, but one small, single action can
Today, many teenagers have grandparents or great-grandparents that grew up during the time of segregation. During that era, racism was a prominent issue in many areas of the country, which was also the time when Harper Lee composed her book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch taught his children to treat others as they would want others to treat them. This meant that they would treat African Americans the same as they would act towards one of their own colors. Segregation was running rampantly during this time, so it must have been hard for the children to look past the racial acts in the town of Maycomb, and obey what their father had taught them. In addition Maycomb and surrounding areas have fought and won court cases to allow African Americans to obtain the basic rights that they were worthy of
As an African American maid, Calpurnia or Cal, teaches the Finch children how to be kind and selfless to others without being racial. Even when the children slip up on their teaching, they are strictly reminded how they should act. As stated in Critical Contexts: “Were You Ever a Turtle?”: To Kill a Mockingbird—Casting the Self as the Other,” “It is Cal, along with Atticus, who teaches Scout the importance of taking the good of others as the central concern that must govern behavior.” Calpurnia picks up the slack as the children’s mother to help Atticus in the raising of his children. Also, explained by Neil Heims: Walter Cunningham pours syrup thickly on everything in his plate. Scout taken with astonishment, but not with ill will. But Walter Cunningham reacts with mortification. Atticus shakes his head at her in admonition. She tries to explain her outburst: "But he's gone and drowned his dinner in syrup." "It was then," the narrator continues, that Calpurnia requested my presence in the kitchen. She was furious. . . "There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him. (Heims