Teaching English through literature and film TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD/ criticisms by students Model Ionideios Junior High School 2021-2022 Class C
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. To Kill a Mockingbird has become a classic of modern American literature, winning the Pulitzer Prize. The plot and characters are loosely based on Lee's observations of her family, her neighbors and an event that occurred near her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, in 1936, when she was ten. Despite dealing with the serious issues of rape and racial inequality, the novel is renowned for its warmth and humor. Atticus Finch, the narrator's father, has served as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for lawyers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird
In the film, we notice a very common racist perception which is the difference between white and black people. The term racism means hatred or fear for people, who belong to races other than ours, as well as hostile or even derogatory attitude towards them. The term race refers to a group of people who belong to the same team and usually have certain distinct physical characteristics, such as skin color. Most of the time, racist attitudes are manifested against black people. Racism leads to exploitation, hypocrisy, violence and criminality. Education is the best way to avoid racism and fight against this phenomenon. Through school actions children will learn to accept the dissimilarity and behave well. Nick Lempesis
From this certain scene, we can form a complete observation about how society developed these years. Black/Colored people were considered inferiors from White people and usually worked as servants in their houses under awful conditions. They also didn't have the same rights as the White people. Nevertheless, another fact is that they were thought to be guilty for crimes as they were not trusted by the community. Reminding to us Tom Robinson’s crime who supposedly committed the crime of rape. All in all, when someone was trying to defend a Black/Colored man instead of a White, he was called a “Nigger Lover”. In some cases, he was a victim of violence from White people who were opposed to his position. Andreas Ksanthopoulos
In the film, racism is one of the predominant issues of the time addressed. Tom Robinson, a black farmer working in a field, is accused of raping a young white girl. Atticus, a lawyer, does his best at defending Tom, but sadly the prejudice of the time against black people are rooted in the mind, therefore, the jury sentenced him to death. Although the movie is based on an event that happened in 1937, racism is still a very real problem in today’s society. The term “Racism” means: “Prejudice against a group of people based on race”. Racism, luckily, is not at the extreme it previously was, but still, millions of people are affected by it. It has been proven by several studies that people who would come into frequent contact with minorities would later develop a better relationship with said minorities and thus, treat them better. In other words, racism is caused by the lack of knowledge which causes fear and hate, meaning that, to eradicate racism once and for all, we should expose children to a variety of people, therefore, becoming used to them. George Maltezis
Film scene: When Ewell came across Atticus’s car, he pointed him with hand and called him “Nigger Lover” From this scene of the film, we can easily form a complete opinion about how society was organized during that period. Black/colored people lived out of the main city of Maycomb, in the suburbs far away from civilization. They were considered inferior to White people and worked as servants in their houses. A typical example of this situation constitutes Calpurnia in Atticus’s house. It must also be noted that they were an “easy target” of the sheriff, when a crime was announced, since they were regarded as the main suspects. That reminds us of the guilt of Tom Robinson who committed the crime of rape. To sum up, when someone was trying to defend a Black/Colored man over a White, he was considered “Nigger Lover” or mad and, from this point on, he experienced the rejection of the society. In some cases, he was also a victim of violence. George Nteligiorgis
One of the most important topics addressed in the film are racism and discrimination in general, as well as inequality and human rights. Racism is discussed throughout the film, particularly in the courtroom where Atticus is attempting to acquit Tom. Racism, on the other hand, continues to exist until today. It is still one of our society's most serious issues, as discrimination has expanded beyond race and color to include immigrants, religious minorities, and other groups. There are numerous reasons for this, but the main one, in my opinion, is the education we receive as children, specifically the rejection of those who are different. Racism should have been eradicated long ago in a society with a diverse population and a high percentage of educated people, but such behaviors persist in reality and show little sign of abating over time. Anna Mpiliri
In this scene, we can see Bob Ewell, Mayella Ewell’s father, talking to Atticus Finch, after it was announced that Atticus was going to defend Tom Robinson in court. We can clearly understand that racism was very normalized back then, it was a very common thing in society and people were not held accountable for having such narrow-minded beliefs. Bob Ewell doesn’t even believe that Atticus wants to defend Tom Robinson, because he is a black man. He also casually uses a derogatory term, a racial slur against Robinson. Racism was an even bigger problem back then than it is today, and that is shown not only in this scene, but throughout the whole movie. In fact, Tom Robinson ended up being convicted as guilty of rape due to the fact that he was black and not because there was evidence against him. Loukina Konstantina
The U.S.A. is a country that hosts multiple racial and cultural groups of people. To kill a mockingbird is a novel book referring to an event occuring in 1936, in Monroeville, Alabama. White people tend to discriminate against the black citizens of the town. Of course this was happening all over the country back then. Tom Robinson was convicted of rape just because he was black. Not only didn't he rape Mayella Ewell, but he was actually sexually assaulted by her. However the jury decided that he was guilty and sent him to the death penalty. In the U.S, in the 20th century whites hated the blacks just because they were different. They wanted to believe that black people were inferior to them and that they were capable of committing the worst crimes, using unfounded allegations and pretexts to continue to hate them. Today the overall situation has improved. Although there are still numerous cases of racist attacks, I am convinced that people will soon realize that we are all equal in society.
Pantazis Nikos
Racism is an intertemporal phenomenon. It was indisputably more prominent in the 30’s of the last century but it still has an enormous impact on our lives today. Consequently minorities still have to face discrimination at their workplace, bullying, problems regarding their mental health etc. In the most extreme cases they can even become victims of murder! Unfortunately racism has deep roots across every section of society. It is technically impossible to eliminate racism, we can only alleviate it. Luckily, young people are not afraid anymore to protest for their rights and fight for a better quality of life. We still have a long road ahead for a society free of racism but we have definitely made some major improvements during the last decades. Maria Kolyva
This film talks about many serious issues. One of them is racism that is portrayed through the case of Tom Robinson. In the court scene we see that no one wants to believe that Tom is innocent just because he is black. Mayella, on the other hand, is a white woman who is protected by her white father who tends to make a lot of racist comments. Someone could state that Tom also receives reverse sexism because it is more common for women to get sexually assaulted than men. Men were believed to be stronger physically and emotionally. We see Tom crying during his turn to defend himself in the court and that could be described as weak and too emotional which wasn’t accepted for men, especially 60 years before today.
Mariza Kyrkoyli
Sexism is any expression based on the idea that some persons, most often women, are inferior because of their gender. Sexism can come from a wide range of sources. A few of the most common issues underlying sexism include beliefs about traditional gender roles inherited from caregivers and educators, laws that promote different treatment of men and women, and the normalization or regulating of sexual harassment and sexist jokes in media, which can lead to desensitization. All manifestations of sexism are harmful and have a negative impact on society. To stop sexism is crucial to understand how it manifests and, then, to challenge sexist attitudes and practices at all levels, from the internal to the institutional.
Agapi Nikitiadh
In acknowledging this simple fact, there is recognition that systemic racism has been present in our society far too long. We have much work to do to undo the institutional racism woven into our society's fabric. Those of us fortunate enough not to have suffered the effects of our country's institutionalized racism must recognize and acknowledge how hard it is to grow up black in our society. Everyday reminders include being unfavorably singled out and treated differently, being pulled over while simply driving and many more are common occurrences for those who have evaded incarceration and murder because of their skin color. Elena Ntelezou
From my point of view, the most shocking scene that had a lot of hidden messages about sexism or racism was Tom Robinson’s trial. This scene showed prejudice against Tom Robinson probably because he was black and no one believed him. No one believed that Mirella, deriving from a wealthy family, could do such a thing. In my opinion, he didn’t deserve this. Sometimes, life can be so unfair, died in vain, he was falsely accused. Justice is not always served and that is awful. Being judged by your religion, way of living, appearance or gender is unacceptable. We all deserve the same opportunities in this life but, in reality, some people have none because of their social status. Something must be done to fight this situation. We have to stop it. Niki Mamniogloy
Social inequality Differences in social status are explored largely through the social hierarchy of Maycomb, the ins and outs of which often confuse the children. The relatively well-off Finches stand near the big leagues of Maycomb, with most of the other residents beneath them. Country farmers and ranchmen like the Cunninghams lie below the townspeople, and the Ewells rest below even the Cunninghams. But the black community in Maycomb, despite its plethora of admirable skills, squats beneath even the Ewells, enabling Bob Ewell to make up for his own lack of importance by persecuting Tom Robinson and accusing him of a crime that he has not committed. These rigid social divisions that make up so much of the adult world are revealed in the film to be both inequitable and destructive. For instance, Scout cannot understand why Aunt Alexandra refuses to let her husband with young Walter Cunningham and Lee, with his childlike perplexity at the unpleasant layering of Maycomb society, critiques the role of class status and prejudice in human interaction in general. Georgianna Koutzh
Throughout “To Kill a Mockingbird”, we get depictions of important social issues in the early 20th century. Racism and social discrimination are the foundations for this film’s story, but in my opinion, what is by far the most interesting aspect of the work is Scout’s childish naivety, innocence and confusion. Scout is in an interesting position, as she is frequently caught in the middle of two conflicting ideologies, concerning Robinson’s case, and black people’s overall treatment. One of them is the common belief and assurance that Tom has in fact committed the crime, despite the concerning lack of evidence. Scout would think that she should follow that belief too, as it’s the one shared by most of the people she knows. She is also often unable to understand why people are furious about her father’s case, because she doesn’t realize that people get aggressive when others attempt to break the norms and beliefs they have followed for years. Atticus is one of those disruptive figures. Atticus is a man who decides not to follow his peers, and question them without hesitation. Therefore, Scout’s innocence and events she is experiencing at such a young age causes her to have a very turbulent everyday life, and almost constant confusion. But, that’s the greatest beauty of the book “To Kill A Mockingbird”: Scout’s journey to understanding the world around her and its problems is something beautiful, and something we can all relate to.
Kostis Paterakis
[I will talk about racism as one of the main characters of the film is the widower defense lawyer, Atticus Finch who lives in Alabama and defends a black man who was falsely accused of raping a white woman.]
I think that judging others for the way they look and for the way they speak is wrong because all people are born equal. In fact, no one can choose his race and his skin color at birth. Moreover, I believe that people who think in this way are narrow- minded and not educated. On the one hand, racism is considered to be an obstacle to the social development of our society. On the other hand, modern society cannot accept such behaviors and attitudes as it focuses on diverse cultures and diverse people. Dimitra Kotrotsiou
Racism can take many forms. It may involve physical attack, verbal attack, hatred or discriminating behavior. Racism may appear in lots of circumstances. It may be related to somebody’s colour, origin, sex, religion etc. But in all forms and in all circumstances, one parameter is common: the disrespect for human personality and human rights. Against this disrespecting discriminating behavior we must all join forces and stand up for each person who suffers. A society free of racism should be everyone’s concern. Nickolas Billias
To Kill a Mockingbird is a movie that reflects the story of a fictional white lawyer, Atticus Finch, who represents a falsely accused black man, Tom Robinson. Told through the eyes of Atticus’ daughter, Scout, the film introduced viewers to themes such as racism. Atticus defends Tom, and at one point stands up to an angry mob looking to lynch him. As a result, Atticus has been held up as a role model for young lawyers. How much have modern societies improved since To Kill a Mockingbird? Sadly, 60 years later we continue to witness racial profiling and prejudice for people based on their skin color. The fundamental rights and freedoms are inherent for all. There is no question that all people were created free and equal. Although this is a universally accepted principle, the concern of racism is still apparent in modern societies. To humanity’s horror, there is the belief by some people that individuals may be divided into separate categories and that some races are superior to others. There is a causal link between inherited physical traits and traits of personality, morality, and other cultural and behavioral features. The experience of racism for members of low-status races includes acts of physical violence and verbal expressions of disrespect, all of which have profound effects on self-esteem and social relationships. However, there are measures of major importance that can be taken in order to deal with this global phenomenon. For example, education should give priority to encouraging diversity. As a result, people from a young age would be familiar with their identity and boost their self-confidence. Furthermore, there shouldn’t be jokes about other cultures or social backgrounds that give labels to human beings. Finally, everyone should be supportive and provide a safety net of protection to those in need. In conclusion, racism continues to be a fact of life. Each one of us, both collectively and personally, must decide what action we are going to take to address disparities and their root cause. Doing so will secure a growing sense of responsibility. Stefania Kozanoglou
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It is a phenomenon that was mainly observed in old times, like the time period that the movie is taking place. In the part of the movie I picked, Atticus is in the court defending his customer, Tom Robinson. His speech is not being specialized in the case, but it is being generalized to the theme of racism. His opinion about racial discrimination is very pionneer for those days. People in that decade were most of the time racist and used black people only for chores. They wouldn’t even think of being friends with them and the conditions in which colored people had to live were terrible. Nevertheless, Atticus wasn’t one of those people. He was friendly with everyone and took over the defense of a black man, which obviously provoked some negative reactions, but he didn’t care, because he knew he was doing the right thing. Atticus’s attitude is an example for imitation. Even though he lived in a period of time in which racism was a common very often phenomenon, he had the courage to show what’s right and what’s wrong. He pointed out that white people were also able to commit crimes like rape, and that colored people had to be treated the same way as white people. He, also, believed that the assumption that negro men are immoral beings was an evil assumption, that no one should believe. In conclusion, racism is a rare phenomenon in 21st century, but it wasn’t some decades ago. Fortunately, people have understood that all human are equal and that all people must be treated the same way! Xristina Dimitrakou
Racism, even in the 1930s, was still a contentious issue plaguing American society, and that is clearly portrayed in the scene where Bob Ewell spits on Atticus’ face, clearly for defending the deceased Tom Robinson. Despite the abolition of slavery, racism still remained a relatively common phenomenon, affecting both rural and urban areas. The efforts to spot it were futile and that would continue for around half a century. As a result, living as a colored man in 1930s U.S. in a rural area, where people tend to be highly conservative, was certainly hard. Were you prosecuted for even the slightest of crimes, the chances that you would be convicted were near absolute. This is due to the fact that people’s minds tend to show more sympathy towards people of the same race as theirs. In the epoch that we live in, it is vital for our societies to move on from the mistakes of the past and march on into an era where freedom and equality bloom whilst color remains nothing more than a symbol of personal identity. George Vlachakos
Racism is a phenomenon that has been around for a long time. Although we constantly observe through social media, through marches and laws that the equality of all is supported, regardless of religion, color and nationality, we see racist behaviors every day. Many people consider people from other country with different characteristics to be a threat and inferior to them. This view, however, contradicts the findings of scientific research. Firstly, many studies have shown that we all come from homo sapiens, which was first identified in Africa. Homo sapiens is an extremely homogeneous species, as two people, regardless of their origin, are 99.9% identical, while 0.1% is what makes us different. 0.1% is due to the fact that over the centuries, homo sapiens moved away from Ecuador, thus acquiring different characteristics in order to survive. For example, the populations living around Ecuador have dark skin to protect themselves from the increased radiation in the area, while the populations that have developed around the poles are observed with white skin, so that they take advantage of the little light to produce vitamin D. In conclusion, there is very small difference between us, which is what makes everyone special. We differ from each other due to the environment in which we live and nothing more. People need to learn that diversity is not necessarily threatening. So, it’s sad to judge other people by their color when we all bleed red. Nantina Gallou
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird presents racism in Maycomb society where most of the people belong to different races. Tom’s trial is the major incident according to this novel, because the entire story revolves around it. Tom in accused for raping and assaulting Myella Ewell. This woman is a white woman, so the incident turns the whole population of Maycomb against Tom Robinson. Everyone in the town and especially her father, believes in Myella’s side of the story except Atticus who has been defended Tom. Although there is no proof of his crime, everyone still believes Myella’s story only because of her skin tone. However, not only this scene shows the prejudices, but Boo’s situation too. Boo is a white teen who has been stabbing his father with scissors. Despite his crime, he is not locked up with the dark-skinned criminals in prison, for the reason that the sheriff thinks it will be a harsh treatment if he is imprisoned with the black people. So, we can notice that if somebody has white skin-tone the people with black skin will be an eternal enemy for them and respectively the people with white skin for the people with black skin-tone. These incidents show how prejudices discriminate people, and how people in authority lose the sense of justice and decision-making process. Nikolina Vakrinou
One of the greatest questions of our era is at what extend has racism been erased from humanity. And let’s be honest. It will never fully disappear from our world. There will always be people that consider others to be inferior to them. I am not in a position suitable enough to comprehend the reason why people like to destroy other mental health and put them in such a horrible position in order just to feel superior. Why would someone be treated in a way depending on their race, their skin color, their sexuality? Life is unfair, let along unpredictable. So why make humanity worse than it already is with such terrible stuff? It is true that the fact when this kind of behaviors manifested themselves, still remains unknown. They just pass-through generations becoming even worse, since people are already too stressed due to other factors, like the constant pressure to be perfect. Today, it is considered illegal to drive while being drunk, but the fact that some random people can destroy a teenager’s life in school is acceptable. That’s one of society’s most serious flaws. Teachers often choose not to “waste time” on children’s “playful” behaviors in school. Maybe they’ll call their parents and talk to them but that’s it. But not only won’t this change the kid’s behavior, but more importantly it won’t erase the act that has already been done. All things considered, I recommend you to stop what you’re doing and wonder this: “What would your reaction be if such thing happened to a person close to you? Your children, your siblings, your friends?” You’d want the person responsible for this to be punished, right? I know racism will probably never be erased from humanity, but it’s certainly worthy an effort to try and make our world a better place for the next generations. Maria Karle
Sexism is a prejudice or a discrimination based on sex. Most of the time is a discrimination against women. It includes disrespectful behavior, conditions or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. Sexism produces feelings of worthless, self-censorship and a deterioration in health. It lies at the root of gender inequality. Sexism can lead to a wide range of harmful behaviors, from acts of violence to subtle comments that reinforce stereotypes. Fay Stephenson
Hypocrisy can occur; it is just that possible. At this scene, Mayella gives a red flag; she doesn’t even touch the Bible before her testimony. This clearly shows that people could behave hypocritically just to trap, blame or even condemn one another. Mayella chooses to lie about her ‘so called’ rape just to make Tom’s life difficult and get rid of her own guiltiness. She doesn’t care about the consequences of her action, neither on her life nor on Tom’s. Hypocrisy can ruin the person who does it and the person who receives it. It was and is a toxic behavior that continues to exist till today. Whatever the case, telling the truth is always easier. Jason Deliolanis
One of the aspects of the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird” is the topic of feminism and the understanding of what it means to be a woman in the south during the 1930s. Scout was not a usual girl and did not behave like one. Although Scout’s way of dressing, behavior, or the way Scout played, were not really feminine, according to her family, neighbors, or close friends, she did not pay attention to them. She decided she could ignore it, as long as her father accepted her for the person she was. As the time was passing by, she started to understand that there is something wrong about behaving like a girl. Jem often commented on how girls are embarrassing and hateful. For example, her brother once told her: “I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl, it’s mortifying”. Scout didn’t really understand what this meant, but she did understand that it wasn’t positive. There were also comments about her clothes and her behavior in school, making her realize the attitude of people towards girls and generally women, was not as positive as she thought it was. Atzelina Apostolaki
Sexism is linked to power in that those with power are typically treated with favor and those without power are typically discriminated against. Sexism is also related to stereotypes since discriminatory actions or attitudes are frequently based on false beliefs or generalisations about gender, and on considering gender as relevant where it is not. It is related to beliefs around the fundamental nature of women and men and the roles they should play in society. Sexist assumptions about women and men, which manifest themselves as gender stereotypes, can rank one gender as superior to another. Such hierarchical thinking can be conscious and hostile, or it can be unconscious, manifesting itself as unconscious bias. Sexism can touch everyone, but women are particularly affected. Vasilis Kalpaktsoglou
During the film we see a black man, Tom Robinson, being accused for rape and physical violence against Mayella Violet Ewell. From the evidence presented in court by Tom's lawyer, we understand that Tom is innocent and that Mayella wanted to harass him sexually. Unfortunately, the society of that time could not believe that a white woman could commit such a crime. On the contrary, accusing a black man was definitely more credible and acceptable. This mentality is based on sexist and racist views as blacks at the time were marginalized and of course it was considered impossible for a woman to attempt to rape a man. So automatically that made the man guilty. In my opinion they should approach the issue with more objectivity and not be prejudiced towards Tom Robinson. Magda Volikaki
Racism was represented in the movie, chiefly noticeable might say. Even though that topic was much more intense back then, even now racism is not completely vanished. People sure talk loads and loads about it, but do they really know what racism really is and what is not? Confusing racism with stereotypes is often the case. The former means to have certain prejudices and bias towards someone because of their skin color or nationality, racial segregation, closely related to apartheid and is often applied to social, political or economic institutions. The latter, however, includes racism as a category of it, stereotypes are like an ‘umbrella’ and racism is ‘under’ it, but the two terms are far from equal. Another thing labeled as controversial, is, in fact, the reason why racism was -and still is- such a common, typical phenomenon and not something intermittent. I think the excuse- or, rather, the reason- behind it is simple and clear, yet obscure. People just aren’t able to accept something different, distinctive, even, because simply, they don’t know it, because they are not it. It’s something new for them and what people don’t know, they’re afraid of it. What they don’t know, they can’t control, and that could be dangerous for them. So instead of getting to know it, they decide to hate it and have certain stereotypes about it in their head, refer to it as inferior. In their mind, subconsciously, they think that this way they’re protected from the ‘danger’ but, objectively, is this beneficial for them, at the very least, or does it just hold society back? Xara Valsami
Racism is a behavior engrained in the most primal parts of the human brain. We, as a species, have been conditioned, through evolution, to be afraid and suspicious of different things people. But just because it is technically a “natural” behaviour, this doesn’t mean that it is ok to be racist. In fact, the ability to cooperate with people different that ourselves, no matter who they are is something we all need to learn to function in our modern society. In our western society, racism has evolved throughout history. The obscene technologic and military advance that Europeans had over Africans convinced them of their supposed racial superiority over them and the unreal amount of black people sold into slavery enforced this stereotype on the minds the era’s white people. But not only white people are racist and not only black people are victims of racism. Throughout history countless people have been discriminated because of their race: Southern Europeans, Slavs, East Asian, Indians, Arabs and Jews are only a few examples. And in many places of the world such as China racism is alive and well in the mind of people. The only way to fight racism is for all to leave behind our personal biases and see different people as what they are; humans, just like us. Xaris Georgakis
Racism- a problem that all the people must be informed about, in our days. Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. In the court, there is a black man that is being accused that he sexually abused a white lady. Who’s right and who’s guilty is the judges’ task to understand. The real question is: “would people have a different behavior towards him, if he were a wealthy white man?”, “Would a white man have mitigating circumstances because of his color?” Most of us have probably thought once: “He is black so he must be culpable”, or “if we had two men with different colors, most people would think that the black one would be guilty”. That’s because of racism; we all have learnt to discriminate people due to their color, even though the color of our skin has nothing to do with our character and neither, can it represent the kind of people we are. What we all have to understand is that the color of one’s skin, whether he is wealthy or not, has nothing to do with his inner world. So, instead of considering black people or different people inferior, why don’t we get to know them first, before ending up on conclusions? Anastasia Athanasiadi
During the movie we see a black man, Tom Robinson, being accused for rape by a white woman, Mayella Violet, in the court. Although from the facts presented in the court, we understand that Tom is innocent and on the contrary Mayella is guilty it was hard for the society to conceive that Tom was not guilty, mainly because of his color. This is based on the racist views of white people back in the 60s when the film was published. Nowadays we try to eliminate those beliefs, something which is yet to be achieved. In my opinion, no one should be judged by the color of his skin and there must exist objectivity between all people, regardless of their skin color. Anastasis Adamopoulos
Racism is the idea that people are not all equal, but are divided into superiors and inferiors, distinguished either by skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, or by sexual preferences, etc. The most common type of racism is racial racism. In North America and apartheid-era South Africa, racism dictated that different races (chiefly blacks and whites) should be segregated from one another; that they should have their own distinct communities and develop their own institutions such as churches, schools, and hospitals; and that it was unnatural for members of different races to marry. Dionisis Giatras
The despair of the accused is seen on the court stage. He knows that because he is colored he will be convicted without being guilty. His lawyer tries to do what he can to avoid being convicted of his color, but in the end he does not succeed. The racism that existed in that society is intense in this scene. A colored person would never tell the truth, would never want your good, would never help you. At that time this was much more intense. Racism now exists, but most people have realized that there is no difference between whites and colored people. We are all humans! Ioanna kazatzidou
In our society, we have accomplished to improve the quality of our lives. We’ve gotten rid of a lot of problems that used to concern us. Although, an issue that still exists is racism. Racism is a judgmental behavior that is based on criticizing mostly the physical characteristics of people or things they can’t moderate such as their skin color, their weight, their origin etc. This behavior often contains violence and bad language directed to the person. Racism is a phenomenon that has no reason of existing anymore. People shouldn’t be judged by such things. The only thing that matters is the character of each individual and the way they behave to the people around them. Nobody should jump to conclusions based on somebody’s physical appearance. In this way the people who are facing such problems will feel excluded and always insecure. Being unfair to people who have done nothing bad isn’t good. We should give everybody a chance. Never assume anything about people you haven’t met based on their appearance. Sevina Vasilikioti
English Teacher/ Anastasia Paraskevoulakou