In this part of the book (page 11), Scout is explaining to us the story of Boo Radley, an old white man who hasn't come out of his house for years, and his identity among the townspeople. Boo Radley got in trouble, was confronted by his father and then proceeded to stab him in the leg with a pair of scissors.
When it had to be decided whether Boo would be put in jail, instead of putting him in jail his father confined him to his house for the rest of eternity and he became the town mystery. While this sentence isn't one of the most recognizable or popular sentences of the book, it actually encompasses so much of the statement of the book. This sentence is the perfect demonstration of white privilege and how it affects everyone in society, today and yesterday.
To begin, you can clearly see in the time setting, geographical setting, and the quote that whites are viewed as being "better", or dominant over blacks. This idea is one that is an extremely constant theme in our media and politics today. This theme is the root of white privilege- the idea that whites have an advantage created by society and social constructs that go all the way back to eras sooner than the one in this book!
Boo Radley, though he is a complex and multilayered character, is a criminal. The fact that race (and the need for whites to CONSTANTLY be above blacks) is even merely considered when they need to lock up a criminal, someone who did something absolutely terrible, is sad.
The words "hadn't the heart" suggest that putting Boo in the jail even close to African Americans is doing wrong to Boo. This is a good example of the misted views of the people in this town. They live in the south (Alabama) in the 1930s. Their view of race is possibly the most stunted of everyone. This in no way is an excuse for treating humans like they are less than other humans. I continue to look back on history and be baffled by what goes through people's heads when they make these decisions that go against members of the human race.
This is reflected in events that happen today. I found this clip from one of my favorite series super interesting in comparison to the quote from the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0kV_b3IK9M
It's crazy how people today still think this way in society. The fact that racism has diminished as much as it has gives me some hope, although we need to do as much as we can to get everyone in the world on the same page and stop these things forever.
-Zosia
I agree that Boo Radley is being put above the black prisoners, although in reality, he is below them. The courthouse basement would be far larger than the tiny cell mentioned when Atticus was met by a crowd of angry Cunninghams. This is far more space than necessary for such a crazy person like Boo, while in comparison, the black prisoners get barely any space.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the standards for white and black prisoners are so different is appalling. Punishments should be judged by crime, not skin tone! Well put, Zosia, well put.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the standards for white and black prisoners are so different is appalling. Punishments should be judged by crime, not skin tone! Well put, Zosia, well put.
ReplyDeleteYou are right that they treated boo differently because he was a white and how whites are viewed as ¨better" than black people. Its shocking how this is still viewed in society.
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