Racism caused many problems for black people in the South during the depression. Many blacks received unfair trials while others didn't even commit the crime they became guilty of. Many trials became famous and turned into stories and books because of the prejudice against blacks. Although the Tom Robinson trial didn't actually happen it closely related to trials that occurred. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how prejudice and racism affected black people.
A perfect example of this, the Tom Robinson trial, demonstrates how unjustly a black can be tried by white Southerners. Racist white Southerners make up the entire jury. They have already made their decision before the trail even started. Atticus shows this when Scout asks, "Atticus, are we going to win it?" Atticus replies, "No, honey" (76). This shows that Atticus already knows he has no chance in winning the trail because no matter what he says it can't sway the juries" decision. .
Many other instances occur, not being accused of a crime, that people treat blacks like inferiors. Aunt Alexandria shows prejudice against Calpurnia because of her being black. She tries to talk Atticus into firing Calpurnia. "And don't try to get around it. You've got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don't need her now" (137). Aunt Alexandria doesn't like a black person raising Jem and Scout so she tries to get Atticus to fire her.
Tom Robinson symbolizes a mockingbird that never did anything wrong, but still many people don't care of his guiltiness and just want to see him dead. He symbolizes the mockingbird, an innocent bird that never harms anyone, because he has the same characteristics. Miss Maudie says:.
Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their harts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.