Representation in To Kill A Mockingbird
...poor living conditions, which are indicated through the poverty seen in the church. When Jem and Scout enter the church, they are amazed to find the extent of the destitution within the community, for unlike their own church for the white population, there is only one hymnbook and no musical instruments whatsoever in the sanctuary. Then during the church service, the children are astounded when Reverend Sykes, the minister for the church, counts up the offering as soon as it is receives and announces that no-one is to go until ten dollars are collected for Tom Robinson’s wife, Helen Robinson. This idea is foreign to them as in their church it would be appalled by the congregation to do such a thing. Nevertheless, this demonstrates a difference that the reader is positioned to see through the vivid descriptions of Lee in TKAM. Through the description of the church service in which Scout and Jem are exposed to the lifestyle of the Negro population, the reader sees that the majority of the church is welcoming, humble and caring. There is an exception, though, in the form of a lady named Lula. She resents the fact that white children are coming to an all-Negro church, as she feels that the Negroes are not allowed in the white’s church, so therefore the white children shouldn’t be allowed in a Negro church. Yet she feels protective towards her race and church, even though she, according to the laws of her society, step aside and let the children through. The fact that she doesn’t illustrates her resentment of the fact that she is classed “lower” than even the white children, yet she feels that she is equal. Even though she is protective, she still appears rude to the reader, especially when Cal says to her “They’s my comp’ny,” and she responds with a very offensive remark “Yeah, an’ I reckon you’s comp’ny at the Finch house durin’ the week.” This suggests that Cal is a prostitute for Atticus Finch, leading the reader to despise Lula even more, as throughout the book so far the reader has been positioned to like Cal as a motherly figure. Lee uses the dialogue and the descriptions of Lula (“…one hand on her hip…she seemed seven feet high”). Yet Lee also manages to show the compassionate side of the church through the rest of the incident. The Negro population moves Lula away from the children and Cal, and makes a path for them into the church, allowing them to sit in the front pew. This shows that they were treating the children like they were important and even though they seemed intruders, humbled themselves when not asked to do such. They beg the children not to pay attention to Lula and tell Jem and Scout that they are glad they are there. During the service, when the collection is taken up, when Reverend Sykes insists that they must have ten dollars, this is out of the goodness of their hearts. The money went to Helen Robinson and the fact that the Reverend would not allow them to go until the sum was collected, and when some people made an extra sacrifice in giving, as they were asked, more than usual, illustrated the caring community that had formed within the church. Then, after the church, the Reverend spoke to the children and told them what a good friend their father was to the congregation, in terms of defending Tom Robinson. Through the simple actions and dialogue in the text, Harper Lee shows the unity and compassion of the Negro church in TKAM. Throughout the novel, the author shows the status of the blacks in other incidents, too. For instance, after the court case. The next morning after the verdict is given, the whole Negro community shows their appreciation for Atticus’ defending Tom in simple yet caring ways. For on the doorstep that morning, Cal had found chicken, rolls, pickled pig’s knuckles, salt pork, tomatoes and scuppernongs – presents from the Negroes for Atticus, for trying his upmost to defend and help Tom Robinson. This gift has special meaning, as it would be the most gourmet, most prized foods in the black community. Giving them as presents may have meant spending a day’s wages – a fact illustrated when Atticus says for Cal to pass on his thanks but “tell them to never do this again…times are too hard.” The reader is positioned by Lee to see these details through the simple techniques of dialogue and selection of detail, both through Atticus’ and Cal’s speech. All in all, throughout the representation of the black community, the main message that is emphasised is that even though slavery has been abolished, it is as if many the southerners are unable to accept that the blacks equal rights they deserve and even officially have a right to. Many of the whites find it difficult and unacceptable to consider the Negroes equal to white men. This theme has been represented while portraying the lifestyle of the black community and the many problems that they face from the majority of the white population in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. “The majority” of the white population in Maycomb, as mentioned in the last paragraph, are represented as racists, gossips and unjust people. Some of these people referred to as “white trash” by Atticus Finch are the Ewells and the Jury in the court, yet there are some exceptions who view the Negro’s as equals. These people include Atticus, Jem, Scout and Maudie Atkinson. These people do not convict Tom Robinson as guilty just because he has a different coloured skin to them, but believe his side of the story, which they know to be the truth. For instance, in the novel after Tom Robinson is convicted, all of these people state, in their own ways, how this is unfair and Tom is not guilty, and that the jury should not have ruled him as such just because he is a Negro. This unites them as a group, but also earns them scorn from the rest of the town. Throughout part two of the book, this is represented by narrative point of view, as Scout, an unbiased child, is the narrator, and also through occasional dialogue. Yet Lee also focuses on the white community’s attitudes and beliefs throughout TKAM. Yet this is mainly a negative representation, showing the prejudice in the novel amongst most of the whites. An example of this is when Mrs Dubose shouts out cruel words about Atticus to Jem and Scout. This prejudice is shown through her dialogue, and her language, such as “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!” This positions the reader to form a negative opinion of Mrs Dubose, as through the part of the novel preceding the event in Mrs Dubose’s garden the reader has only seen Atticus Finch in a positive manner. We also see evidence of prejudice amongst the other members of the town. Cecil Jacobs, for example, says that “my (father) says that your dad is a nigger-lover. Also, Mr Bob Ewell also calls Atticus a nigger-lover often, and members of the town call the Negro men “boy”(s), a derogatory comment from the times of slavery. Through representation in TKAM, Lee also explores the frail unity amongst the white community, and their unwillingness to stand out and think for themselves, too scared of what the general population would think. This is especially shown when the farmers and the Cunningham’s set out as a lynching party when Tom Robinson had been transferred to the town jail. They came in a group who counted each other as “friends” and colleagues, too scared to withdraw even if they did not believe in what they were doing. Yet when Scout struck up a friendly conversation with Mr Cunningham about his entailments and his son Walter, she changes his mind and says to go home. Even then, when the rest of the party could have simply stayed to fulfil their plans and mocked him later for being a ‘soft nigger-lover,’ they chose to follow him as a leader and stick together so that they would not seem foolish by staying when others had left. Their fear of going on alone and not following the crowd was represented through selection of detail. For it says that “the men hid him from view,” referring to the fact that their were so many me...