THE RESPONSES OF THE BLACKS AND THE WHITES
TOWARD RACIAL PREJUDICE IN 1930s AS PORTRAYED IN
HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI
Student Number: 07 4214 035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
i
THE RESPONSES OF THE BLACKS AND THE WHITES
TOWARD RACIAL PREJUDICE IN 1930s AS PORTRAYED IN
HARPER LEE’S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI
Student Number: 07 4214 035
ENGLISH LETTERS STUDY PROGRAMME DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY
ii
iii
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His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary
I asked God to grant me patience. God said, No.
Patience is a byproduct of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things. I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.
May God Bless You,
"To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world"
"Even the word 'IMPOSSIBLE' says 'I M POSSIBLE' "
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I dedicate this thesis to my dearly beloved parents;
Sudarti Maria Albertine
&
Titus Budiyono
And my lovely sisters;
Fransisca Romana Ninik Werdiningsih
&
Natalia Ririh Budyarti,
My beloved mate,
and those who love and support me.
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PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH
UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS
Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma:
Nama : Sylvia Puput Pandansari
NIM : 074214035
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan
Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s to Kill a Mockingbird
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan. Dengan demikian, saya memberikan kepada
Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam
bentuk lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara
terbatas dan mempublikasikannya di internet atau media yang lain untuk
kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta izin dari saya maupun memberikan
royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal 15 November 2011
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Above all, I would express my greatest gratitude to Jesus Christ and
Virgin Mary for giving me spirit while acomplishing the undergtaduate thesis.
They give me inspiration and motivation.
I would like to express my gratitude to my undergraduate advisor, Ms. Ni
Luh Putu Rosiandani, S.S., M. Hum. and my co-advisor, Maria Ananta Tri
Suryandari, S. S., M.Ed. for guidance, suggestion, and encouragement from the
beginning up to the end. I really appreciate your patience and understanding
during the process of finishing my undergraduate.
I would also like to express my gratitude to Sanata Dharma University and
the Department of English Letters for giving knowledge both academically and
non academically. My gratitude is also directed to my academic advisor, Ms. Elisa
Dwi Wardani, S.S.,M.Hum. for the guidance during my studies in Sanata Dharma
University Yogyakarta.
I dedicated this thesis to my dearly parents, Titus Budiyono and Sudarti
Maria Albertine, and also to my lovely sisters, Fransisca Romana Ninik
Werdiningsih and Natalia Ririh Budyarti for their love, affection, and supports to
me.
My sincere gratitude goes to Callixtus Fedy Purnawan, for his love,
support, and patience. It is delighted to spend the time with him.
I also express my gratitude especially for my best friends, Irene Ossi
Widyastuti, Henrica Angelia, and also Denty Setya Putri, Ayu Primasandi, Cyrilla
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Ganis Widyapsasmi, Monica Risky, and Adi Prasatya, and also for my cousin,
Astrid Rosaria for always encouraging me to face these stressful and panicky
days. Yogyakarta would not be so wonderful without them.
I would not forget to say thanks to my friends of 2007: Yudha, Zi pit,
Hellen pib-pib, Ani, Aya, mba Hindra, Diko, Yona, Natasya, Kenan, Simon, Lala, Dito, Gogor, Putra, Satria , Soni, Herman cheng, Martin, Rohman, Harry mungil, Risang, Putra, Natan, and also my friends in Ambarawa: Ratih, Astri Qnco,
Evarista, Maya, mba Timtim, Enggar, Alex, mas Andre fosil, Max, Boni bonce, Arip surip and for our lovely friendship during my lifetime, and others whom I cannot mention one by one, also thank for supporting me in this undergraduate.
Sylvia Puput Pandansari
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PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI... vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT... vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS... ix
ABSTRACT... xi
ABSTRAK... xii
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION... 1
A. Background of the Study... 1
B. Problem Formulation... 7
C. Objectives of the Study... 7
D. Definition of Terms... 7
CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL REVIEW... 9
A. Review of Related Studies... 9
B. Review of Related Theories... 13
1. Theory of Character ... 13
2. Theory of Racial Prejudice... 15
C. Review on the Blacks’ Condition on 1930s... 19
D. Review of the Blacks’ Responses and the Whites’ Responses.... 23
E. Theoretical Framework... 26
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY... 27
A. Object of the Study... 27
B. Approach of the Study... 27
C. Method of the Study... 30
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS... 32
A. The Description of the Blacks’ and the Whites’ Character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird... 32
B. The Revelation of Racial Prejudice of the Whites’ toward the Blacks’ in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird... 46
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CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION... 65
BIBLIOGRAPHY... 67
APPENDICES... 69
Appendix 1... 69
Outline of the First Problem Formulation... 69
Appendix 2... 70
Outline for the Second Problem Formulation... 70
Appendix 3... 71
The Application of Racial Prejudice in Revealing the Unfair Treatment of the Whites toward the Blacks in Maycomb in 1930s... 71
Appendix 4... 74
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ABSTRACT
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI. The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s to Kill A Mockingbird. Yogyakarta : Department of English Letters, Facutly of Letters, Sanata Dharma University, 2011
.
In this thesis, the main concern is about the Blacks and the Whites’ relation. Their relation was severe in 1930s because the Blacks were considered as slaves. The Whites think that the Blacks is inferior.When they first came in North, the images or stereotypes which is formed were stupid, dirty, and ugly race. Stereotypes ignore the unique and identical fact of people. The era of 1930s was also the time when some sudden changes happened. The great suffering of economic and agricultural sector gave contribution for racial prejudice toward the Blacks. The migration from South to North makes the rate of unemployment increased. Worstly, racial prejudice and discrimination still exist for the Blacks.
The First problem formulation is about the description of the Blacks and the Whites’ in Maycomb county society. The second problem formulation is about the revelation of racial prejudice through the Whites in Maycomb county society. The third problem formulation is about the responses of Blacks and Whites toward racial prejudice which happened in Maycomb county society.
The method which is used in this thesis is library research method. The data and references which were employed in this research gathered from books, encyclopedia, journals and some on-line references.
The result of the analysis is that racial prejudice is revealed through the White people of Maycomb. The practice of racial prejudice happens in social life and especially in court. The Whites seems to limit the Black people’s right in court. The Blacks have no access to argue. Meanwhile, the Whites earn much power in court, for example as a member of grand juries. Grand juries take important part of court because they decide whether people are guilty or innocent. The writer also discusses about the struggle of Atticus against racial prejudice by defending a Black man named Tom Robinson. Some positive responses come from the people who really against racial prejudice, but some others negative responses also come from the people who support the exsistence of racial prejudice in Maycomb county society.
xii
ABSTRAK
SYLVIA PUPUT PANDANSARI. The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s to Kill A Mockingbird. Yogyakarta : Jurusan Sastra Inggris, Fakultas Sastra, Universitas Sanata Dharma, 2011.
Dalam skripsi ini, objek utama penelitian penulis adalah hubungan antar ras kulit hitam dan ras kulit putih. Hubungan keduanya sangat tidak baik, pada tahun 1930 karena ras kulit hitam diidentikan sebagai kaum budak ras kulit putih. Mereka merasa ras kulit hitam sebagai golongan nomor dua dalam masyarakat. Gambaran ras yang terbentuk dari ras kulit hitam ketika menjajaki daerah Utara pertama kali yaitu ras yang tidak berpendidikan, tidak hidup higienis, dan tidak menyenangkan untuk dilihat. Pandangan stereotip dari ras kulit putih ini tidak menghiraukan keunikan dan ciri khas setiap kelompok masyarakat tertentu.Ketimpangan besar terjadi pada sektor perekonomian dan pertanian mengakibatkan krisis moneter yang parah. Migrasi dari daerah Selatan ke Utara mengakibatkan angka pengangguran yang meningkat. Keadaan ini semakin parah karena masih adanya kesenjangan ras dan diskriminasi bagi orang kulit hitam.
Fokus utama dalam skripsi ini adalah respon kaum kulit hitam dan kulit putih terhadap kesenjangan ras yang terjadi di masyarakat kota Maycomb. Untuk mendukung analisis tersebut, penulis menggunakan dua pertanyaan lainnya. ertama, penggambaran karakter dari tokoh dalam novel. Kedua, pembahasan tentang kesenjangan ras yang dilakukan oleh ras kulit putih terhadap ras kulit hitam dalam masyarakat Maycomb.
Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah penelitian perpustakaan. Data dan referensi yang digunakan berasal dari buku, ensiklopedia, jurnal dan beberapa referensi on-line.
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A.Background Study
Race relation is one of the vital concerns in the world because it plays an
important part in the world. Race relation deals with the treatment by one group to
another group including the condition that influences the treatment .“By race
relations we mean the treatment of one racial group by another and the situation
which give rise to such treatment,” (Lafarge, 1943: 11). The specific topic that
will be discussed is the Black and the White relation. The relation of the Black
and the White in the Great Depression era of 1930s is severe. Both Black and
White people were involved in the slave voyage history.
In the past, around fifteen century, Portuguese were interested to move
their comodity from gold trade into slaves trade in Africa. It was because they saw
the high capability of negro in working under any climate. From that moment, the
Whites considered the Blacks as inferior but profitable because they had much
experience in agriculture or plantation but they were uneducated and powerless.
The Whites made the same scale between human and things. If a person has many
slaves in a field or house he will be considered richer than other persons who
have few slaves as what Norton states as follows:
Uncounciously, the Whites built their own mindset, their own belief and
their own prejudice toward Negroes. Prejudice is basically irrational because it
depends on subjective and negative feeling about ethnic or group. The prejudice is
not always true, but because of the hatred feeling. It seems right to judge people
based on their subjective feeling. Kitano in the book, Race Relation, states below. It is generally agreed that race prejudice is an irrationally based negative attitude toward a racial or ethnic group, and it is maintained through stereotypes: “They smell bad.” “They breed like rabbits.” “They lower property of values”. (1974: 50)
Racial prejudice creates stereotypes. The negative opinion of a group of
people form an image, for example that Whites’ prejudice toward Blacks. Blacks
are consider as slaves when they first come in North, so the image or stereotype
which is formed is as stupid, dirty, and ugly race. Stereotype ignore the unique
and identical fact of people. Everyone or every group are created by their own
characteristics. Uniqueness means different from others. So there are totally
different characteristic between one group to another.
After the abolition of slavery was declared under the Thirteenth
Amendment in 1865, Blacks finally had the legal rights, but otherwise, racial
prejudice still persisted. It seemed harder to live freely and to get the job
opportunities of because the Whites’ seen the Blacks’ position was as the
competitor of White people in 1930s in Maycomb.
Worstly, the 1930s was also the time when some sudden changes
happened. The great suffering of agricultural sector causes a Great Depression as
“A distressed agricultural sector had been one of the causes of the Great Depression. In the 1930s conditions only got worse, especially for farmers on the Great Plain” (1999: 682)
Great Depression was the worst economic crisis problem in that time.The
income was low and unemployment increased. Companies and factory were
bankrupt. Cooper and Terrill stated that,
In the nation as a whole, unemployment rose from around 3 percent in 1929 to about 25 percent in 1932, and except for one year, it remained above 15 percent until 1940....Bankruptcy even threatened goverments. Lousiana, South Carolina, and Arkansas defaulted on their debts. (1991: 663)
It shows that Great Depression gave contribution for causing racial
prejudice toward Blacks.” ...., the depression markedly slowed the urbanization of
Black Americans.” (Boyer, 1990: 908). It was because the African American or
Black people migrated to America before World War I. Urbanization from South
to North makes the rate of unemployment increased. Worstly, racial prejudice and
discrimination still exist for Blacks. So, they live poorly without any jobs. If they
get a job, it is only a job as servant, like what Henretta describes as follows. “...the
Great American Depression, as you call it, “ one man remarked. There was no
such things. The best he could be is a janitor or a porter or shoeshine boy.”
(1999:679)
Because of the economic condition in South getting worse they sought
other opportunities in North. Quarles in Karenga’s Introduction to Black Studies
stated that,
by manufacturing companies who sent recruiting agent in South to solicit Black labor as well as by Black newspaper who induced Blacks to come North for greater opportunities. (1969: 193-194)
On the contrary, the North was not the promised island where Negroes can
live happily. Racial prejudice that was transformed into racial discrimination
began. First, the Whites only think about negative beliefs and feelings or prejudice
about a group of people, then they manifested the negative feelings and beliefs
overtly to that certain group. Both are connected each other as Rose stated,”...as
both analytical and concrete concepts they should not be confused. The difference
between prejudice as an attitude and discrimination as overt behavior...”
(1997:114).
As the writer stated in previous paragraphs, the Whites felt that Blacks
were the competitor of jobs and opportunities. They could not accept the fact that
Blacks had the same legal right as theirs. The tension became worse because of
the Whites’ mindset since the past that the Black was inferior. It resulted in poor
relation between Black and Whites especially in 1930s.
The practice of racial prejudice in 1930 is written in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Racial prejudice that happened and existed during the great depression in the Maycomb county society is clearly pictured in that book. In that
book, prejudice is the major theme which is done directly by the Whites in
Maycomb as the ethnic group toward a Black man named Tom Robinson. In the
court, Tom Robinson was denied to be innocentbecause he is a Black man. The
gconversation between the advocate and Tom Robinson shows that the advocate
“Were you so scared that she’d be hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?” “No suh, I’s scared I’d be in court, just like I am now.”
“Scared of arrest, scared you’d have to face up to what you did?” “No suh, scared I’d hafta face up to what I didn’t do?” (1960: 225)
He was claimed to rape a White girl and he was sentenced to death. The
people of Maycomb do not really care about his testimony. He was forced to
admitt as a guilty man who raped Mayella.
Responding to this racial issue, the people in Maycomb county took their
different responses. Some of them accepted the legalisation of racial prejudice but
the others refused it. People like judges or juries supported this injustice among
the two races. They even saw the Blacks as inferior creatures.
Meanwhile, some people who refused racial prejudice and who were
straightly against this criminal action like Atticus kept struggling their vote to
abolish racial prejudice. Atticus Finch, a county lawyer in Maycomb county, took
the risk by defending Tom Robinson. Atticus should pay much for this. Because
Atticus Finch was a White man, it became a problem to him and his family. It was
a shame for Whites to defend Blacks. His children, Scout and Jem were mocked
by their friends in the school and their neighbors in Maycomb.
The Whites did not want Blacks to earn same right or to be treated
justifiable. The Whites considered that they had much more rights than Blacks.
Little in his article, Race and Society stated that “ Moreover many people for both in the Southern part of United States and in the Union of South Africa continue to
argue that the Negro is biologically inferior to the white men.” (1956: 165). From
the quotation, The Whites seemed completely arbitrary. They used the parameter
They thought anyone whose their characteristics are like white, light skin, straight
hair and small nose can be called as the highest among the others.
When this kind of mindset appears, the minority group will be judged
based on the dominant group’s mindset, not based on their own quality. These
mindsets make certain race and culture seem worse than its reality, as Rose stated in his article entitled The Roots of Prejudice below,
Many of the false belief take the form of what social scientists call stereotype. These are exaggerations of certain physical traits or cultural characteristics which are found among members of the minority group and are then attributed to all members of the group. When stereotype exist, an individual is judged, not on the basis of his own characteristics, but on the basis of exaggerated and distorted belief regarding what are thought to be the characteristic of his group. (1965:219)
In this case, stereotype will also create assumption to the minority group,
which is the Black. Like what Rose stated in The Roots of Prejudice, “Negroes in South Africa and United States, for example depict them as brutal, stupid, and
immoral, but also as happy generous and faithful, ” (1965: 219).
There are only few people who are brave enough to fight racial prejudice
in the dominant society. For this reason, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee is chosen as the novel that reflects the racial prejudice of Whites
toward Blacks in 1930s. In the novel, some characters wanted to change the strict
rules in the society. By their responses, they intended to show their justifiable
B.Problem formulation
For analyzing the issue, the writer would like to analyze some problems
that can be formulated into these three following questions which based on the
background mentioned above.
1. How are the Blacks and the Whites described in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird?
2. How is the racial prejudice of the Whites toward the Blacks revealed in the
novel?
3. How are the responses of the Blacks and the Whites toward racial prejudice in the novel?
C.Objective of the Study
In this writing, the objective of the study is to answer the problems
formulation in sufficient and concise way. The writer will focus the analysis on
describing the people which are Blacks and Whites. Further, the writer will focus
on the practice of racial prejudice which happened in Maycomb county society
that was revealed through the Whites. The next point, the writer will focus on the
responses of Blacks toward the practice of racial prejudice happened to them in
their society.
D.Definition of Terms
To avoid misunderstanding on certain terms, there are some terms that
The term race as applied to man has been variously used-by politicians, military leaders, philologists, human biologists, demographers, and historians. Some “races” constitute language groups, often of peoples whose only kinship is that they speak a common language. Such what the original meaning of the so-called Aryan race. Some “races” are simply hypothetical, invented to embrace present distribution of such genetic (heredity) characteristic as stature or hair colour. (1983: 348)
The second term is the word prejudice. Based on Rose in the book, They and We, Racial and Ethnic Relation in the United States, describs as follows “...defined as a system of negative beliefs, feelings, and action-orientations
regarding a group of people.” (Rose, 1997: 113)
The third term is the phrase racial prejudice, as what Roth states in the
book International Encyclopedia of Ethics is defined as “unequal valuation of persons on the basis of race. It diminishes respect for person and promotes social
injustice.”(1995: 721)
The fourth term is the word response, based on Roth, in the book
International Encyclopedia of Ethicsis “the awareness of doing or the memory of having done the action when held accountable in a judgement context of sahred
relevant moral values.” (1995: 742)
The fifth term is the word Mockingbird, based on Nauvoo, in the book,
Encyclopedia Americana International edition volume 19, is
9
CHAPTER II
THEORETICAL REVIEW
A.Review of Related Studies
Nelle Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that mostly tells about racial prejudice in Maycomb County, Alabama. Atticus Finch, was a lawyer
in Maycomb, ordered to fight racial prejudice by defending a Black man who is
accused of raping white woman. It is a difficult choice for Atticus. Despite
dealing with a matter of justice and equality toward Blacks and Whites, his
children, Scout and Jem will be put in danger. People in Maycomb society
thought that Whites is more educated than Blacks. So, in other words, if the man
even did not rape the White woman, still he would be guilty. That is why it is a
shame for Whites to help Blacks. Stratton in his review from the online source,
(http://www.hoboes.com/Mimsy/Books/to-kill-mockingbird/), entitled Mimsy were the Borogoves states as below,
Atticus Finch, is a lawyer charged with a defense that is making him an outcast to half the town. He was appointed by the town judge as public defender to a black man accused of raping a white woman. The town seems divided on the case: half think it doesn’t matter whether he did it or not, because he’s black. The other half take the larger view and think that it doesn’t matter whether he did it or not, the blacks have been getting uppity and need to be put in their place. Atticus and a few friends are not of either kind.
From the quotation above, we can see that Stratton implicitly says that the
Whites do not really care about the Black man’s virtue. It is sure that the Black
man will be accused as the guilty one. So, whether or not Atticus defended the
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the ‘right time’. It can be a critical issue for the relation of the race in the world. It was published in
the era of Civil Right Movement in 1960s when the Blacks began to build their
power movement. It is also states in Mimsy were the Borogoves, from (http://www.hoboes.com/Mimsy/Books/to-kill-mockingbird/) as follows.
This was when the civil rights movement was still a black movement, after Brown v. Topeka ordered desegregation at “all deliberate speed”, and the South responded with more deliberation than speed. “To Kill a Mockingbird” came at the right time, and it “said what it had to say”. She has yet to write (or at least to publish) another one. She has supposedly been able to live comfortably off of the book and movie proceeds, thus making her my hero for life.
From the quotation above, we know that To Kill a Mockingbird is the novel that is used to criticize the world in the era of racial prejudice and
discrimination which has climax on segregation. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was written for supporting equality between Blacks and Whites.
In 1962, Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird was visualized through a film. Monroeville, Alabama, where Harper Lee grew up and lived, was made a
record on universal Studios’ set. The film lifted the same value as the novel, like
justice and equality. The criticism is to oppose prejudice which happened in South
as what Dirks states in the article entitled The “Greatest” and the “Best” in Cinematic History as follows.
The remarkable fact is that it received three awards from The Academy
Award as what Tim Dirks reviewes in the article entitled The “Greatest” and the “Best” in Cinematic History as follows from (http://www.filmsite.org/toki.html)
It was honored with three awards, Gregory Peck won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for his solid performance as a courageous Alabama lawyer, Horton Foote won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar, and the team of Art Directors/Set Decorators also received the top honor.
Atticus struggled for helping people, no matter what their races were, by
his job as a lawyer, but further his important purpose was also for his children’s
personality in the future. In his daily life, Atticus was nice and kind to both
Blacks and Whites. His action of defending black man was one protest toward the
government and the people in Maycomb County as what Okkie Maryanna states
in her thesis entitled The Reaction of Atticus Against the Practice of Racism in the Society as Seen in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird as follows.
Atticus as the protagonist character in the novel is a good lawyer who defends people without considering their race... his reaction are for the purpose of building up his children’s personality... Atticus’ reaction are as form of the disagreement against the practice of racism. (1999: 30)
From the quotation above, Atticus struggled to form equality for Blacks
and Whites in Maycomb county. He attempted to treat Blacks and Whites equally.
One of the form is by defending the truth about Tom Robinson’s case in court.
From that point, Atticus had another purposefor his children’s personality. He
hoped that his children in the future would have the understanding about racial
prejudice. He also hoped that in the future his children would follow his own step.
Further, he hoped that there were less of people who would have misconception
The next review comes from Mike Peters in the National Association for
the Teaching of English’s article entitled Examining a set text – To Kill a Mockingbird fifty years on. He stated that an English teacher in London’s Lilian Baylis Technology School named Sharpe admitted that the novel was an effective
tool to teach. She never had a class which did not like the novel. She added that
the actor of Boo Radley and the courthouse scene invited views from the students
as what Peters in http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do says below.
I've never had a class that didn't love it,' says one enthusiast. 'There are few book like it for raising issues surrounding responsibility within the community,' claims Caroline Sharpe, an English teacher from London's Lilian Baylis Technology School, who goes on to say that the character of Boo Radley and the court-case 'raise passionate views from students ... It's the best device I can think of for illustrating the atrocious treatment of black folk at the hands of a white only judicial system at that time in history. (http://find.galegroup.com/gps/infomark.do)
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel about a White man who assisted an accused black man. The black man was mistakenly accused because of the
stereotype of Whites toward Blacks. The Whites prejudiced that Black is inferior.
Since this stereotypical image existed in the society of Maycomb, to help or to
defense a black man was considered as an embarrassing mistake. Even the Finch
family who was immensely popular in Maycomb was also considered
embarassing because of Atticus act in defending a Black man. For defending a
black man in the court was a useless thing because they would always be as guilty
rather than White would. But Atticus and some friends kept fighting for the
It was really unacceptable for the Whites for being the same and equal to
Black in the court and other parts of their lives. For this reason , the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is chosen by the writer to reveal racial prejudice of the Whites to Blacks. This research entitled, The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is different from others because this research does not only focus on Atticus’
response but also some others characters’ responses of Blacks and Whites in
Maycomb county.
B.Review of Related Theories
In this research entitled The Responses of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the writer applies two theories. They are theory of character and theory of racial
prejudice.
1. Theory of Character
Most stories contain a central character, who is relevant to every event in
the story; usually the events cause some changes either in the character or in
readers’ attitudes toward the character. Every author wants their readers to
understand the characters and the motivation properly, but not at once. The
readers need to let each new clue qualifies the impression and avoid a sudden
interpretation until they see all of the evidences.
To understand a character, we should be critical in analyzing the author’s
explicit description or the way the author describes the character explicitly, as
author explicit description and comment upon the character. Personal description
almost always helps us both to visualize the person and understand his character.”
(1965: 17-18)
Stanton also added other information for recognizing major characters’
characteristics from other characters’ characteristics. Usually, the attitude of the
other characters toward the major character will also help us in determining the
characteristics of the major characters.
“A third type of evidence, is provided by the other characters in a story, even the minor ones. Obviously, their attitudes toward major characters are important. Not so obviously, their similarities to, or differences from him helps to define the most significant traits.” (1965:18).
But all of those ways to understand a character, the most important and
basic thing is by analyzing the behavior and the dialogue of the character, as what
Stanton states, “The most important evidence of all is the character’s own
dialogue and behavior. In good fiction, every speech and every action is not only a
step in the plot but also manifestation of characters.” (1965: 18)
The point is that the readers do not really read the characters before they
know how the author formulates the characters; until then they know them only as
they know the conversation of strangers on a bus. Through our knowledge of the
characters, the readers understand their actions; through their actions, the readers
2. Theory of Racial Prejudice
There are many definitions of prejudice. It is because prejudice is a
difficult subject to study because people might be confused of the stereotype and
the target which have posibility to change .
The definition which is used in this writing is Kitano’s. Although he said
that many kinds of definition revealed, he decided one which explained about
exploitation as what Kitano states below,
There are many explanation of prejudice. One is its use in exploitation. The dominant group can avoid feelings of sympathy and empathy for the dominanted through stereotypes or overexaggerations of negatives qualities. (1987: 50)
For completing this theory, the writer also takes theory of racial prejudice
from Rose. As what Peter I. Rose (1997: 113) says that “prejudice may be defined
as a system of negative belief, feelings, and action orientation regarding a group
of people”. Rose means that prejudice has a negative characteristic because
prejudice usually is a result from hostile mind. Later, Rose divided the idea into
three levels of theory of prejudice. It contains of the cognitive or beliefs, the
affective or feelings, and the conative or behavior in the particular way as what
Rose said as follows.
The definition of group prejudice stated above incorporates the three major dimensions of all attitude systems: the cognitive (beliefs), the affective (feelings), and the conative (predisposition to act in particular way,or policy orientation). (1997: 113)
Cognitive is one component of prejudice which applies knowledge and
stereotype and misconception to certain groups of society. Rose in the book, They and We, Racial and Ethnic Relation in the United States says as follows.
The cognitive component pertains to the “intellectual” side of prejudice, for it involves knowledge, however faulty. This is expressed in stereotypical conception and misconceptions of various social groups by others,… (1997: 113)
In other words, cognitive may judge people by their own beliefs. Things
without consider whether it is right or wrong will motivate people to make a
stereotype. Moreover, the people who have the stereotype got their wrong
conception.
Cognition means a cranial reaction in people’s mind. Individually people
who judge depend on their own belief will use their particular ideas to argue in
different situation. They make generalization for groups which they do not
understand much as what Rose states as follows.
Cognition refers to “cranial” reactions, that is, pictures in the mind’s eye. While ethnocentric individuals frequently generalize about groups they know little or nothing about, prejudiced individuals generalize about groups they think they know well. (1997: 113-114)
From that quotation, Rose implicitly says that cognitive can be told as the
basic idea or the brain in the people’s mind. It can create stereotypes which
furthermore can kill the relation between certain races. Rose also explains about
the relation of ethnocentric and prejudiced. “Ethnocentrism or the belief that one’s
own family and society are unique and correct is another explanation of
prejudice.” (Kitano, 1987:50). One who has ethnocentrism will consider their
The ethnocentric of personal makes the people know a little or even
nothing about certain groups, while the prejudice makes the people use their belief
to judge other races that they think they know well.
The second component is affective or feelings. Affective deals with feeling
and emotion of people. It is a strong feelings rather than a careful thought. The
emotion of people appears as revulsion or as a strong feeling of horror, as what
Rose describes as follows.
The second dimension, called “affective”, refers to the way one feels about what is perceived. The emotion evoked are “visceral” in that they are often manifest in gut feelings or revulsion, fear, hate, or indignation, …(1997: 114)
It comes from feeling and change into a revulsion such as anger, surprise,
hatred, and fear. But, people who get feelings are first based on their stereotype
like what Rose explains as follows “Often emotion aroused in the prejudiced
person are based upon the stereotypes he or she holds of certain people”
(1997:114)
For making the reader understand, Rose provides some example like, “If
ones believes that Mexicans typically carry knives, one may feel frightened when
confronted by a member of this group” (1997: 114)
The third level is conative or behavior in a particular way. Thoughts and
Feelings take a part in prejudiced people. Prejudice has a logic emotion rather
than a logic reason. So it can be said that prejudice is a structure of false belief but
it has an intention, however the doer is in unconscious condition, as what Rose
Group prejudices involve both thought and feelings about people. “However false as to fact, prejudice has a certain logic, a logic not of reason but of the emotions…Prejudice is more than false belief; it is a structure of false belief with a purpose, however unconscious.” (1997: 114)
People will act in particular way to response racial prejudice, but this is
only a predisposition to act toward certain group in society rather than the act of
discrimination.
So, the writer can conclude that based on Rose’s theory of Racial
Prejudice, there are three basic elements in racial prejudice. The elements are
related to each other and accomplish like a pattern in the mind. Further,
discrimination appears as the result of prejudice’s manifestation.
For supporting the third problem formulation, the writer adds two theories
about it. Allport in his book, The Nature of Prejudice, said that on the issue such as prejudice found that frustration may make something hostile and aggressive.
But the commonest responses to prejudice may be a simple act to deal with as
what Allport says as follows.
On the other hand, we must be careful not to give this process, important as it is, undue weight. It is simply not true, as some enthusiasts have said, that “frustration always lead to some sort of aggression.” If it were, then all of us (for we are all frustrated) would harbor vast stores of aggression, and would be prejudice-prone. The commonest reaction to frustration is not aggression at all, but a simple and direct attempt to surmount the obstacle in our path. True, the young infant’s response to frustration is usually anger. But in the process of learning, the child, and later the adult acquires a considerable degree of frustration tolerance, and learns to substitute perseverance, planning and intelligent solution for the initial tendency to rage. (1979: 348)
In other words, many frustration and rejections may respond in simple act
movements. Passive violation and resistance are the important tactics to protest
racial prejudice because the people are powerless to argue and defend.
Resistance is one of response which is unlimited behaviors because someone is
powerless. Based on Vic Napier in the Hitt’s book entitled Uppled Saddle River. There are six factors that can make people contribute resistance which are Inertia,
Mistrust, Lack of Information Lack of Clarity, Lack of Capabilities and Lack of
Incentive as what said as follows
Hitt traces resistance to change as in interaction between people and organizational structure. They identify six factors that contribute to people either not perceiving a need for change or actively resisting seeing such needs – Inertia, Mistrust, Lack of Information Lack of Clarity, Lack of Capabilities and Lack of Incentive. (Napier, 2009)
Based on Napier in Williams’s book entitled Management which is William inspired by Kurt Lewin’s Life Space theory for explaining resistance. He
sees resistance as a model of life cycle. When the balances of cycle are disturbed,
the stress is produced and creates a defense, one of the defenses is resistance as
stated follows.
He cites Kurt Lewin’s Life Space theory to explain resistance to change. Lewin did most of his work in the 1930’s and followed the discoveries physics was making at that time. Inspired by the idea of field theory then being advanced in physics, Lewin’s Life Space was a model of the interaction between an individual’s needs and the psychological environment in which one finds oneself. According to Lewin, people are normally in a state of balance with their environment. When this balance is disturbed stress is produced and the individual is compelled to restore balance. Efforts to restore balance can result in either positive or negative outcomes.(Napier, 2009)
C.Review on Blacks’ Condition on 1930s
It is necessary to apply this review since the writer uses
significance condition in 1930s which happened in the history and the civilization
of Montgomery, Alabama in Maycomb society. This review supports the analysis
by giving notifications in the South during racial prejudice and discrimination.
Boyer in his book, The Enduring Vision, A History of American People, volume two describes that the Great Depression in 1930s make American Blacks, Hispanics, and Indians are in hardship situation. Depression made slower the
urbanization of Blacks. Four hundred thousand Blacks people moved from South
to North in 1930s. This big urbanization made the Great Depression become
extreme. It was because many unemployment in the North, as what Boyer states
as follows.
...., the depression markedly slowed the urbanization of Black Americans. Some 400,000 southern Blacks moved to northern cities in the 1930s-far fewer than in either the 1920s or the 1940s. In 1940s about 77 percent of the nation’s 12 million Blacks still lived in the South. (1990: 908)
Since the Blacks who came in the past are slaves, the Whites
underestimates them. The Whites treated them unfairly, they limited jobs for
Blacks. so, the number of unemployment increased. Black people who had
already got jobs as farmer and sharecoppers, forced to leave their land, Boyer in
his book, The Enduring Vision, A History of American People, volume twoIstates as follows.
Not only did southern Black tenant farmers and sharecoppers frequently face eviction, ...., but the jobless rate among Black industrial workers far exceeded the rates for Whites, largerly because of deep-seated patterns in Chicago reported “a prevailing sentiment that Negroes should not be hired as long as there are White men without work.”(1990: 908)
It seem that the Blacks’ misery is not ended yet. The Blacks had no access
were lynched in the 1930s and some others were sentenced to death by the Grand
juries who consisted of White people. The Whites made a rule that legalized
abortion toward Blacks’ babies, Boyer in his book, The Enduring Vision, A History of American People, volume two states as follows.
Lynchings and miscarriages of justice contiued as part of the reality of American life for Blacks as well, espcially in the South. Twenty four Blacks died by lynching in 1933, the year that President Rosevelt took office. In 1931 eight Blacks youths were sentenced to death by an all-White jury in Scottsboro, Alabama, on highly suspect charges that they had raped two White women in a freight car. (1990: 908)
In his book, American society; Problems of Structure, second edition, Turner also describes the situation of Blacks in 1930s. The hunger and
unemployment were increased because during the Great Depression the Blacks
migration to urban area are stooped. If any supplay came, the allocation for
Blacks and Whites were totally different as what Turner says as follows.
During the depression, Black migration to urban area are stopped, while both those rural and urban areas suffered enourmously from unemployment and hunger. In the mid 1930s great masses of Blacks received some form of public assistance; but even so, welfare allocations were differently bestowed on Blacks and Whites. (1976: 190)
The other review on Racial Prejudice comes from Molefi Kete Asante in
the book The Survival of the American Nation, Erasing Racism, whowrote about these two societies, one Blacks and the other Whites, which settled in one land,
America. Because of the state of being in their own land, Whites felt superior and
practiced the racism. Asante stated that Blacks presence is socially and culturally
weak and uncertainly. Asante added that racism can trigger off another effect in
the society, something like alienation, destruction and violence as what Asante
Of course, the mean street of experience teach a sort of hopelessness about the will of white Americans to overcome the practice of racism. The social and cultural exsistence of African Americans itselfis fragile, a cup of water balanced on the tip of a long narrow pole. Indeed, racism can create a depressing psychic condition that leads to alienation, destruction, and violence. (2003: 34).
From Asante’s quotation above, the phrase ‘mean street experience’ means
violence in the black community itself is an impact from the Whites racial
dominant.
Asante gives the same powerful books about racism in American society
by Andrew Hacker and Derrick Bell. African American population were the
realiable critics for American society, as what Asante stated, “ Both authors
contend that African American population has been the critical thermometer of
social injustice in American society.” Hacker’s review is about the situation of the
American society which was separated but never equal, although both Blacks and
Whites considered an agreement about race and ethnicity, as what Asante says as
follows.
In fact, Hacker has proclaimed that there are essentially only two critical societies, -separate, unequal, and hostile- in the United States. These two societies, one black and the other white, constitute the major axis around which all other question of race and ethnicity revolve. (2003: 35)
While, as what Asante stated about Bell in The Survival of the American Nation, Erasing Racism, Bell’s review is about racism which lasts for long time in American society, “Bell believes that racism particulary as it is expressed against
African, is a permanent feature in the American society.”
These two reviews are about the relation between Blacks and Whites
situation of two different economic opportunities is revealed. As we know, Blacks
are always poorer than Whites, as Asante states below,
The Kenner Commission Report said that there were essentially two nations, one white and richer and the other black and poorer. In the succeeding decades, little has changed in the economic positions of the two communities. Whether one analyzes salary or state wealth, the African American community, on the whole, is far poorer than the white community. (2003: 35).
D.Review of Black Responses and White Responses
In 1930s, there was only few of Black who struggle their rights from
injustice and unequality. Henretta, in the book, American History since 1865 2nd Edition, states about few responses which is against racial prejudice and discrimination. Black people in Southern resists the White oppression and declare
a boycott as What Henretta says as follows.
Like Blacks of Grimes County, southern Blacks in Many places resisted White oppression as best they could....Atlanta Blacks declared a boycott, and over the next fifteen years there waere boycott against segregated streetcars in at least twenty-five cities.(1993: 599)
Many defendants were killed before the court. Blacks felt it is an very
unfair treatment. Many struggle of Blacks can not continue further because they
had no access to fight. Blacks named Ida Wells Barnett and Robert Charles strike
back by agaisnt lynching so they forced to move from the city. Henretta in the
book, American History since 1865 2nd Edition describe as follows.
While, some Whites people who cared about the humanity and civil rights
make a programme for struggle the equality between Black and White. Although
there were much attemption to reach the deal with the situation of that era. The
programme called Affirmative Action, the programme provide fairness to create
Black and White’s Equality, Chima and Warton, in their article, African Americans and the Workplace: Overview of Persistent Discrimination, states as follows.
While Affirmative Action, a program to provide equal ooportunity for all Americans, is being debated for its fairness, the United States has the ultimate responsibility to seek new paradigms of sustainable human development and protection from abuses for all citizen. The effort to end discrimination against African Americans or anyone in the workplace almost certainly should come with increased awareness of this problem. (Chima and Warton, 1999: 50)
Based on www.u-s-history.com/pages, NAACP was establish by bi-racial
activist in 1909 in New York. It is an oldest civil right organization called
National Negro Committee. In the other hand, United is in the opposition to them.
United tried hard to persuade the Blacks people to accept racial prejudice and
segregation as states as follows.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was founded in 1909 in New York City by a group of bi-racial activists. Originally called the National Negro Committee, it is the nation's oldest civil rights organization... United in its opposition to the preaching of Booker T. Washington, who urged blacks to accept segregation, the NAACP first sought to make whites aware of the need for racial equality.
In 1920s and 1930s, NAACP dedicated their struggle to publish the
lynching of Blacks throughout the United States. To make the world knew that
conference in Atlanta, Georgia, remembering that at that time there was the huge
klan named Ku Klux Klan as stated as follows based on
www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history
In the 1920s and 1930s, the NAACP devoted much of its energy to publicizing the lynching of blacks throughout the United States. To show to the world that the members of the organization would not be intimidated, it held its 1920 annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia, considered at the time to be located in one of the most active Ku Klux Klan areas in the nation.
In the era of 1930s when Great Depression was happened, NAACP tried to
help the Blacks people to get a job. After much tension with the Whites labor
union, NAACP cooperated with newly formed Congress of Industrial
Organizations to convince the President to make something illegal about job as
described as follows in www.naacp.org/pages/naacp-history
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, which was disproportionately disastrous for African Americans, the NAACP began to focus on economic justice. After years of tension with white labor unions, the Association cooperated with the newly formed Congress of Industrial Organizations in an effort to win jobs for black Americans. White, a friend and adviser to First Lady and NAACP national board member, Eleanor Roosevelt, met with her often in attempts to convince President Franklin D. Roosevelt to outlaw job discrimination in the armed forces, defense industries and the agencies spawned by Roosevelt's New Deal legislation.
Based on www. Blackpast.org, “The League of Struggle for Negro Rights
(LSNR) was the primary civil rights organization of the American Communist
party (CP) during the early and during the early to mid 1930s. ” This party
struggle for the land redistribution in the South and for the equality between the
One of their case is about racial injustice, Scottsboro Boys which is notorious by raping a woman.
E.Theoretical Framework
In this part, the writer would like to explain about the contribution of some
theories and review in solving the problem in this research, The Response of Blacks and Whites toward Racial Prejudice in 1930s as Portrayed in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Firstly, theory of character is a theory which is chosen for solving the first problem formulation which is description of the Blacks and
Whites in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Secondly, theory of racial prejudice is a theory chosen for solving the second problem formulation which is the way racial
prejudice be revealed through the Whites in the novel and also for solving the
third problem formulation which is the way Whites and Blacks responded racial
prejudice in the novel.
27
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is a novel entitled To Kill a Mockingbird which is written by Nelle Harper Lee. A hardcover edition of To Kill a Mockingbird was originally published in 1960 by J.B Lippincott Company. The copyright of To Kill a Mockingbird was published by HarperCollins Publisher and was printed in the United States of America. The first perennial classics edition published in 2002
and the first Harper perennial modern classics edition published in 2006. To Kill a Mockingbird won the pulitzer prize despite critical review. But this novel was highly popular because it was sold until fifteen milion copies. Besides, the novel
was remade into a movie in 1962 which was successful, with Gregory Peck as
Atticus Finch.
Lee published her first and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, in 1960
after a two-year period of revising and rewriting under the guidance of her editor,
Tay Hohoff, of the J. B. Lippincott Company.
On June 1966, Harper Lee was named by President Johnson to the
National Council of Arts. She only wrote a few short essays since her novel was
published.
B. Approach of the study
set between certain historical period which is 1930s in the certain society which is
Maycomb society, Alabama.
Sociocultural-historical approach is an approach that convey people in
certain group, their attitudes, and their problems surround the group or society.
Deeply, social background of the people is needed to know better about certain
society as what Rohrberger and Woods states as follows.
...the only way to locate the real work is in reference to the civilization to produced it. They define civilization as the attitudes and actions as its subject matter. They feel, therefore, that it is necessary that the critic investigate the social milieu in which a work was created and which it necessarily reflects. (1971: 9)
Rohrberger and Woods figure out that people’s attitude and action is the
realiable reference that can be used to understand a literature. The social
background for the period of time also influence the literature. For an instance, in
the 1930s is the era of the great deppression, the economic condition is poor
because many people are jobless, the social condition is aware because many
violences. While condition for Blacks are minority group toward the Whites. That
is all the examples of social background which are necessary to undersatnd the
whole of literature.
Rohrberger and Woods’ sociocultural-historical approach is considered
suitable to the research because they place the real work as a reference. They also
see the social background of the certain period time to know better about the
literature as what they states as follows.
such historical knowledge is the chief purpose of literature. (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 9)
Guliver Travels is a classic children's story, but it is actually a work of
political and social satire by an Anglican priest, historian, and political
commentator.
As a critic, student should be fair to judge the literature as a work study.
Students should avoid a sudden judging to literature only by paraphrasing the
event happened in certain period time and believe it to be true. The student should
gain much attention to sociocultural factors. So, the analysis does not seem too
narrow and surfaced as what they said as follows.
..,but, again, the student must be cautioned to avoid certain danger . Too rigorous an application of a narrow ethical system might lead the student to judge as good as only literature that expresses ideas he believes to be true. Further, the student should avoid judging a piece of literature as though it were merely a historical document, illuminating the past only, without relevance to contemporary life. (Rohrberger and Woods, 1971: 10)
For avoiding the sudden judging, Rohrberger and Woods apply two
factors that should be include in the sociocultural-historical approach. The first
factor is the capability to completely give correct information about historical
events that happened in certain period of time. The second factor is the capability
to completely giving an important historical events that happened in certain period
of time as what Rohrberger and Woods’states as follows.
If the focus is on sociocultural-historical background, the author’s fact is
not necessarily observed in detail. Also, for the literary work, the students only
needs the fact about the significant time and history, but not the literary
significance itself.
C. Method of the Study
In analyzing this research, the writer applies a library research method
because the source is token from printed books. The data and references which
were employed in this research was gathered from books, encyclopedia, journals
and some on-line references. The primary data which is used for this research is
entitled To Kill a Mockingbird. It is written by Nelle Frances Lee. The secondary data is from books, encyclopedia, journals and on line references for example
were They and We which is fifth edition by Peter I. Rose, Writing about Literature
by Edgar V. Roberts, and International Encyclopedia of Ethics edited by John K. Roth.
In conducting the analysis, the writer applied some theory which were
theory of character and theory of racial prejudice. Theory of character by Robert
Stanton is used for helping the writer to describe the Blacks and Whites in the
novel. While theory of racial prejudice by Peter I. Rose is used for helping the
writer to reveal the practice of racial prejudice in the novel and also for helping
the writer to know the response of the Blacks and Whites in the novel.
Some steps were accomplished in doing this research. First, the step taken
find an important elements. By reading the writer also included the activities of
making questions, important notes and writing a summary. Second, the step was
reading but it was added by linking the information gathered with the information
from the novel. This step also included finding and matching the suitable theories
with the novel and the question. Then the third, was answering the questions one
by one. It limited the analysis on describing the people which are Blacks and
Whites, focusing on the practice of racial prejudice which happened in Maycomb
County society revealed through the white. For the next question, the writer
answered on the responses of Blacks toward the practice of racial prejudice
happened to them in their society. The last step is making a conclusion for overall
analysis which had been taken.
32
CHAPTER IV
ANALYSIS
As we come to the analysis part, it is necessary to give brief explanation
about the content. This chapter consists of three subchapters for answering the
problem formulation. The first subchapter descibes about Blacks and Whites’
characteristics. The second subchapter discusses about the revelation of racial
prejudice which were done by the Whites toward the Blacks. The third subchapter
discussed about the reponses of Blacks and Whites toward racial prejudice in
Maycomb county.
A.The descriptions of Blacks and Whites’ Characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill
a Mockingbird
1. The description of Blacks in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
a. Tom Robinson
Tom Robinson is a black man in Maycomb county. He is poor. He lives in
small and dirty place in Maycomb, as what Lee states in her novel as follows.
”Atticus sighed. I’m simply defending a Negro-his name’s Tom Robinson. He
lives in that little settlement beyond the town dump”(1960: 86). Tom is a poor
man because his house is only part of the town dump where people usually leave
garbage or rubbish. The town dump is dirty and smell bad.
Tom Robinson is twenty five years old. He had married and got three
children. “Tom was twenty-five years of age; he was married with three
He is handicapped. He can not use his left hand properly. He can not stand
normally like anyone else, A crippled man whose arms are not exactly the same as
what Lee states as follows.
”Tom Robinson’s powerful shoulders rippled under his thin shirt. He rose to his feet and stood with his right hand on the back of his chair. He looked oddly off balanced, but it was not from the way he was standing. His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled hand,...(1960: 211)
Tom Robinson works for White, Mr. Link Deas, who has plenty of pecan
trees in his field. For the rest of their life, Blacks should get a job although the
income is not sufficient for their family. Tom Robinson is a humble, honest and
hardworker. He never takes any advantage for his own as what Lee states through
Mr. Link Deas statement as follows. ”I just want the whole lot of you to know one
thing right now. That’s boy worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck
o’trouble outa him. Not a speck.” (1960: 222)
Tom Robinson is a humble man , he respects any other folks of
people,especially women, no matter Blacks or Whites as what Lee states, “He
would not have dared strike a white woman under any circumtances....”(1960:
221)
b. Calpurnia
Calpurnia is a Black woman who works for long time Finch Family. Finch
is a White family in Maycomb society, she works for Atticus Finch. Her primary
duty is cooking, cleaning and taking care of Atticus’ children, they are Scout and
Jem. Calpurnia was nearsighted and squinted. This condition is worse because she
uncapable and weak woman. Otherwise, Calpurnia is a tough woman as what Lee
describes, “Calpurnia was something else again. She was all angles and bones: she
was nearsighted: she squinted: her hand was wide as bed slat and twice as hard.”
(1960: 6)
Behind her limitation, Calpurnia has strength. She is a smart woman, she
learns and practices about proper English which people usually used. In the novel,
Calpurnia is the only Black woman who can speak and write well among Black
people as what Lee describes, “When in her tranquility, her grammar was as good
as anybody’s in Maycomb. Atticus said Calpurnia had more education than most
colored folks.” (1960: 27). Besides teaching alphabet to Scout, Calpurnia also
taught her son, Zeebo, to learn English well.
Another characteristic of Calpurnia is motherly. She loves Jem and Scout
as her own children, she takes care them nicely, so the children loves her eitherly
as what Lee describes through Atticus dialogue to his sister, Alexandra.
If anything, she’s been harder on them in some ways than a mother would have been ...she never let them get away with anything, she never indulged them the way most colored nurses do.(1960:155)
Living in the growth of racial pejudice does not make Calpurnia
discriminates Whites. Still she advises children that they do not allow to pick
friend based on their appearances as what Lee states through the conversation of
Calpurnia and Scout below.
c. People attending in the court
Many people come in the day Tom Robinson brought to court. Both Black
and White enter the court and look for their seat. Black and White people have
their own seat separately based on their colors. For Black people, it is located in
the balcon as what Lee states as follows. “Reverend Sykes came puffing behind
us, and steered us gently through the black people in the balcony. Four Negroes
rose and gave us their front-row seats.” (1960:186)
Blacks are so kind and friendly to others. It is not because the rule says
that Blacks should give their seat to White in the Balcon, they only should wait
until the Whites enters the courtroom. Moreover, no Whites will intend to have a
seat together with Black in the balcon. From the quotation above written that four
Black people stand and give their seat to Jem and Scout when they found that
there is no seat anymore in the downstairs. Reverend Sykes who is the Black
preacher in the Calpurnia Church offers Scout and Jem to have a seat with him in
balcony, so still they can see the court session as what Lee states as follows
through Reverend’s dialogue.“There’s not a seat downstairs. Do you all reckon
it’ll be all right if you all came to the balcony with me?”(1960: 186)
2. The description of Whites in Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
a. Atticus Finch
Atticus is a lawyer in Alabama, Maycomb county. He has one brother and
one sister, Jack and Alexandra. Atticus is a widower, her wife died because of the
