Racism - To Kill A Mockingbird

            Sentence to death, living in the corners of the ghetto, neither trustworthy or accepted, all because of your skin color. Racism was an influential part of society in the 1930s' as seen in To Kill a Mockingbird. In this story, racism kept the black poor and the white wealthy, the black community was not considered as trustworthy as the white and black people weren't considered as high or respected as much as white people. Black people weren't considered up to standard or unacceptable and were seldom included in white society. The black community was cast and pushed away from white people. Their homes in fact weren't in the same neighborhood, they didn't even share the same church. "First Purchase African M.E. Church was in the quarters outside the southern town limits. called First Purchase because it was paid for from the first earnings of freed slaves." (Lee p.118) The different races are divided and the black people were forced to make their community and homes down in the slums and down by the dump. Their houses and other buildings were poorly built and have little in them. Aunt Alexandra tries to make Atticus let go of Calpurnia because she believes she is now the lady of the house and Cal is no longer needed. "You've got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don't need her now." (Lee p.137) Aunt Alexandra is trying to get Atticus to finally let go of Calpurnia, because she believes that she is better suited or more fit to teach the children manners and how to be respectful but as well teach Scout how to be a proper woman and act ladylike. Aunt Alexandra primarily believes this because she is white and she is of higher education or intellect than the household maid. If a black were to say or convey that they were higher or of equal stature with a white person they would be frowned upon and ridiculed. "Yes suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of em" When Tom explains that he was sorry for Mayella and aided her because of it, people took it as an insult, Tom being black feeling sorry for a white girl no matter her place in the community was wrong to them.