It is commonly believed that racism is not born but taught. According to a quote by CLR James, "The idea of ​​dividing people by race begins with the slave trade. This thing was so shocking, so opposed to all the conceptions of society that religion and philosophers had... that the only humanity's justification for dealing with 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 formulate what is going on when she hears certain racist remarks shows her innocence. It also shows us as readers that racism is a product of society's teachings, not human nature. Growing up in Maycomb County had its effects on the Scout character. He is young and impressionable. The combination of the naivety and attitude of the people living in Macomb had a strong and damaging impact 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 it is a way to insult someone who favors 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 where you finally get to see the kind of man Atticus Finch truly is. An honest and genuine man. From his choice of words we can tell that he truly cares for everyone, even though... middle of paper... a child should grow up surrounded by racism, but unfortunately that was the culture of the time. Looking to the future, it is clear that we do not see racism growing as much, but it is still present. What should be done to get rid of it once and for all? Just small steps will help because it won't vanish overnight. Things like that take time, and even more time. Works CitedHarperLee.com." HarperLee.com. Np, nd Web. 29 April 2014. .Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York, NY: Warner, 1987. Print .Lewis, Bernard. ""I'm right, you wrong, go to hell" "The Atlantic Racism, November 22, 2002. Web. April 23, 2014. "To Kill a Mockingbird.".. 2014. .