Atticus is used to the racism that abounds in Maycomb, but
he is colorblind when it comes to issues concerning blacks and whites. When Scout asks
her father if he is a "nigger-lover," Atticus
responds
"I
certainly am. I do my best to love everbody... I'm hard put
sometimes--"
Even though
Scout is uncertain what a "nigger-lover" is, she recognizes that it is an insult, and
she finds it hard to control her temper when her friends use the term in regard to
Atticus. Scout slowly learns that using the "N" word is "common," and she stops when
Atticus forbids her from saying it. Her relationship with Calpurnia and her visit to
Cal's church teaches her that people--black and white--aren't so
different.
The jury's verdict in the Tom Robinson trial
affects both Jem and Scout. Both of them recognize that Tom could not have committed the
crimes of which he is accused, and they come to the conclusion that the all-white jury
has simply sided with the Ewells' story. Jem is particularly upset with the verdict, and
he believes that juries should be abolished. Scout is puzzled by the racism displayed by
the women at the Missionary Circle tea, who sympathize with the Mruna tribe in Africa
but not with the Negroes living in Maycomb. Scout also sees the hypocrisy exhibited by
Miss Gates, who criticizes Hitler for his persecution of the Jews, but shows a darker
side when it comes to whites and blacks socializing in Maycomb.
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