<p>Every well- written fictional novel has a protagonist and an antagonist. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has a normal protagonist, Scout, but a strange antagonist. An antagonist causes bitterness or hostility in others. Many argue that Bob Ewell is the antagonist, but Lee broadens the true antagonist. Sexism, racism, and prejudice create an unsuitable town, Maycomb County. Narrated through Scout’s eyes, To Kill a Mockingbird tells a young girl’s life story in Maycomb, and transitions to a false rape-accusation based on the race of Tom Robinson, an African-American man. Throughout the novel, it becomes clear that Maycomb County is the antagonist. A town itself cannot antagonize anyone, but citizens in a town can. Alienation, atrocious treatment, and hatred articulate this well.
Macomb alienates prideful and poor citizens. Atticus tells Scout that, “‘Mr. Cunningham came from a set breed of men’” (Lee 28). Due to Maycomb’s sexist ideals, the husband and father represents the entire family, because his family adopts his ideology. Atticus speaks of the entire Cunningham family when he uses a metaphor to compare them to a “set breed” of people. “Set breed” means humans who resemble each other genetically and physically; the Cunningham family genetically and physically resemble each other. However, he says this to convey that they have similar qualities. Earlier in the novel, Scout recalls that the Cunninghams possess pride and poverty. Pride and poverty set them off from other families. Set off families become alienated from society because others view them differently. The Cunninghams have different qualities than others, causing them to be shunned from society. Because they have these strange qualities, “Cunningham” becomes synonymous to “poverty and pride;” thus, the town shuns the poor and prideful. Shunning leads to anger in the alienated, known as bitterness. Antagonization produces from bitterness. Therefore, Maycomb antagonizes its prideful and poor population, making Maycomb’s citizens antagonists.
The county atrociously treats multi-racial people. In court, Scout notices Mayella, “was as sad […] as what Jem called a mixed child” (Lee 256). Scout uses a simile to compare Mayella’s sorrow to that of a multi-racial child. A black person and a white person produce a multiracial child. In the segregated and Depressed South, both races reject that child out of fear that they might take the few job opportunities available from full black or full white people, and both communities consider them as the “wrong” race. A person rejected from society becomes “the other.” “The other” means a person or group of people who do not belong in society, causing emotional pain. Mayella emotionally becomes “the other.” Since Mayella is in court, she feels this way for a short period of time, but multi-racial people feel this way their entire lives. Otherization treats people terribly. The county otherizes multi-racial citizens, thus treating them terribly. Negative treatment antagonizes citizens; therefore, Maycomb antagonizes its citizens.
Maycomb hates righteousness. Righteousness denotes just qualities. Atticus attempts to help a black man, Tom Robinson, escape prosecution and death. Atticus expresses justice, making him righteous. Bob Ewell, a citizen of the county, and therefore part of the problem, says, “‘…you [Atticus] ■■■■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■’” (Lee 291). Bob uses detail to describe Atticus as a ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ and negative diction. A person perceived as a ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ denotes someone who supports anti-racism. It connotes an egregious term that makes people endure loathing, and expresses disgust toward them. A ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ tries to restructure African-American objectification- a major flaw in one’s character in the 1930s. Since Maycomb abhors Atticus for his qualities, it hates righteousness. Hatred makes people experience self-loathing. Self-loathing causes bitterness. Bitterness spawns from antagonization. Thus, Maycomb County antagonize righteous citizens.
Maycomb County antagonizes its citizens. Alienation of poor and prideful people, terrible treatment of multi-racial people, and loathing the righteous prove this to be true. By having an entire town as an antagonist instead of a single person, Lee conveys that society as a whole works together to create negative ideology. Atticus attempts to rescue an innocent man from prosecution, but fails, thus meaning Lee believes a person alone cannot defeat this ideology; everyone needs to work together to rid negative ideals.</p>
<p>I am really sorry, but I need help. Thank you!</p>