Introduction
Talking about southern America inevitably leads one to a topic of discussion that has been as divisive as religion – racism. There have been countless books, paintings, films and a lot more that have depicted racism in all its forms. In spite of all these depictions, the specter of racial discrimination and prejudice that existed in the southern states has left deep scars on the psyche of the people of America. Paul Lawrence Dunbar in his poem, “Sympathy” (Dunbar, 1899) has vividly portrayed the pangs of a caged bird and likens it to the collective pain that colored people have felt like victims of racial prejudices.
“And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting–
I know why he beats his wing!”
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To list the causes of racism, it is necessary to go back to the historical background of the states and the economic clime of the times in which slavery and racial prejudice were at their zenith. It was a common practice for white people to have colored folks working in their fields and homes. It was also common for these colored people to accept their fate of subjugation. “… one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
The history of the American Negro is the story of this strife, …” (DuBois, 1994). Though they were aware of the injustices meted out to them, it took a lot of courage and temerity to stand up and fight for their fundamental rights. A close look at the existence of black folks will reveal that there was a certain resignation to their fate which caused them to be even more submissive. It also needs to be pointed out here that the white folk felt a great deal of superiority, whether or not they were economically well off. It was also widely believed that a colored person was more likely to commit crime (of all sorts) than a white person.
Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird, has several instances of mistreatment and exploitation. On the one hand you have the misplaced high-and-mighty attitude of economically underprivileged white folks who feel they are privileged only because of the color of their skin. They are unable to understand that they are in no way better than the colored folks who eke out a living on a seamy side of town.
There are those who believe that a crime like rape can be committed only by a black man and that there can be no way to establish his innocence, however hard his lawyer might try. There is hurt and resentment in the Finch children who are subjected to taunts and barbs, merely because their father chooses to represent a black man, wrongly accused of raping a white woman. This is an indication that racism affects whole communities which comprise both black and white people – a situation similar to the novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (Hurston, 2002).
The intensity of hatred that people harbor towards one another, based on the color of the person’s skin is yet another offshoot of racial prejudice that tends to engulf the whole village and leave people sharply divided on the subject of whether or not a black man should be defended by a white man. The hatred is evidenced by the fact that the father of the so-called rape victim turns his ire towards the children of Atticus Finch, the man who has stood up to defend the fundamental rights of a wronged man. The black man’s envy of the white man’s ability to move forward in life is akin to the feelings of Booker T. Washington, as expressed in his autobiography (Washington, 1986).
The flaws in the legal system and the eventual decision of the jury are clear indications that justice is not on their minds. They are unable to stand up for justice and succumb to the racial prejudices that prevail around them. This leads to a breakdown of justice and the unnecessary killing of an innocent man. In spite of the best efforts of Atticus Finch, the jury is unable to accept the fact that the rape victim could actually be the perpetrator.
They are of the opinion that the accused is guilty, merely because of the color of his skin. Though they (the jury) have the freedom to endorse right and condone wrong, they do not use this freedom justly, because they do not want to take responsibilities that might have further repercussions. “Freedom carries an awesome responsibility.” (Hughes, 2000)
Summary
Surrounded by the turbulence that characterized the lives of black and white people in the little town in which Atticus Finch lived with his children, it is difficult to believe that justice would be delivered without a hitch. Desperate attempts are made to right a wrong, but it is to no avail. The color of a man’s skin has sealed his fate. The Finch children try to make sense of the animosity that people feel towards each other, only because of their color. As children, they realize that it hurts to be different. The family of the man who was accused of a crime he did not commit is left to ponder over the injustice meted out to them.
Though they know that by having a white man to argue their case, they have won a battle, they are still unable to come to terms with their loss. This is reminiscent of the anguish described by DuBois, “Doth not this justice of hell stink in Thy nostrils, O God? How long shall the mounting flood of innocent blood roar in Thine ears and pound in our hearts for vengeance?” (DuBois, 1999). One can only hope and pray that instances of such injustice decline into non-existence as more and more people understand the fact that color is just skin-deep.
References
Dunbar, P.L. Sympathy published in Lyrics of the Hearthside. Dodd, Mead & Co. 1899.
Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. Courier Dover Publications. 1994. p. 2.
Du Bois, W.E.B. Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil. 1999. p. 15.
Hughes, D.P. Wake up and smell the dollars! Whose inner city is this anyway. Amber Books Publishing. 2000.
Hurston, Z. N. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Spark Publishing Group. 2002. p. 18.
Washington, B.T. & Harlan, L.R. Up from slavery: An Autobiography. Penguin Classics. 1986. p. 39.