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The Concept of Fear in to Kill a Mockingbird

Essay by   •  August 31, 2011  •  Essay  •  718 Words (3 Pages)  •  2,698 Views

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In Maycomb, fear enforces racism and causes the townspeople to pursue black people weakness. The fear of change pushes the townspeople toward racism. The individual level of taking action affects a person's fear of change .In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee portrays Mr. Raymond as a drunkard in order to show that society's code of separation can be broken. His drunkenness also excuses his "unacceptable" actions, because he keeps company with black people. When he explains to Jem and Scout that the whisky in his bag is nothing but Coca Cola, they finally understand that he only pretends to be drunk to avoid society's fear of change. He is scared that the people will hate him because he married a black man and had mixed children. He doesn't want people to treat him differently. He keep drinking Coca Cola in his bag because he want the other white people to think that he is drinking whisky and drunk. He's making the other white people think that he doesn't know what he was doing and so that they still treated him equally.

The Ewells know that they are the lowest of the low amongst the whites in Maycomb. They have no money, no education, and no breeding. The single thing that makes them higher at any level in the community is the fact that they're white. Like most people in similar situations, Bob and Mayella would like to better their position in life. However, Bob is unwilling to put forth the effort necessary to change his family's lot and Mayella doesn't have the resources to change her own life. At one evening, when Bob Ewell was going back at home, he saw Mayella Ewell kissing Tom Robinson (a black man). He knows that Mayella is the one who want to kiss Tom Robinson. He knows that it would make his life worse. He is so scared of the truth and angry, so he came in and beat her up. To save and gain his life and reputation, he takes this problem to court. In his mind, the town should think him a hero for saving Maycomb's white women from a "dangerous" black man. He overcomes his fear by being violence (beat Mayella Ewell and send Tom Robinson to the court and eventually jail) because he doesn't want to make his reputation any worse.

Tom Robinson (black man) is charged of raping Mayella Ewell (white woman). The white people in Maycomb hear about the news and they all scared of him. At the court, Atticus is really strong. He keeps giving the judge and jury evidence. He also argues what Bob and Mayella's Ewell said and give them proof that what they said was a lie. At the end, all of Ewell's plans backfire. By the end of the trial, he and his daughter are proven liars, he's been publicly identified as a sexually and physically abusive father who fails to provide for his family,

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