Think back to a time when you felt totally powerless. It was the same feeling many African Americans felt in the first half of the 20th century. This period was filled with hatred and ignorance towards minorities, especially in the American South. It is the setting of Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Characters like Tom Robinson are subjected to the hatred and arrogance of the community and find themselves in situations where they have little or no control over their fate. The central theme, racism, in To Kill a Mockingbird shows that African Americans were not accepted as equals in Maycomb County, the geographic location in which the story takes place, children like Jem and Scout Finch who were left perplexed by inequality and prejudice, and citizens of the county who accepted racism and did nothing to improve the situation for African Americans. Tom Robinson had no control over his life when he was accused of raping a white girl because African Americans were at the bottom of the social hierarchy in Maycomb County. “As you get older, you will see white men cheating on black men every day of your life” (Lee 295.) African Americans will be doomed in certain situations due to a lack of community belonging, and they will always find themselves in lose. games, trials, or anything in which they compete against a white man. African Americans did not have the rights of white Americans, which created unequal odds and opportunities for success. “Until my father explained it to me later, I didn't understand the subtlety of Tom's predicament: there was no way he would have dared to hit a white woman and expect to live a long life, so he grabbed his first opportunity to escape -- a sure hit. sign of guilt” (Lee 260-261.) Upon reaching adulthood, Scout real...... middle of paper ......g goes crazy at this statement and accepts Ewell's racism . The entire town sides with the Ewell family in the lawsuit. The city prefers the Caucasian man over the African-American man, even though there is more evidence against Mr. Ewell than there is against Tom Robinson. No one wants to speak out against racism because then they will be looked down upon by the city. The adult population of Maycomb County did nothing to improve the treatment of African Americans while their children remained perplexed by the inequalities and often shared with their parents. views. African Americans were subjected to hatred while not having the same rights as other citizens, sometimes leaving them at the mercy of others, with no control over their lives. People should appreciate freedom in America today, because the bonds of social equality have been eradicated in most modern societies..