Discrimination In To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 1985
Pages: 8

Race, a major distinguisher within humanity, has acted like a barrier between people in history, and as a uniter to integrate communities together now. It is a controversial subject with infamous effects due to the improper behavior of society and its followers. The novels and authors such as Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Othello by Shakespeare, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Between the World and Me and In Defense of a Loaded Word by Ta-Nehisi Coates resurface this subject within their work. The variation of characters, time periods, and writing styles offer different perspectives into the chaotic world of injustice and inequality. Prejudice and racial discrimination are prominent within the minds of supporting characters …show more content…
Tom Sawyer, a huge influencer and role model to young Huck, experienced a prolonged absence from his partner in crime. This abled Huck to transition away from his conscience and society and follow his heart, but Tom’s reappearance with his racist ways caused a rift in Jims and Huck’s well developed relationship. With a major issue that arises, Jim’s capturer on Phelps Farm, Huck used Tom thinking he would be a good asset to his rescue, but proved wrong, “It don't make no difference how foolish it is, it's the right way—and it's the regular way. And there ain't no other way, that ever I heard of, and I've read all the books that gives any information about these things”(Twain, 273). Tom’s foolery and underestimating the dire situation stemmed from his immaturity and racist views because a black man in trouble is nothing compared to a white man in trouble to him. Tom used fictional sceneries in books to deal with real world situations and believes the right way to act is based off of literature. Huck is no match for Toms dominant character and his leniency for Jim’s mistreatment is consequential. Tom has no remorse when it comes to leaving Jim to suffer in slavery and his injustice ways hinders his ability to accept the minorities as equals. Thus, creating the dangerous situation the three of them are in much more …show more content…
The re-occurrence of the n-word, a derogatory term used by white people as a general label for African Americans, is constantly used within HF, and its meaning explained in A Loaded Word. Twain incorporated the n-word over 200 times within HF, and its sole purpose is to replicate reality for African Americans as it is the one word that was given to define each and everyone of them. The purpose of this word is to work as a mechanism to tip the black community off its axis and bring all of the people down to an inferior status. In HF, Pap, Huck's father, throws a tangent where the placement of the n-word, the first sentence, already sets the tone for what he will say, “Here was a free nigger there from Ohio—a mulatter, most as white as a white man]...[They said he could vote when he was at home. Well, that let me out]...[when they told me there was a State in this country where they'd let that nigger vote, I drawed out]...[I says to the people, why ain’t this nigger put up at auction and sold?”(Twain, 28-29). This man, who’s name was never given, was a college professor and was very successful man. Pap knew this, and instead of acknowledging that fact that the man achieved freedom fairly, he was angered that someone of his kind could do better than a man like him. By repeating the use