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How does the social hierarchy affect people
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Social Hierarchy plays a big role in To Kill a Mockingbird, it’s where people stand in the community, the rich are at the top, and the poor are at the bottom. It’s the reason why some people are treated with great respect and some people are treated like dirt. The reason the citizens of the community act the way they do. Three different examples of social hierarchy classes in To Kill A Mockingbird are the Cunningham’s, the Finch’s, and the Robinson’s.
The Cunningham’s are treated with a little deal of respect for their wealth. Instead of paying for their stuff they might have to exchange it for crops or labor. There son Walter Cunningham can’t even eat lunch and the other kids pick on him for that. People might not say that he gets treated different for his social hierarchy with him being poor but in a way he’s not getting treated like a normal kid. And sometimes they pull him out of school for help on the farm but that is putting a damage on his education. Overall the Cunninghams are mediocre on the social hierarchy scale.
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Even though Scout and Jem might cause a ruckus throughout the community. They might not have much money but Atticus is the main lawyer of Maycomb so all the citizens respect him for that. He is polite and seems to always know what to say. Also whenever there is a problem it always seems like he’s the one solving it. He is also very wise so he shows the reasonable ways to approach those problems. But when he represented Tom Robinson in the case, he might’ve lost a great deal of respect with the white citizens but gained it right back with the black citizens. Overall the Finch’s are very high on the social hierarchy
Atticus has showed bravery and the fact that color does not matter when someone is innocent. Along with this, Atticus has taught his children many things about life. “As Atticus once advised me to do, I tried to climb into Jem’s skin and walk around it: if I had gone to the Radley Place at two in the morning my funeral would have been held the next afternoon. So I left Jem alone and tried not to bother him.” (Lee 48) This is a clear example of how effective Atticus is. He is able to give important information to anyone, including his daughter, and them being able to use this important advice in real life. “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what…” (Lee 93) This serves as an analogy to the Tom Robinson case and shows that Atticus knows he will not win, but must try his best in search for justice. Atticus has been an excellent example in Maycomb of what kind of person you shall
The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is about a black man named Tom Robinson who is being charged with the rape of a white girl named Mayella Ewell. While the lawyers are giving their closing statements, Atticus Finch, the lawyer for Tom Robinson, makes his closing statement using ethos and logos persuasive methods to show that Bob Ewell and Mayella Ewell were lying. The logo is the principle of reason and judgment. Ethos is appealing to somebody's emotions. These persuasion methods were effective because Atticus uses this technique a lot one example of this is when he uses logos and asks Bob Ewell to put his signature on a piece so that he could see what Bob Ewell's dominant hand was because according to heck Tate her right side
Like many famous activists, Atticus Finch sticks to his conscience and morals over all else. If we consider those who have done such a thing such as Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and even Nelson Mandela as heroes for doing what they did to better the lives of everyone around them; then why should Atticus Finch be any different? There are many cases in which we can view Mr. Finch in the context. One major piece of evidence of this occurring is when Atticus is talking to his daughter, Scout. During this time the young girl asks her father why he is defending Tom Robinson if it is completely against social norms. "If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?"
To Kill A Mockingbird is a courageous tale of leadership and bravery to others. From Atticus helping Tom, to Boo trying to communicate with the kids. Harper Lee used real-life events as inspirations for her novel To Kill A Mockingbird. There are connections to Jim Crow Laws, mob mentality, and issues of racism in that time period.
Firstly, Atticus Finch acts justly, fairly, and always helps others who need it. One of his clients, Mr. Cunningham, pays Atticus in entailment. Scout asks her brother, Jem what the meaning of paying in entailment is, “Jem described it as a condition of having your tail in a crack … one morning Jem and I found a load of stovewood in the back yard … Mr. Cunningham had more than paid him” (Lee 20-21). Atticus believes that no one should get any disadvantages because of one’s lower financial state. He shows justice by allowing Mr. Cunningham to pay him in different sources other than money. Also, Atticus is a very wise man. He talks to his daughter with full empathy and understanding to try and help her. When Scout is complaining about her teacher’s attitude towards her, Atticus gives her great advice that, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his shoes and walk around it” (30). He is teaching Scout to be just. He tells her to look at things from a different perspective and notice the difference from hers to someone else’s. Similarly, Atticus who is a white lawyer takes on a case of a black man, Tom Robinson. Therefore, Scout is made fun of for having her father d...
A distinct conscience is formed by the values and desires of one’s unique identity. However, common beliefs of societal standards can influence conscientious desires. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee introduces a young girl named Scout, who learns about the difference between social conformity and human conscience. Through this, she notices the conflict it brings: choosing to conform or stand with your desire. Through Maycomb’s discriminatory principles, Atticus’ actions against common beliefs, and Scout’s comprehension of Boo, Lee reveals how society’s standards and conformity hinders personal desires for righteousness.
Atticus is a good father for teaching his children to respect everyone. Scout asks Atticus if he is a “nigger lover” and he simply replies, "I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody... I'm hard put, sometimes—baby, it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you." This shows that atticus is not like the other people in Maycomb he considers every man to be equal to one another. Judge Taylor comes to Atticus to defend Tom Robinson because he knows he’s the only man in Maycomb that is fit to do to the job, and do it fairly. While thinking about taking the offer Atticus firsts thinks about his kids and how it will affect their lives. Atticus says “…do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anythin...
He says “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not do something again” (Lee 75). He states that he must represent the law no matter what downfall it has for his reputation. Atticus is older than most of the fathers in Maycomb, but follows different moral. He defends anyone regardless of their race or color. This shows how The Finches are well respected and applauded for being well-proper.
One of many ways why Atticus is a respected person in Maycomb is because of his courage. Atticus is a courageous person because he tries everyway to help others who are in need of it. When there was a mad dog roaming the streets that looked extremely ill Maycomb depended on Atticus to help get rid of the mad dog. Atticus being the brave man he is, he did exactly that. Atticus came rushing to where the mad dog was and shot him. Atticus showed his children that he was a courageous man when he stepped onto that street to face the mad dog. Jem and Scout were proud of, and impressed by his courage in a risky situation. Mr. Heck Tate even says, “You haven’t fo...
Many students believe that Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a commentary on social issues in 1930’s America. However, over time new themes for discussion have grown from the novel. The courage and leadership of characters in To Kill a Mockingbird have become common subjects discussed by today’s students. In this way, Lee’s novel has evolved to meet the changing ideology of humanity. At the time of the novel, standing up against common customs and beliefs was unacceptable, a violation of societal rules. Several characters in To Kill a Mockingbird express outrage at the collective belief system of their community and show resilience in the face of persecution, much as many current leaders face when espousing unconventional views or actions.
It is acknowledged by many readers that there are many different social classes in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ written by Harper Lee and published in 1960. One of the most obvious social class distinctions is between skin colors, which can be seen through this novel. Since most readers’ focal point of this novel is on the distinctions between skin colors, they are unlikely to pay attention to the difference in social class within the white community. Lee wants to illustrate a contrast in white society and how characters behave differently through the uses of character foil, characterization, and the theme of society inequality in order to emphasize the differences in social classes.
The Cunningham family was an example of social prejudice because they were poor. “Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham” (Lee, 20). This is when they are in class and Miss Caroline is trying to give him lunch money. Scout tells her he is poor and won’t be able to pay her back and is too proud to take it. “He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham” (Lee, 25). They invited Walter back to the house for lunch and he poured syrup all over his food and Scout gets on his case about it. Cal tells her she shouldn’t do that and she implies that it doesn’t matter what they say to him he is just a Cunningham, she is being prejudiced because she knows he is poor. Another reason people are prejudiced to the Cunninghams is because they have to pay with crops.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a dramatic story about human behavior- cruelty, love, compassion, and hatred. The sweet family of 3 lives in the Southern town of Maycomb County. Atticus, the father, Scout Finch, and Scout’s brother, Jem. The Finch family lives in the time period of the Great Depression. Atticus still has his job as a lawyer and that’s when he realizes one of the greater themes of the story- The Existence of Social Inequality.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird expresses the ideology that the social standard of a particular individual, classifies their status in the world. Individuals placed in social classes are labeled to create a sense of social identity. The socio-economic class an individual is born into should not be the determining factor of how the individual is regarded and treated, however, their character and personality should be a primary factor in determining how they are thought of in society.
The Cunninghams are very poor people, but very honest as well. The Cunninghams have no money at all, as Scout was describing them, "[they] have probably never seen three quarters together at the same time in [their] life"(23). It is certain that the Cunninghams live a poor life, but that does not stop them from being honest. The Cunninghams do not take anything from anyone if they do not have a way to repay them. In the class when Ms.Caroline was giving Walter a coin, Walter did not take it because he knew that it was impossible to reimburse her. I judged that it is really mature for a child to act that way. I also admired how the Cunninghams were able to endure by giving crops to people as a form of payment. When Atticus helps Sr.Walter with his entailment, Walter does not pay him back with money, but with crops.