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
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a kind and brave man who treats everyone with respect. Throughout his life, Atticus Finch continually represents the values of respect, courage, and justice. In Maycomb, County Atticus lives with his two kids, Scout and Jem, and their housekeeper Calpurnia. He is a defense lawyer who believes segregation is wrong. First, Atticus shows respect by how he treats others. He Answers his children's questions truthfully, even if they're embarrassing. He does this because he thinks it is wrong to lie to a child. Also, he respects the Cunningham family. Atticus Treats Walter, Jr., as an honored guest at his dinner table. One time he even assisted Mr. Cunningham with an important legal problem.
For the Finch family they had Calpurnia, a paid, black maid that was respected greatly around the house. Atticus trusted her to babysit the kids while he went to work in the summer. The kids respected Calpurnia enough to mind her commands and to receive advice from her. The Finches’ where some of the few families that had some respect for the black community in Maycomb. This wasn’t true for the rest of the commity.
Atticus Finch also shows the characteristics of a truly selfless person as well. As Scout recalls of one winter day, she remembers Mr. Walter Cunningham discussing his entailment; "Mr. Finch, I don't know when I'll ever be able to pay you," Mr. Cunningham states. "Let that be the least or your worries, Walter," Atticus replies. Later, Scout asks her father if Mr. Cunningham would ever pay them back; "Not in money, but before the year's out I'll have been paid," her father answers. Although the majority of Maycomb, including the Finches, are fairly poor financially, Atticus Finch still offers what he has to his neighbors and friends. Whether it be his services (or his children's for that matter), or his hospitality, Atticus presents himself as
A characteristic that is strongly emphasised in the novel is pride, which Lee uses to show that poverty does not necessarily humble a family. The Cunninghams' pride is so strong they will not accept outside help, as shown when Scout tells her teacher, "the Cunninghams never took anything they can't pay back". In stark contrast to this, the Ewells "had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations", living off "regular weekly appearances at the welfare office for his [relief] check". Bob Ewell has no qualms about living like a parasite, and none of his family care that they are seen as the lowest level of society, apart from blacks. The Cunninghams have pride despite their poverty, in contrast to the Ewells' complete absence of self-respect
How far do you think Harper Lee has effectively shown social class and family groups to be important at that time? The rigid class structure and social stratification of Maycomb County had a profound effect on the events in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The impact of this class structure was especially evident in the trial of Tom Robins on, a Maycomb Negro. The extreme prejudice of the town eventually led to the unjust conviction of Robinson for a crime he did not commit.
The Finches. A family shown throughout the novel as an ideal family who are constantly compared to all other families in Maycomb. As the novel is narrated by scout, we as the readers can enter the family and understand how the Finch family presents good values in both part 1 and part 2 of the book. Atticus Finch sets a good example for Jem and Scout along with the rest of Maycomb as he has firm values for justice- he is committed to finding equality for everyone especially when he takes the case of Tom Robinson; even if it will cause more trouble for him and his family. We can see this in the following quote when miss Maudie is talking to Scout 'Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public street'. Atticus isn’t going to pretend or ‘act’ differently to defend the
Labels are put on people for the fact of letting one another know that they are better than them. In "To Kill a Mockingbird" the labels are put on the characters on the type of lifestyle they live. Harper Lee gives the message of the definition of wealth through the financial and social class of the characters: Walter Cunningham and his family, Boo Radley and Atticus Finch and his family. Ultimately Harper Lee teaches the reader about how people are categorized in different types of classes.
It is important to put yourself in one’s shoes. By doing so, you can understand that person’s situation better. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Aunt Alexandra is prejudiced towards social classes, and Bob Ewell is prejudiced towards people whose skin color is different than his.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is about two children, Jem and Scout, and their relationships with their father, Atticus. The children raise themselves growing up, many people would say they were irresponsible, but they are both appear to be intelligent individuals. The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird the novel demonstrates a rigid class structure and social stratification in the County of Maycomb. People should not be judged by their social class, they should be judged on their personality.
While being in the situation they are, they still treat everyone in respect and have a sense of dignity and self-respect. That is why Walter is unable to explain to Miss Caroline why he does not have his lunch. Even Scout explains to the reader that “[Walter Cunningham] didn’t forget his lunch, he didn’t have any. He had none today nor would he have any tomorrow or the next day”, which is enough to understand that he lacks food (25). When he joins the Finch siblings for a meal, he talks with Mr. Finch about agriculture like an adult; respectful, polite, and with intelligence.
The relationships established by Atticus Finch with his children, the Ewells, and the rest of the town, including the black community, are a large reason why he is known as the moral center, and why it seems all immoral conflict revolves around him. The reader sees it play out in the plainest terms with his children. He is their father, and they respect him as such, but their respect for him surpasses their paternal relationship with him, demonstrated by how they refer to him as Atticus instead of “Father”. We see him teach Scout how to read, and the amount of time he spends with his children, even though the majority of the novel takes place during an important court case in his career. Along the way, he teaches them lessons, like how it’s
Between Ewell’s country roots and horrible examples, and Atticus’ respectful attitude towards life is Walter Cunningham, a man that won’t take anything he cannot pay back (Lee 21). Even though he doesn’t have money, he makes sure that his children survive well enough and that they are respectful and honorable. Cunningham wants his children to grow up to be gentlewomen and ladies, as evidenced by his example of paying Atticus back for his services via food and goods deliveries over the course of a year (Lee 20). He shows his children what it means to be kind, good people, and he expects them to act this way. From what little we see of the Cunninghams in the novel, they do. Walter Cunningham, although he had similar roots as Bob Ewell, is much more like Atticus Finch than the man people expect him to be, namely Bob Ewell.
Atticus and his children both had to deal with the adversity against them because of the communities differences in opinion. They kept their integrity through it all with Jem and scout having their father’s moral advice and support to help them. Though many succumb to the pressures put on us, there are also many Atticus’s out there that have a moral and ethical conscience backing them up. They become a role model that breeds integrity through their moral practices. “Before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” (Lee, pg.108)
There are many different social classes in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” The factors that separate people into these social classes are their skin color and their occupation. For example, Atticus, Scout, and Jem are part of the highest social class. They are part of this social class because Atticus is a lawyer, which makes him a highly respected person in the community. He is also white, which, at that time was a very important factor that chose who belonged in what social class. Scout and Jem are his children and therefore are also part of this social class.
The Finch family is of the highest social standing in Maycomb County. They are white, which back then, was a very important factor in what social class you belonged in. Atticus Finch, is also a lawyer, and a very good one at that. This makes him very respected in the community. The Finch’s, Atticus especially, have a lot of friends in their community. They are very well educated, loved, and respected by most of their neighbors, and they do not have many enemies. They are also very kind to the black community. Although, you do not have to be kind to the Negroes to be in the highest class. In fact, most were not kind to them. People like Aunt Alexandra were “the perfect example of what a southern lady should act like.” In other words, they despised blacks. They wanted nothing to do with them.