The situation that most clearly shows the town's rampant racial mentality is the Tom Robinson trial. Tom is horribly mistreated and misjudged because he is black. Mr. Gilmer, Tom's prosecutor, addresses him as "boy" with a disrespectful tone. Also, all the evidence provided by Atticus pointed the arrow directly towards innocent, yet Tom is found guilty. Other comments that are made by the people of Maycomb show the discriminatory misunderstandings in their society. These include Bob Ewell calling Atticus a "nigger-lover" and Helen Robinson addressing someone as "That darky's wife".
In 'To Kill a Mockingbird', they are many issues and messages behind the themes; appearance vs. reality, courage, maturity and prejudice. These issues and messages help the reader to understand the meaning of the novel.
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