Introduction
Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird offers profound insights into the racist attitudes that defined America's Jim Crow South in the 1930s. Though the novel exposes the ugly realities of racism, its narrative frame ultimately serves to minimize the full extent of racial oppression. While the novel does criticize individual acts of racism, it stops short of challenging the systematic dehumanization that defined black experience during this era. Examining Lee's treatment of racism reveals the limitations in how white authors have often approached issues of race.
Background: The Historical Context of Racism in the Jim Crow South
Racism shaped every aspect of Southern life in the 1930s. After Reconstruction ended in 1877, Southern states enacted Jim Crow laws to enforce racial segregation and deprive black citizens of political power. Lynching of black men was common; between 1877 and 1950, over 3,440 black people were lynched (Equal Justice Initiative). Black schools received less funding and black voters faced poll taxes, literacy tests, and other obstacles to suppress their voice in government. This racism did not just manifest in individual acts of cruelty—it represented a societal structure designed to maintain white supremacy.
The Critique of Individual Racism in the Novel
In To Kill a Mockingbird’s fictional town of Maycomb, black residents live in the shacks of “nr-town” and even the supposedly honorable Atticus Finch believes “our Negro population live[s] in the squalor that only a “nr” can tolerate” (Lee 275). When Tom Robinson, a black man, is accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, the racial biases of the all-white jury quickly turn the trial into a farce. Though Robinson has a strong alibi and the accuser’s testimony crumbles under cross-examination, the jury still returns a guilty verdict in just two hours (Lee 242). Through this case, Lee vividly illustrates how justice did not exist for Southern blacks in the 1930s.
The White Savior Trope and the Limitations of the Narrative Frame
However, while the novel criticizes individual acts of racism, it ultimately frames racism as the work of hateful individuals rather than an indicting the racist power structures of Jim Crow society. For example, the cruel Bob Ewell, Mayella’s father, epitomizes ignorant poor white trash while the sheriff Heck Tate represents a more benevolent authority figure. Similarly, Atticus Finch emerges as an exemplary white savior who takes the moral high ground by defending Tom Robinson even when he recognizes the trial is hopeless. While these characterizations reveal Lee’s nuanced understanding of human nature, her narrative frame ultimately perpetuates the myth of the “white savior” while obscuring the systemic racism that enabled racial violence.
Analyzing To Kill a Mockingbird Through a Modern Lens
Some scholars argue that analyzing To Kill a Mockingbird through a modern lens inevitably critiques Lee’s work for failing to depict racism from a contemporary perspective of racial justice and equality (Bloom 106). However, understanding the racist power structures that defined the historical context of 1930s Alabama reveals that even for her time period, Lee’s novel pulls its punches. For instance, public outrage following the horrific 1955 murder of Emmett Till played a significant role in galvanizing the civil rights movement. The visceral imagery of Till’s mutilated body demonstrated how lynching represented a form of domestic white terrorism specifically targeting the black community. While Lee vividly captures the individual cruelty that enabled racial violence, her narrative frame isolates these acts from their broader societal context and power structures.
Conclusion
Ultimately, To Kill a Mockingbird still provides valuable insights into the racist attitudes that shaped the American South under Jim Crow. However, the novel’s perspective represents just one lens on the black experience during this era. Expanding our understanding of racism requires seeking out diverse voices and narratives that convey the full extent of racial oppression. While Lee's novel held up a mirror to society, her very privileged position inherently limited her perspective. Truly understanding and addressing the stain of racism requires lifting up authors with lived experience of its violent realities. Lee's classic work reminded America that injustice exists; the task ahead is to confront the structures that enable it.
