The disease of colorFrom the subtle thought in a man's head to genocide, racism has infected all forms of society throughout the existence of humanity. Racism spread around the world as society shifted from being a group to being separated based on the chemicals in our skin. Eventually, lynchings, genocides and violent verbal and physical violence took place. Harper Lee describes such events in her book To Kill a Mockingbird. Ms. Lee fights against the effects of racism by using different characters in Maycomb with the use of the three unique characters Tom Robinson, Calpurnia and Scout. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayCulturally accepted racism is visible in Tom Robinson's struggle for survival. Society defined its views on Tom before Mr. Robinson said a word, simply because of his race. Atticus, in his final statement to the jury, explains why Tom Robinson did nothing by using society's incorrect view of black people to his advantage: "Which, gentlemen, we know, is in itself such a black lie than Tom Robinson's skin, a lie I don't tell. I must point this out to you. You know the truth, and the truth is this: some black people lie, some black people are immoral, some black men are untrustworthy around women, black or white. But it is a truth that applies to the human race and to no human race in particular. There is no one in this courtroom who has never lied, who has never looked at a woman without desire” (273). The justice system and society have accepted racism as normal because of the way the slow separation between the races has slowly worked its way into the minds of the upper classes. Although government officials and the judiciary have been considered the true power above all else, officials and the judiciary are human beings and receive the common social perception of humanity as quickly as common society. The concept that higher power is just as stereotyped and divided based on gender and race as society leads to corruption and unjust justice. This allows white-skinned people to exploit the ethnicity of black people. Atticus compares Tom Robinson's skin to a "black lie", which symbolizes how the inaccurate view that skin color changes a human being's personality and morals proves to be an unnecessary statement and Atticus considers the skin color like a lie. Atticus goes out of his way to explain that absolutely everyone lies and shows qualities of immoral behavior. Atticus explains that even though society is supposed to be honest, the human race in general cannot strictly follow the rules. The way Atticus says that no one in the courtroom admired a woman without desire implies that all people are men, which makes it easier for Atticus to address his audience and explain and justify his argument. Atticus attempts to break the barrier between white and black skin, but unfortunately fails due to Tom Robinson's death sentence. After the trial, Atticus speaks to Jem and explains why Tom Robinson was killed: “There is something in our world that makes men lose their minds – they couldn't be righteous if they tried. In our courts, when it comes to a white man's word against a black man's word, the white man always wins. They are ugly, but they arerealities of life” (295). Atticus recognizes that the law does not separate itself from societal prejudices and often supports racism by making inaccurate decisions based on skin color. Tom Robinson is a prime example, due to his innocence and the fact that the person who accused him was white. Although Mayella identifies as a woman, her skin color is so strong that it dominates cultural hegemony against women. Simply, “the white man always wins” sums up Tom’s case. The "sad reality of life" represents the ultimate outcome of modern society, where even a person's greatest strength in Maycomb, the justice system, can be filled with prejudice. Tom Robinson is a strong black character in Ms. Lee's book, but many other characters also represent the brutality of racism. Racism is also evident in Ms. Dubose's aggressive actions. Mrs. Dubose is an old lady who sits on her porch and yells rude comments such as, "Your father is no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (135) Mrs. Dubose's inaccurate and petty view of "reality" hurts Scout and Jem with her comments. During Scout's childhood, black people were considered lower class, so for Atticus to help someone like Tom Robinson in his case would be a "disgrace" to the color of his race according to Mrs. Dubose and most of society . Mrs. Dubose also finds a way to express her hatred in different ways that seem to have similar meanings, but have a different context: "Not just one Finch waiting on tables, but another one at the courthouse doing the law for the negroes!” (135) Mrs. Dubose uses her poor vocabulary to hurl insults at Atticus and his children, using words such as "niggers" in an attempt to shame Atticus. For children, this racism is an indirect source of suffering, but it helps them understand the reality and racism of Maycomb. Ms. Dubose's suffering serves as a distributor of hateful and racist thoughts, but ultimately it is those who receive them who are affected. Scout's fight against racism creates a contrast between light and darkness. Scout's pure innocence and fair skin contrast with Maycomb's malicious racism. Scout is presented as a child whose mind is not yet closed by the influence of racism and evil, and she continually experiences new experiences with an open mind and a big heart. Her father, Atticus, tries to make her as open-minded as possible: "'Atticus,' I said to him one evening, 'what exactly is a nigger lover?'... 'Scout,' said Atticus, 'nigger lover' is just one of those terms that doesn't mean anything snotty. It's hard to explain: ignorant, trashy people use it when they think someone favors black people over themselves. It has become a common usage among some people like us, when they want a common, ugly term to describe someone” (144). Atticus' ability to give Scout an open mind proves to help her throughout the story as she encounters more racism. Atticus doesn't tell him that racism is bad, but simply explains why people use such terms. His ability to be open-minded even to opinions contrary to human rights allows him to develop respect and continually put his own ideas into Scout's head. Scout's open mind depicts the effect racism has on people, as well as her innocent and open perspective on racism. Jem and Scout often talk and try to understand how society works and falls apart, leading to childish but serious discussions about how the world works...