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Introduction
Literary works serve as evidence of how fiction can expose the sins of society, change consciousness and promote the gradual work of social change. Racial discrimination has a very long history in the United States. The racial issues that Harper Lee touches on in To Kill a Mockingbird and Colson Whitehead in The Nickel Boys began long before these stories began and continue long after. Institutional racism is defined as racism expressed by social or political groups. This is reflected in criminal justice, education, employment, and healthcare, to name just a few. The groundwater metaphor is intended to help participants internalize that racial inequality comes from the racially structured society in which society exists (REI, 2022). All systems, institutions, and outcomes come from the racial hierarchy on which the United States was built. Systematic racism is vividly described in these books and demonstrates how it can ruin the lives of people subjected to such racism.
Analysis
In 1960, when the book To Kill a Mockingbird was published, most white America considered the rapprochement of races immoral, dangerous, and even godless. A white woman would never admit to what a mockingbird character does Mayella Ewell, breaking the time-honored code by kissing black Tom Robinson. Furthermore, after she is caught, she tries to escape society’s contempt by accusing Robinson of raping her.
The book’s second part, which touches on much of American history, is a court case in which Tom Robinson is found guilty only because he is black. During this time, there have been many cases in history similar to the trial of Tom Robinson. Most blacks would have a minimal chance of being found innocent just because of their race and the white majority.
Racism in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is pronounced and presented as the natural habitat of the town of Maycomb. Blacks live in communities on the city’s outskirts, while the white population is closer to the center. There are harsh stereotypes and prejudices against African Americans in society. It especially becomes evident during the trial of Tom Robinson. Although rape charges should be taken seriously, the main problem of the prosecution is racial bias whatever it was, if he dared to hit a white woman, he would be finished, so he rushed to run, and if he ran, then he is guilty (Lee 288). The reason for the scandal and mass condemnation is not just rape but interracial relationships. White men established segregation to prevent black men from having sexual relations with white women. It was an attempt to keep his race’s superiority to himself and avoid children of mixed blood. As a result, black men are often lynched for allegedly raping white women. At the same time, white people exercised control over black men and white women. By increasing segregation, white Americans tried to preserve the virtue and innocence of their wives and daughters.
It also reinforced their patriarchal roles of husband, father, and community guardian: white men could have sexual relations with black women, but blacks had no right to claim white women. If Tom Robinson had been white, things might have been different. There might not have been a case since the victim was a poor girl from the lowest social strata. However, since Tom Robinson was African American and the victim was white American, the victim’s social status did not matter. It is much more important that it was a Negro who committed an outrage on a white woman. At the same time, Robinson could not strike the right side of Mayelle Ewell’s face because his left arm was broken. However, the jury did not pay attention to this, and Robinson was found guilty. Most white residents of Maycomb agreed with the court verdict Judge Taylor interviewed the jury. “Guilty… guilty… guilty… guilty,” was the reply (Lee 312). Racism, segregation, and the caste system have manifested themselves throughout history.
“Mockingbird” is written from a privileged white point of view. Recognizing this simple fact means acknowledging that systemic racism has existed in our society for too long. Society does not come far since To Kill a Mockingbird. 60 years later, people still witness racial profiling, lack of opportunities, and prejudice against American citizens because of their skin color. Police actions and judicial practice unfairly persecuted blacks and led to the mass incarceration of young black men and institutional racism persists.
The actions in the book The Nickel Boys take place in the 60s. Elwood Curtis, the book’s main character, faces various troubles straining the entire book. His great-grandfather was killed in prison; he was imprisoned after a white woman accused him of not backing down for her. His grandfather Monty was killed trying to protect a young black man from three white men. His mother, Evelyn, and father, Percy fled to California after World War II; Percy was told in the army that he was on par with a white man, but when he returned home, he found that this was an absolute lie.
Elwood wants to go to college and works hard to get there. He ends up at the Nickel Academy for Boys instead due to what some might call a failure. Still, it results from America’s structural biases, incessant violence against black citizens, and the enormous strain that whites put on to grind them down. When Elwood’s life takes a wrong turn, and he finds himself in Nickel, his faith in the gospel of King’s love is seriously tested. Throughout, Whitehead shows how racism and brutality permeate every aspect of life in and around Nickel: even when Elwood and Turner get an easy job sorting out a resident’s basement, they find copies of Imperial Nighthawks— the Ku Klux Klan newspaper.
His characters jump from the page into the reader’s hearts, the rhythm is perfect, and he paints a vivid picture of the systemic racism that was part of the growing up of blacks in 1950s America. He also skillfully pieces the story together through three main storylines: Elwood’s early years under the care of his grandmother, his time at the Nickel Academy, and his adult life recovering from a traumatic experience. In addition, Whitehead makes a reasonable choice to skip the entire trial, resulting in Elwood getting into the Nickel company. This decision vividly illustrates the heavy hand of systemic racism. Instead of emphasizing that Elwood was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the lack of narrative shows that the guilty plea was a foregone conclusion. Descriptions of violence are also omitted; Whitehead draws attention not to unpredictable and brutal beatings but to the tense environment in which the boys live. For example, Elwood considers himself ruined just a few months after his arrival and notes how the boys were denied even the simple pleasure of being ordinary. Limped and crippled before the start of the race, and did not understand how to be normal (Whitehead 166).
Conclusion
To Kill a Mockingbird and Nickel Boys perfectly show how systemic racism affects people’s lives and destinies. The characters in both novels still suffer significantly because of their past. This trauma is something that neither a child nor an adult should ever experience. These stories generally show the dysfunctional and challenging future these people subjected to racism are entering. The events in the books are terrible examples of systematic racism, as they support three main observations of the metaphor of groundwater. In the books, racial inequality looks the same in different systems; socioeconomic differences do not explain racial disparities; also, injustice is caused by systems, regardless of people’s culture or behavior.
Works Cited
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.
REI. “Groundwater Approach: Racial Equity Institute: Developing Tools.”Racial Equity Institute, Web.
Whitehead, Colson. Nickel boys. Albin Michel, 2020. (REI, 2022)
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