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Multiculturalism: Issues of Ethnicity and

Identity in World Literature Today.

Vasantrao Naik Mahavidyalaya,
Aurangabad (M.S) 431003.
Affiliated to: Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
Marathwada University, Aurangabad (M.S)

By: Sangole Kirti Prakash
Dr. (Sow.) I.B.P Mahila Kala
Mahavidyalaya, Aurangabad.
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Racism in Multicultural Society- An analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird;
by Harper Lee.

By- Sangole Kirti Prakash
Dr.(Sow.) I.B.P. Mahila Kala Mahavidyala,Abad.

Abstract: Multiculturalism is a term used in two broad ways; descriptively or
normatively. Multiculturalism deals with the various issues out of which racism is one
of the main themes. The concept of racism has started from the Jim Crow Law.
Writers have studied through racism how whiteness plays a role in fiction. This can be
seen through the writings of Rebecca Aanerud, Richard Wrights, Madeline Engel,
Della Cava, Harper Leeand many more. Harper Lee has written the only novel To
Kill a Mockingbird in 1960, which received the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. But, although
being the only novel Lee deals with the strong issue of racism which she herself had
seen and experienced around. She has symbolized various discrimination in this novel
out of which racism is one. This is shown by the mention of Tom Robinson who is
accused of raping a white lady. Lee makes use of allegories to symbolize the racial
conflict. The novel was criticized and landed by many but is finally comes to be a
literature mosaic.



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Racism in Multicultural Society- An analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird:
by Harper Lee.

By- Sangole Kirti Prakash
Dr. (Sow.) I.B.P. Mahila Kala Mahavidyalaya, A bad.

Multiculturalism relates to communities containing multiple cultures. The
term is used in two broad ways; either descriptively or normatively. As a descriptive term, it
usually refers to the fact of cultural diversity. It is generally applied to the specific place,
sometimes at the organizational level. Example: business, school, nation, cities. As a
normative term it refers to ideologies or policies that promote this diversity or its
institutionalization. In a sense, multiculturalism is a society at ease with the rich tapestry of
human life and the desire amongst people to express their own identity in the manner they see
it.
Multiculturalism deals with the various issues out of which racism has been a
lively topic in the debates. The scholars examining the treatment of various kinds of
discrimination based on race, religion, gender in literary work both in the past and present as
well as they used to examine the attitude of the writers and in many cases racism is the main
theme.
Racism is a concept that is completely societal. Racism is not genetic. It
denotes prejudice, oppression and atrocities against a certain sect or group of people by other
class people. It exists in many forms throughout the world and is a big blot on the
humanitarian cause, the foundation of a global harmonious society. The basis of this
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difference is largely color of the skin. Racism is the belief, that inherent racial differences
among people, is the reason for superiority of a particular ethnic group or religion.
Some critics have approached the study of racism in literature by exploring its
characteristics in genera. Example- Laura Niesen De Aruna has written about racism and
imperialist currents in Caribbean literature. While writers like Madeline H. Engel, Della Cava
has cited examples of prejudice against Blacks, Jews and womens in their detective fiction.
Some include how the whiteness plays a role in fictions shown by Rebecca Aanerud. Many
scholars have also been taking interest in discussing the treatment of racism in fiction written
by and about African American. For example- Richard Wrights Native Son, in 1940.
Bernard Malamuds in The Tenants; 1970 has written about the uneasy relationship
between African American and Jews in contemporary city. (1). W.E.B Du Bois warned in
1903 that the main problem in 20th century would be color line and the issues of economy,
socio-cultural inequality among the racial groups will become more complex. Henry Louis
Gates, Jr. has expanded upon the ideas of W.E.B Du Bois and predicted that We might as
well argue that the problem of the 21st century will be the problem of ethnic difference, as
three conspire with complex differences in color, gender and class.(2).
Discrimination is present all around us and it is nothing new as represented by
Harper Lee in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She has symbolized various kinds of
discrimination in this novel giving more importance to racism, sexism, and social status. (3).
The only published novel of Harper Lee was initially titled as Atticus but later on tilted as
To Kill a Mockingbird; 1960. The novel was published during the Civil Right Movement.
Though Lee considers it simple love story but still today it is regarded as the
masterpiece of the American literature. The novel received the Pulitzer Prize in 1961 and
later made into an award winning film. In 2006, British librarians ranked the book ahead of
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the Bible as one every adult should read before they die (5). To Kill a Mockingbird takes
the reader to the deep human behavior- of the kindness and cruelty, love and hatred,
innocence and experience. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee States that you never really
understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you
climb into his skin and walk around in it(4). The plot and characters are loosely based
on the authors observation of her family and neighbors as well as the events that occurred
near her home town in 1936. In the 20th century, To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the
most widely read book dealing with race in America and its protagonist, Atticus Finch the
most enduring fictional image of racial heroism. The primary theme being racial injustice and
destruction of innocence. Also, the issues of class, courage, gender, compassion in American
Deep South were addressed. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in Maycomb
Alabama in 1830s and this setting of time, place plays a huge role in the novel.
To Kill a Mockingbird is told through the eyes of Jean Louis Finch
(popularly known by the name Scout) a 6 years old girl from adult perspective. She describes
the circumstances involving her widowed father, Atticus (a legal defense lawyer) of Tom
Robinson, a local black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. In the 3 years of trial,
Scout and her older brother, Jew witness the unjust consequence of prejudice and hate while
at the same time witnessing the values of courage and integrity through their fathers
example.
In this novel Tom Robinson an African American man is accused of
raping Mayella Ewell (a white lady) daughter of Bob Ewell an antagonist of the
novel.Mayella has to take care of her siblings due to alcoholism of her father. Due, to her
family living situation Mayella has no opportunity for human contact or love; and she
eventually gets so desperate that she attempts to seduce a black man, Tom Robinson. Her
father sees this and as a punishment he beats her. He is an alcoholic who poaches game to
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feed his family because he spends whatever money they legally gain via: relief cheque
from the government, so he accuses Tom Robinson of raping his daughter. Lee may have
gotten the inspiration of Tom Robinsons case from the Scottsboro Trials of 1931. Atticus is
appointed as the defense attorney. Atticuss defense of Tom is unpopular in the white
community, Scout and Jem find themselves taunted at school to their fathers defense of a
black man.
Mayella and her father testify that Tom raped Mayella but Atticus however
proves Tom to be innocent, demonstrating that Mayella was beaten by her father and not
raped by Tom. And accusation made by Atticus proved it right and innocent but after two
hours the jury returns with a guilty verdict, sentencing Tom to be executed for rape. Later on
Tom is shot dead during an attempt to escape from jail. Later we find that incensed from
Atticus treatment Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scott with knife as they are walking away to
home. Boo Radley (black man) secretly looking at the scene intervenes in the scuffle and Boo
Ewell is stabbed and killed. Called at the scene Shriff and Atticus decides not to report
against the involvement of Boo as a trial against him would be prejudiced.
Lee makes use of several images and allegories throughout the novel to
symbolize racial conflict. The childrens attitude towards Boo represents in small scale, the
foundation of racial prejudice in fear and superstition. The rabid dog symbolizes the menace
of racism. The central symbol of the novel, the mockingbird further develops the theme of
racial prejudice. The mockingbird represents victims of oppression in general and the African
American community more specifically. The unjust trial of Tom Robinson, in which the
jurys racial prejudice condemns an innocent man, is symbolically characterized as the
shooting of an innocent mockingbird. The concept of justice is presented in To Kill a
Mockingbird as an antidote to racial prejudice (6).
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The analysis of the issue which Harper Lee mentions in To Kill a
Mockingbird began long before her story starts and continues long after. In order to
understand the complex theme of Lee, we need to first understand the concept and the history
of racial discrimination in the south (7).
In many states particularly in South, passed a law named Jim Crow laws,
dealing with how African Americans could participate in the society. The Jim Crow law
appeared in 1980. Law increased from there and lasted till Civil Right Movement in 1960s
(6). Jim Crow law extended in almost every facet of public life. The law stated that, the black
and whites use everything separately. Either it be a school, classroom, train, bus, nursing,
cemeteries, etc. in short, Jim Crow Law were demoralizing and far reaching, all in the name
of protecting white culture and power.
At the time when, Lee wrote the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, white people
had control over other communities. They lived in a fear that African Americans would make
inroads into the white world by marrying the whites and having children of them. Thus,
interracial marriage was outlawed in many states. The condition was so disaster that the
biracial children were considered mulatto, which is a word derived from mule and like
mule these childrens were thought to be the offspring of unnatural union. The fear of
interracial unions reached its apex so widely, that the unrealistic fear developed saying that
the African American men would rape and impregnate white woman just for the purpose of
penetrating in white society. The same can be seen in Lees To Kill a Mockingbird, when
Tom Robinson, an innocent black man is accused of raping a white lady Mayella Ewell.
The point of view was criticized by some reviewers and lauded by others. In
August, 1960, review for the Atlantic Monthly, Phoebe Adams said it is frankly and
completely impossible to tell the story in the first person by a six years old girl with a prose
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style of a well educated adult. He also refers the book as sugar water served with humor.
Granville Hicks feels much the same way and says in Saturday Review, Miss Lees
problem has been to tell the story she wants to tell and still remains in the consciousness of a
child. While some critics are of the opinion to focus on the novel with the point of view of
Scout Finch as a too sophisticated character the other critics takes the novel with the racial
theme as the main issue. In the June 1961, review in Pylon: The Atlanta University Review
of Race and Culture, Nick Aarm Ford prayed the book..
Finally, to conclude we can say that To Kill a Mockingbird is a literature
mosaic. There is not a beginning, middle or end to this story but rather a snapshot of life. To
Kill a Mockingbird is timeless and captivating from the first word itself to the last. In real
sense the community spirit shines right from the start.










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List of Websites
1. Twentieth Century literary criticism; Gale Cengage.2003.
2. German Historical institute; Edmund Spevack.
3. Literary culture @suite 101.
4. Goodreads.com
5. Antiessay.com
6. CliffsNotes.com
7. enotes.com.