It is commonly accepted that racism is not born but is taught. According to a quote from CLR James, “The concept of dividing people by race began with the slave trade. This thing was so shocking, so contrary to all the conceptions of society that religion and philosophers had... that the only justification by which humanity could It was to divide people into races and decide that Africans were an inferior race” (Roots 1). The novel To Kill A Mockingbird shows the racial views of the white population towards the black minority in the eyes of a young girl named Jean Louise Finch or her more commonly known nickname Scout. Even though we as readers understand more, watching Scout try to articulate what is happening when she hears certain racist remarks shows her innocence. It also shows us, as the reader, that racism is a product of society's teachings and not human nature. Growing up in Maycomb County had its effects on Scout's character. She is young and impressionable. The combination of the naivety and attitude of the people of Macomb took a toll on his thoughts and beliefs. Luckily, she had her father to keep her head on straight and prevent her from growing up as a simple-minded racist. In chapter eleven of the book, Scout asks Atticus what it means to be a "nigger lover." Atticus does his best to explain that this is a way to insult someone for favoring the black population. He then tells her that when a person insults someone, it just shows how poor they really are (Lee 113). This moment in the book is when you finally see the kind of man Atticus Finch really is. An honest and genuine man. From his choice of words we can tell that he truly cares about everyone, whether it's the middle of paper or his child had to grow up surrounded by racism, but unfortunately that was the culture of l 'era. Looking to the future, it's obvious that we don't see as much racism developing, but it is still there. What should you do to get rid of it once and for all? Only small steps will help, because this isn't going to go away overnight. Things like this take time, and even more time. .Lewis, Bernard. "I'm right, you're wrong, go to hell" The Atlantic Media Company, May 1, 2003. Web April 28, 2014. "The Roots of Racism." Racism. Np, November 22, 2002. Web, April 23, 2014. “To Kill A Mockingbird ».. 2014. .