Marcela K. M.

Rocha
Mr. Owain Phillips
English 9A
5 December 2013
Violence within Racism
Racism is the belief that some races of people are better than others. To Kill a
Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, takes place during the Great Depression in Maycomb,
Alabama. It focuses on Scout, her brother Jem and father Atticus. Mississippi Burning, directed
by Alan Parker, is based on the murder of three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964. Two
FBI agents are sent to investigate their disappearance in Jessup County, Mississippi. Both show
the belief that negroes are inferior, but they approach it in different ways: the first is more
passive, while the second is more violent.
Aunt Alexandras disapproval of Calpurnia depicts that racism is present even in families
with no apparent racist tendencies. Calpurnia promises Scout that she could go to her house some
day. When she asks Atticus if it was okay to go, someone else answers, You may not. Aunt
Alexandra said it (Harper Lee 181). These three brief words demonstrate Alexandras concern
with Scout being seen at a african-americans house, especially for a respected family.
On the other hand Mississippi Burning shows explicit violence when a black boy is
chased because a white man tried asking him questions. Agent Ward goes to a restaurant and
enters the black area. He sits next to a black boy and asks him questions, but he simply refuses to
talk to the agent. That same day, the KKK arrive at his house, chase him, beat him up and puts
him in a chicken coop (Alan Parker, The Mississippi Burning). This illustrates how the KKK uses
racism to threaten and intimidate residents or any other black person who misbehaves (Latin
American Herald Tribune). No negro is safe in an area like that.
Lee's work displays a public racist event, Mr. Gilmers cross examination in court
clarifies the speculations the citizens have: if he is black, then he is guilty of the crime. When
Mr. Gilmer is asking Tom questions, he persists that he raped Mayella, but Tom denies it. Mr.
Gilmer insists that if Tom had a clear conscience that he should not be scared. Tom answers that
it werent safe for any nigger to be in a fix like that (Harper Lee 265). It is noticeable that even
Tom knows the danger of being seen with a white woman, especially when being accused in a
courtroom full of white, racist men, he knew he would not get away with it.
White men attacking black people at the exit of a church is an act of cowardice, not only
because the people they attacked are black, but also because they attacked them in their safe
haven. As soon as the mass at the church ended, a mob of KKK members start going after every
african-american leaving the church (Alan Parker, The Mississippi Burning). It can be assumed
that all racist acts are strictly related to a dramatic payoff that causes the effect of celebrating
the violence that they implicate on innocent people (Vincent Canby). Providing an impacting
demonstration of what people are capable of doing to the 'different'.
To Kill a Mockingbird and The Mississippi Burning address racism in completely
opposite manners: the novel is subtle, while the film is quite hyperbolic. Even though the novel
did not show any direct act of violence against the negroes, it did not mean that they were not
racist. Also meaning that extreme violence, in the case of the movie, is not the only way to
demonstrate racism. Either way, just because someone is different it does not mean that they
should be treated differently, because they are people too.

Works Cited:
Canby, Vincent. "FILM VIEW: 'Mississippi Burning': Generating Heat or Light?; Taking Risks
to
Illuminate a Painful Time in America." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08
Jan. 1989. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
"Latin American Herald Tribune- Welcome." Latin American Herald Tribune- Welcome. Latin
American Herald Tribune, n.d. Web 05 Dec. 2013.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1960. Print.
Mississippi Burning. Dir. Alan Parker. Perf. Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe. Orion Pictures,
1988. DVD.