Mr. Dolphus Raymond pretends to be a drunkard to give people an explanation for his social behavior, as it allows him to live his life according to his own beliefs without judgement from the community. By pretending to be a drunkard, he can freely interact with African Americans and have a relationship with a biracial woman without facing the full force of societal disapproval.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond's big secret is that he pretends to be a drunkard to give the townspeople a reason for his behavior, when in reality he is not actually drinking alcohol but instead hides his true lifestyle and choice to marry a black woman. He does this to avoid the prejudices and judgment of the community.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond
Mr. Dolphus Raymond gave Dill a drink of Coca-Cola to settle his stomach. However, he led others to believe that he was drinking alcohol, when in fact it was only Coca-Cola in a bottle.
Coca- Cola! He tricked people so they could believe he was a drunk and that that would be an excuse for his behavior of marrying a black woman
In Mr. Dolphus Raymond's bottle bag, there is not alcohol, as many assume, but actually just Coca-Cola. He pretends to drink whiskey from it in order to give the townspeople a reason to explain his behavior of siding with African Americans.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond lives on the outskirts of town and is perceived as a drunkard who embraces the company of African Americans, which causes him to be ostracized by the white community. However, in reality, he only pretends to drink alcohol from a bottle wrapped in a paper bag to protect his familial relationships with African Americans and not conform to societal norms, revealing his compassion and empathy. His unconventional lifestyle challenges the town's racial prejudices and highlights the hypocrisy of their social norms.
The children learn that Mr. Dolphus Raymond is not what they think he is when they attend the trial and see him drinking from a Coca-Cola bottle instead of a whiskey bottle. They realize that his reputation as a drunk is just a façade he puts on to give the town something to gossip about, while he actually empathizes with those who are judged unfairly.
Dolphus Raymond, Aunt Alexandria, Mr. Link Deas, and Miss Rachel
Mr. Dolphus Raymond is different from the rest of the community because he is in love with a black woman, which was not accepted. He had children with her who are mixed races and also are not accepted in the community. In order to live the life he wishes to, Mr. Dolphus Raymond carries a bottle around of what everyone thinks is whiskey in a paper bag and drinks it. However, the drink is actually Coca-Cola, but he acts like a drunk because it allows everyone to think that he is too drunk to realize what he is doing is wrong.
The audience learns that Mr. Dolphus Raymond is a white man who pretends to be drunk because he prefers the company of Black people over the judgmental attitudes of white people in the town. He is sympathetic to the struggles of Black people and chooses to live on the margins of society to avoid facing prejudice.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond was unusual in Maycomb because he was a wealthy white man who socialized with African Americans and was rumored to drink alcohol out of a paper bag. In reality, he was pretending to be a drunk to provide a cover for his defiance of racial norms in a deeply segregated society.
Mr. Dolphus Raymond's fiance died because of the pressure and social stigma she faced from their interracial relationship, which caused her distress and ultimately led to her death. The intolerance and discrimination against their relationship took a toll on her mental and emotional well-being.