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Atticus Finch Social Class

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Social class differentiations show themselves throughout Harper Lee’s classic Southern drama To Kill a Mockingbird. Yet still people find themselves asking: Why is the caste system so prevalent in Maycomb, Alabama? After all, the division of the classes continues as an important issue in our lives today. From the mistreatment of the “Untouchables” in modern day India to the mistreatment of Helen Robinson by the Ewell family, individuals want answers on why some humans think that they should receive elevated status among others. The reason is that people willingly discard all common sense to reach a conclusion that they think sounds right to them. This social hierarchy appears in the Finch, Cunningham, and Ewell families. The Finches are a respected family near the top of the social food chain in Maycomb. Despite the fact that they have many things compared to many other people in their hometown, Atticus considers them poor. “Are we poor, Atticus?” Atticus nodded. “We are indeed”(21). This may be because, though they are not as poor as the Cunninghams, Atticus is attempting to blend the social classes together, and trying to make it less of a big deal. This shows that the Finches are not the kind of people who exalt themselves above others, even though they may hold a higher …show more content…

They farm land on the outskirts of town. Because of economic crashes, they have trouble getting by. But, despite that, they are still honest people. When Walter Cunningham refuses to borrow money from his teacher after not having lunch, Scout explains: “They [The Cunninghams] never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it”(21). Their pride is too great to allow them to take something they know they won’t be able to pay back. When Atticus helps Mr. Cunningham with legal matters, the family eventually pays the Finches back, not with money, but with thoughtfully placed stovewood and

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