Social Classes in Maycomb, to Kill a Mockingbird Essay Example

that most of this old Family stuffs foolishness because everybody families Just as old as everybody else's" (259).

Because Scout is able to hear both the ideological town view ND the view of her more progressive father, her own opinion of family rank is well thought out, "Ana, Gem, I think there's Just one kind of folks. Folks" (260). ) Town's treatment of the various social classes: Regardless of Scout's opinion the town still upholds families for generations and suppresses families for generations. It is a damaging ideological cycle that may uphold the less deserving and keep at bay those that deserve better.

The Cunningham are kept in this suppressed state by the superstructure of the town. The whole town accepts the Cunningham for who they re, out ay nothing to release teen out AT tenet state AT poverty An example AT ten town's acceptance of them is when Scout takes it upon herself to explain to a teacher, who is new in town, why Walter Cunningham will not accept the teacher's lunch money. "Miss Caroline, he's a Cunningham" I sat back down. "What, Jean Louise? " I thought I had made things sufficiently clear.

It was clear enough to the rest of us: Walter Cunningham was sitting there lying his head off. He didn't forget his lunch, he didn't have any. He had none today nor would he have any tomorrow or the next day. He had probably never seen three quarters together at the same time in his life. (22) Even as school children, the Macomb residents know the Cunningham situation and believe it will never be changed, "not would he have any

tomorrow or the next day' . The fact that it is clear to them shows Just how strong the class mentality is in Macomb: (22).

The Cunningham, as well as the rest of society, grow up believing they will always be this way, regardless of their good nature, then it is more than likely they will forever remain in the working class, extremely saddening because they hint they have no chance to better themselves in society Third Class: Ells The Ells know that they are the lowest of the low amongst the whites in Macomb. They have no money, no education, and no breeding. The single thing that elevates them at any level in the community is the fact that they're white.

Like most people in similar situations, Bob and Male would like to better their station in life. However, Bob is unwilling to put forth the effort necessary to change his family's lot and Male doesn't have the resources to change her own life. Bob is not serious about mating to improve his economical status (copy other mind map) Lowell is a drunkard and an abuser who is despised throughout the community Struggle for Power in Society This struggle for power is most pointedly brought out in the case of Tom Robinson and the Ells.

Because the Ells are at the bottom of the class structure along with the African Americans, and are constantly sneered and despised by their higher-ranking white peers, Bob Lowell tries to seem better than his current situation of utter poverty by trying to appear as morally superior to Tom Robinson, an African American. In accusing Tom Robinson, he sees

what he believes is a way for advancement in society. Not only does he I) clear his daughter of the 'crime' she has committed of tempting a black man, he also it) elevates his societal status.

In his mind, the town should think him a hero for saving Macomb's white women from a "dangerous" black man. Defending his daughter by going to court should raise his family's stature. At the very least, if they don't gain more respect from the community, at least Bob won't have to live with talk in the black community about a white woman aging a play for a married black man. Unfortunately, all of Else's plans backfire.

By the end of the trial, he and his daughter are proven liars, he's been publicly identified as a sexually and physically abusive father who fails to provide for his family, and the entire town knows that Male made sexual overtures toward Tom. Instead of improving his life, Lowell cements his family's horrible reputation once and for all. Blacks At the bottom of class society, the blacks have constantly proved themselves to be more civilized than their white counterparts. The next social class is wealthy or diddle-class black people. California is a part of this class and only is for the reason Tanat seen Is Dalai. En NAS all ten qualities AT a good southern lacy, Ana NAS perfect manners. She is respected and in good relations with the Finch family. California would be in the same social class as Attic's Finch if she weren't black. Another person who is in this class is Reverend Sykes. He met Gem and Scout in church

and showed how much he respected them and their father for defending the Tom Robinson case. He welcomed them and was very friendly, therefore in the same class as California. The last social class is the poor and black people. Lull is in this social class.

She is disgraceful to the black people and her motto is that the black people should stick to own community and the white should stay with there's. She was harsh and shallow to someone who is of her kind (California) and she was harsh to two innocent kids Just because they are white. There is a very interesting relationship between the white people and black. The majority of the black people is more mature and has much more class. They accept themselves and their status. They accept how they don't get credit for all their work. They accept always having the worse of things, like the First Purchase church, which is a very beaten down church.

They accept not getting an education with barely any complaints. No matter how much they tolerate, the white people cannot stand them at all and are so afraid of the truth because it nears going against a white person's word. The fact that white people don't treat white people equally contributes greatly to the way the social classes are separated. Despite these ideologies and conflicts, To Kill a Mockingbird brilliantly illustrates how to overcome these ideas. Scout's fresh mind is able to learn through the examples of the people around her how to respect all people regardless of class.

California teaches this to Scout when Walter Cunningham is at their house, anti company,

Cal, he's Just a Cunningham?" "Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's Hyde company, and don't you let me catch you remarking' on their ways like you was so high and mighty' (27)! Here Scout learns to treat people the same. This lesson sometimes goes against the ideology of people in the town, but it makes for a more equal society when people treat each other with equality. Scout learns the majority these lessons of equality from her wise father, Attic's.

Scout hears her father give a moving speech on equality while defending Tom Robinson, "But there is one way in this country in which all men are created equal?there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller... That institution, gentlemen, is a court" (234). Attic's' belief in the equality and Justice of the court resonates with Scout throughout the book as she begins to see people more and more for their character instead of their class or race. This book is filled with many more lessons like this from which students can learn along with Scout, the importance of a person's integrity and character.

As the Countess of Blessing once said, "Prejudices are the chains forged by ignorance to keep men apart," a fact that we now uphold as the truth. But in thesis, when To Kill a Mockingbird was first written, prejudice was a societal norm, and taken for granted not Just by the oppressors, but the oppressed as well. Harper Lee's novel serves as a valuable reminder of Just how pervasive prejudice was just a few decades ago, we level

In a world winner racial prejudice NAS Eden thankfully made tattoo In most parts of the world.

Its most extreme manifestation, that of segregation, is now history; and those of us living in civilized societies do not often have direct personal experience of racial prejudice. It is therefore hard for us to envisage Just how pervasive racial prejudice was Just a few decades ago; and To Kill A Mockingbird is a valuable reminder of how far we have come, and how important it is to safeguard the progress that we have made. It exposes with clarity and humanity the unmitigated evil that prejudice is, and makes us want to eradicate it completely because of the suffering and tragedy that it causes.

The theme of prejudice is almost the sole basis of the book, resonating through the novel in various forms, namely racial prejudice, social prejudice and gender prejudice. In Harper Lee's novel, we see Just how blinded people can be by the inherently unfair assumptions they make about others without any basis at all, and the immensely grieving consequences that come about as a result. One can only be grateful that America has made such great progress from that dark era of prejudice and injustice so colorful described in TAKE, to the day when a black man can become the president of the most powerful nation on Earth.