Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 1243 Words

There was a copious amount of discrimination in the 1930’s deep south, whether it be racism or sexism. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, conflicts arise when an African-American man is unjustly accused of raping a white woman in the sleepy town of Maycomb, Alabama. Citizens of the town are forced to choose whether they believe to follow what the rest of the town thinks, whether that is their true opinion or not, and be honest with themselves and stand up for who they really think is innocent. However, as shown throughout the book, many people have trouble publicly announcing their opinions on the matter, choosing to convey their opinions in more subtle ways. Because of different occasions that question people’s morals and virtues†¦show more content†¦When he talks about Atticus, instead of calling him an offensive name like he did Tom Robinson, he says â€Å"...that he was a Christ-fearing man and Atticus Finch was taking advantage of him.† (202) Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor, is also trying to discourage Tom by acting better than him. When it is time for Tom Robinson to step up to the witness stand, he is berated with questions by the attorney Mr. Gilmer. However, Mr. Gilmer phrases his questions in a way to make Tom Robinson feel bad about himself. One of the questions he asks Tom Robinson is, â€Å"Were you so scared that [Mayella]’d hurt you, you ran, a big buck like you?† (225) Mr. Gilmer is acting condescending and disdainful because through his tone and way of speaking, he is implying that Tom Robinson is a mentally weak man who cannot even stand up for himself. However, he acts very different around Mayella, asking â€Å"â€Å"Where were you at dusk on that evening?† began Mr. Gilmer patiently.† (204), showing that Mr. Gilmer does have space in his mind to make room for kindness. Unlike these two men, who are unkind towards Tom Robinson, Mr. Link Deas tries to stand up for him. When Atticus is questioning Tom Robinson, Mr. Link Deas stands up and shouts, â€Å"That boy’s worked for me eight years an’ I ain’t had a speck o’trouble out of him. Not a speck.† (222). Mr. Link Deas shows integrity because even though other people are not treating Tom Robinson the right way because he is a Negro, he still tries to stand up for Tom.