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To Kill A Mockingbird Social Class Essay

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Social classes have been evident in societies since the commencement of civilizations. These classes are shaped by the unequal distribution of opportunities amongst each level. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird portrays social inequalities within a society. The novel is set in Alabama during the 1930s and highlights the different social classes within Maycomb. Lee utilizes the Finches, Cunninghams, Ewells and the blacks in the novel to demonstrate a social hierarchy in Maycomb County. The different social classes validate that social inequalities result in a society overwhelmed with contempt. Certainly, the Cunninghams fall into a lower social class because of their financial state and are ridiculed as a result of this. This can be seen through Aunt Alexandra’s, a member of the highly respected and wealthy Finch family, disdain for the family. When Scout asks Aunt Alexandra why she cannot play with Walter Cunningham, Aunt Alexandra says, “Because— he—is—trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have …show more content…

They face the most prejudice and are at the bottom of the social hierarchy because of their poverty, but primarily because of the color of their skin. When Atticus was presenting his argument to the court, he says, “. . . you gentlemen would go along with them on the assumption—the evil assumption—that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women. . .” (Lee 204). Evidently, blacks collectively are perceived as inhumane beings because of their skin color. As a result, the white citizens consider the blacks to be beneath them, so they treat them unfairly. For instance, the blacks are disregarded by the white citizens in which there are no positive interactions between the two races. The treatment of the blacks exhibits the contempt that is widespread in a society as a result of social

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