![]() ![]() Over the course of the trial, Scout and Jem see that what Atticus says is true because Tom is a perfectly good example of a Negro that does not lie, is a moral being, and can be trusted around women. They are just Negros, but Atticus contradicts Maycomb’s beliefs by saying “that all Negros lie, that all Negros are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women” (273). According to many of its citizens, there is no good or bad in the black group. Maycomb groups him together with all the other blacks. He is actually a very nice, caring man, but that is not what Maycomb believes. Like most Negros in the South, Tom is discriminated against by many white citizens. ![]() Scout remembers that “a jury never looks at a defendant it has convicted, and when this jury came in, not one of them looked at Tom Robinson” (282). Just because of his complexion, he is convicted of the rape despite the proof that his left hand is completely shriveled up. He is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white nineteen-year-old lady. Tom Robinson is a young black man who is discriminated against by Maycomb citizens because of his skin color, but Scout learns to think differently. She also begins to learn that in life, there is racism and persecution for those that are not up to Maycomb’s standards. Raymond’s reasons for “drinking” and his preference for black company. He is part of “the handful of people with enough humility to think when they look at a Negro” (316). Raymond believes that blacks should be respected more and treated like people instead of animals. He says that “it helps folks if they can latch onto a reason” (268). In truth, he is just trying to give Maycomb a reason for his unorthodox actions when it comes to his strong friendships with Negros. Maycomb declares that “Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whisky” (268). As a cover-up for his abnormal behavior, he pretends to be drunk all the time. Raymond is a wealthy white man who has mixed children, a black wife, and his company is usually made up of Negros. Dolphus Raymond is a character who is known by the citizens of Maycomb County for what he appears to be, but Scout recognizes that he is not what he seems to be. Throughout the course of the book, Jem and Scout both learn that one must know and respect people for who they are as individuals, not for what they appear to be. Over time, Jem, too, starts to see the meaning and depth of the statement. At first, Scout does not understand the meaning of his words, but as she matures through the novel, her eyes are unveiled, and she understands what Atticus is trying to tell her. In Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression, Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, explains to Scout Finch, his daughter, that “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (39). ![]()
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