Reason #323: The Fabric of Life

Posted at May 26, 2010

One of my favorite all-time movies is To Kill a Mockingbird, based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee of the same name. The movie impacted me to the extent of profoundly affecting my values and world-view. I was particularly fond of the character played by Gregory Peck, the country lawyer known as Atticus Finch. His character actually inspired to some extent my desire to study law, thinking, naively, that it was a way to make a difference. However, I all too quickly lost that illusion when it was replaced by visions of dollar signs dancing in my head. Back to the movie, one of the scenes that was most impactful to me was when Atticus had just been assigned the case of the black man, Tom Robinson, who was falsely accused of raping the white Mayella Ewell. Mayella’s father, what we down south would call a “cracker,” approaches Atticus in the courthouse, the smell of liquor on his breath emanating from the film. Ewell says to Atticus, paraphrasing (my memory isn’t that good), “Mr. Finch they tell me you taking that nigger’s side against arn (that’s cracker-talk for “ours”), but I say that ain’t so. Tell me the truth Mr. Finch, you taking that nigger’s side against arn?” The scene concludes with Atticus walking away in disgust without having giving Ewell’s question the respect of a reply. I grew up in the southern U.S. and Ewell’s attitude was all too common among more than just the poorest and most ignorant “crackers.” My question this morning is where does this root of prejudice come from? Why do we tend to be disdainful towards others if they look, act, or even think differently than we do? Why do we choose to cloak ourselves in a monotone “fabric of life.” One thing I have enjoyed about Costa Rica is the richness of the fabric here. It is mixed with a seemingly infinite variety of hues, textures and designs. But isn’t that characteristic of Latin American in general? Sure we have our Bob Ewells, but they are the exception as opposed to the rule and generally keep their mouths shut. There is a depth of abject ignorance associated with prejudice that I have a hard time understanding. It seems to me to be the basest of human maladies. The movie exposed this side of humanity at a time when it wasn’t so cool to do so. It seems the fabric of life is at greater threat these days of being torn asunder once again as prejudicial attitudes arising primarily from fear begin to creep back into society. What will we be left with when that happens? A much less appealing tapestry, in my opinion. The “us” against “them” attitude of Bob Ewell underlies and gives impetus to that threat.