Tom Robinson, a black man in To Kill a Mockingbird, is one of the main characters in this story who causes controversy due to his skin color. Is the relevance of the story based on Mr. Robinson and his skin color? In my opinion yes, the book revolves around his skin color and the racism of the time. Tom Robinson is treated unfairly because he was black and not because of what he supposedly did. The controversial topics covered in this book are immense in number, but among them all, racism stands out the most. A question that came to my mind after reading this book is: Today, is racism still as hostile and a big problem as it was in the 1930s? Throughout this research paper, I will gather information about racism in the 1930s, but also today. Then I will compare and contrast the differences between the past and present and come to a conclusion. Go back to the 1930s and explain to me how it was acceptable to treat someone a certain way because of the color of their skin. How was it right to make a group of human beings sit in a specific seat on the bus, drink from special water fountains, and put their children in completely different schools? As a country, we should be ashamed of ourselves for acting so selfishly. In doing so, we missed many opportunities to unite and grow as a country, but were blinded by the color of someone else's skin. Tom Robinson is accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Robinson is surprised with Mayella in the Ewell residence by her father Bob Ewell. Bob swears by everything he saw Mr. Robinson taking advantage of his daughter, Mayella. Robinson is supposedly going out the back door of the house and Bob states that he doesn't beat Mayella. Then Bob breaks in Sheriff... middle of paper...... is still alive but is no longer as widely accepted as he once was. In the society we live in today, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity, we should all be treated with the same rights. Even though it should be this way, society will still contain racism, even if it has diminished significantly compared to when To Kill A Mockingbird was written. Works Cited Arnade, Chris. “America is still a deeply racist country.” Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, January 12, 2014. Web. April 30, 2014. Lee, Harper. To kill a mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1960. PrintShmoop Editorial Staff. “Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., November 11, 2008. Web. May 1, 2014. Chafe, William H. Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans' Story of Life in the Segregated South. New York: the new press. 2001.