“Dad came home from the war, took one look at how tight I was with Grampa, another look at the South he hated and used the GI Bill to go up to Ole Miss to get a master’s degree in English so he could land a college teaching job out west, far away from Grampa, from Mississippi, from racism and prejudice, from hate.”
Hiram Hillburn, despite being white, does not endorse the racism which is predominant in the South. His resolution to relocate confirms that he is intent on dodging racism. Additionally, his decision implies that Grampa endorses the omnipresent racism; otherwise, he would not strive to avoid him. Individuals’ mentalities and their social milieus are the prime contributors to prejudice.
“Maybe R. C was so miserable that he was always looking for somebody or something he could make worse off than he was. But he always took it too far; it’s one thing to have a little fun with someone, teasing like that, but R.C, was just plain mean.”
R.C’s extreme meanness is an indicator of his projection of misery. He projects his meanness by bullying others so he can mollify his unconscious gloom. The projection results in the oppression and hurting of innocent parties who are not sources of his wretchedness.
“I thought about Emmett. He seemed like a regular kid, even though his skin wasn’t the same color as mine. I couldn’t imagine him going to a colored school, and maybe in Chicago he didn’t have to. Maybe there things were different. Maybe like Mr. Paul’s said, God didn’t want to keep us separate. He wanted us to get along. Maybe- and this was a surprising thought. Dad’s ideas weren’t so crazy after all.”
These reflections underscore Hiram’s empathy towards the non-white folks. Besides, he recognizes the equivalence of all humans notwithstanding the color. Hiram’s father stimuluses Hiram’s notion concerning the equivalence which should not be inhibited by divergent colors. Perhaps, if his father had conditioned him to recognize the lowliness of the blacks, he would not be sympathetic towards Emmett. Accordingly, socialization shapes the children’s sensitivities regarding race.
