Dolphus Raymond

Dolphus Raymond is a white man who lives in the black community.  As a result of this decision, he is marginalised from the white community and gossip around his decision is rampant in Maycomb county.

The initial description of Dolphus Raymond is the gossip the surrounds him and his decision.  Jem tells Scout and Dill why he choses to live with blacks and this is because 'he likes 'em better'n he likes us.'  Here, Jem perpetuates the rumours surrounding Dolphus Raymond in Maycomb and reinforces the prejudice that Maycomb has towards him, unconsciously.

In the passage above, Jem also discusses 'mix-chillin' or mixed-race children.  Here, he talks about the perceptions of Maycomb county towards this group of people and how they don't belong anywhere.  He also reinforces the divide in America in the early 1900s, between North and South as he clearly states that 'They don't mind 'em up north'.  Through this quote, Lee reinforces her opinion that the South was behind the times and was a racist community enforcing racist views.

In the middle of the trial, Dill becomes ill and is taken outside by Scout.  Outside, they encounter Dolphus Raymond.  On speaking to him, the children learn who he really is and learn a valuable lesson - that prejudice doesn't actually mean you know the man.

Here is an example essay question for AQA Literature on Dolphus Raymond:

Read the following passage and then answer Part (a) and Part (b).

‘Come on round here, son, I got something that’ll settle your stomach.’

As Mr Dolphus Raymond was an evil man I accepted his invitation reluctantly, but

I followed Dill. Somehow, I didn’t think Atticus would like it if we became friendly with

Mr Raymond, and I knew Aunt Alexandra wouldn’t.

‘Here,’ he said, offering Dill his paper sack with straws in it. ‘Take a good sip, it’ll

quieten you.’

Dill sucked on the straws, smiled, and pulled at length.

‘Hee hee,’ said Mr Raymond, evidently taking delight in corrupting a child.

‘Dill, you watch out, now,’ I warned.

Dill released the straws and grinned. ‘Scout, it’s nothing but Coca-Cola.’

Mr Raymond sat up against the tree-trunk. He had been lying on the grass. ‘You

little folks won’t tell on me now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did.’

‘You mean all you drink in that sack’s Coca-Cola? Just plain Coca-Cola?’

‘Yes ma’am,’ Mr Raymond nodded. I liked his smell: it was of leather, horses,

cottonseed. He wore the only English riding-boots I had ever seen. ‘That’s all I drink,

most of the time.’

‘Then you just pretend you’re half—? I beg your pardon, sir,’ I caught myself.

‘I didn’t mean to be—’

Mr Raymond chuckled, not at all offended, and I tried to frame a discreet question:

‘Why do you do like you do?’

‘Wh – oh yes, you mean why do I pretend? Well, it’s very simple,’ he said. ‘Some

folks don’t – like the way I live. Now I could say the hell with ’em, I don’t care if they

don’t like it. I do say I don’t care if they don’t like it, right enough – but I don’t say the

hell with ’em, see?

Dill and I said, ‘No sir.’

‘I try to give ’em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch on to a reason.

When I come to town, which is seldom, if I weave a little and drink out of this sack,

folks can say Dolphus Raymond’s in the clutches of whisky – that’s why he won’t

change his ways. He can’t help himself, that’s why he lives the way he does.’

‘That ain’t honest, Mr Raymond, making yourself out badder’n you are already—’

‘It ain’t honest but it’s mighty helpful to folks. Secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a

drinker, but you see they could never, never, understand that I live like I do because

that’s the way I want to live.’

I had a feeling that I shouldn’t be here listening to this sinful man who had mixed

children and didn’t care who knew it, but he was fascinating. I had never encountered

a being who deliberately perpetrated fraud against himself. But why had he entrusted

us with his deepest secret? I asked him why.

‘Because you’re children and you can understand it,’ he said. ...

Part (a)

In this passage, how does Lee present Mr Dolphus Raymond? Refer closely to the

passage in your answer.

and then Part (b)

After this passage, Mr Dolphus Raymond talks about “the hell white people give

coloured folks”.

In the rest of the novel, how does Lee show white people giving the black community

“hell”?

Here's two examples answer to that question, both part a and b, with markings to explain why it's good and ways to improve.