Atticus's Racism

During the 1930s and 1940s in US history, prejudice was rampant in society, people judged one another based on their race, wealth, etc. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the character Atticus is different from the other citizens of Maycomb because he is nonjudgemental, not racist, and not prejudiced, unlike many citizens of Maycomb. Atticus is different from everyone else in Maycomb because he is not racist, while unfortunately at the time segregation and racism were large problems in that area of the U.S at the time which meant many in Maycomb were racist. Atticus, being a lawyer, is chosen to defend Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell and he is black, which in that time, a white person’s word would …show more content…
This exemplifies, the townsfolk racist opinions and thoughts on the trial and the backlash he faces as well. After this occurs, Scout tells Atticus about this and asks “Do you defend n******, Atticus replies; Of course I do, don’t say n***** Scout that's common”(Lee 105) Common meaning ignorant. This shows, that Atticus is not racist, simply due to the fact that he is willing to withstand the backlash received from the racist townsfolk and defend Tom Robinson because through his indiscriminate eyes, Atticus feels he’s innocent enough to defend him. One of Atticus’s traits distinguishing him from the other citizens of Maycomb is his nonjudgemental personality, unlike many in Maycomb who are quick to judge people. In particular, this difference is shown by Atticus’s treatment of Boo Radley. Boo is infamous in Maycomb and many rumors about him have sprung up like we eats cats and such. Many judge Boo based on the rumors and have false perceptions of him like Scout does while talking to Jem and Dill early in the book, “ Inside the house lived a malevolent phantom. People said he existed, but Jem and I had never seen him. People said he went out at night when the moon was down and peeped in windows, when people’s azaleas froze in a cold snap it was because he breathed on them, any stealthy small crimes committed in Maycomb were his work, once the town was terrorized by a series of morbid nocturnal events: people’s chickens and …show more content…
Although this quote is referenced to Miss Caroline, it also applies to Boo and how Atticus regards all people, as you never really know what someone else is going through until you walk around in their shoes. Finally, Atticus’s lack of prejudice specifically based on wealth and social status is a trait that distinguishes him from others in Maycomb. The Cunningham’s are a poor family particularly hit hard by the Great Depression occurring in that time period of the 1930’s, many people look at them as inferior or different due to them being very poor. Miss Caroline sees him as poor while Walter Cunningham is at school when he forgets his lunch, “ here’s a quarter Walter, go and eat lunch, you can pay me back tomorrow, Walter shook his head, nome thank you ma’am, he drawled softly , impatience crept into Miss Caroline’s voice here Walter come get it, Walter shook his head again; What is it Jean Louise?, Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham”(Lee 25-26) This exhibits the way people look at the Cunningham’s differently for being so poor and Atticus does not see it that way, when he realizes Mr. Cunningham cannot pay back Atticus for some legal work, he accepts some hickory nuts “ we watched, one morning Jem and I found a load of stovewood in the backyard, later a sack of hickory nuts appeared on the back steps; why does he pay you like that? I asked, Because that's