Moral Issues In To Kill A Mockingbird

A southern one time writer , Harper Lee, wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Her book has had a huge impact on the world. Harper expresses the entanglement of southern culture in “ To Kill a Mockingbird”. Harper displays three problems through her writing that the southern parts of the United States are still facing today. She displays several examples of race, class, and morality.

Morality is a concern with what’s right and wrong. Morality can be derived from one’s religion, parents’ rules, schools’ rules, the community etc.. One example of morality is when Calpurnia expresses her disapproval towards the way Atticus treats Walter at lunch. Calpurnia clearly states how she feels by saying this, “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us,” she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him, you hear?", "He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham-,”says Atticus "Hush your mouth!

Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em—if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!"(3.26) Calpurnia has taught us to respect people's differences, even if you believe you are better than them. By acting like you're better than other people is the surest way to show that you're not. Another example is in chapter five is when Nathan Radley fellow foot-washing Baptists judges Mrs. maudie because she likes to spend a lot of time in her garden. Mrs. maudie said, "There are just some kind of men who—who're so busy worrying about the next world they've never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results." This quote explains that people are more concerned about the afterlife than the present. This quote also states that some people get so wrapped up in religion they judge others so harshly on the way they live. On the subject of morality this quote states "If you shouldn't be defendin' him, then why are you doin' it?"
"For a number of reasons," said Atticus. "The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again." […] "Atticus, are we going to win it?" "No, honey." "Then why-" "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win," Atticus said. (9.16-25). In this quote it explains that no matter what everyone thinks you should always do what's right.
Race is a group of people united by a common history, nationality, or tradition. A example of race is when Atticus gives Scout a 101 chat about racism. “Scout," said Atticus, "nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don't mean anything—like snot-nose. It's hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody's favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It's slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody."
"You aren't really a nigger-lover, then, are you?"asks scout.
"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. In other words, Atticus has taught us that sometimes labels can be harsh, but no matter what you should treat everyone equally. Sadly, Ms. lula doesn't think everyone is equal. Ms. lula believe that whites and blacks should be separated. This is a prime example of how Ms. lula feels, "You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?”, said Ms. lula.
Class is a group whose members have certain attributes in common, such as poor class, a rich class, an educated class, an uneducated class, a middle class, a churchgoing class, a non-churched class, etc. According to Jem , "There's four kinds of folks in the world. The ordinary kind like us and the neighbors... the Cunningams... the Ewells... and the Negroes." (23) Jem just categorized everyone in the world without even getting to know them. Dolphus Raymond is a rich man who has multiple mixed kids by is black wife. No one in maycomb is too fond of him. Everyone believes that "They don't belong anywhere... they're just in-betweens."(16) As you can see from these examples Judgement works from both sides.
Sadly, there still is race, class, and morality going on in the south today.

These three things have led up to hate crimes. Recently there has been multiple crimes against race, crimes such as shootings. In June of 2015 there was a shooting at a black church in Charleston, North Carolina. The shooter was a white man. He killed nine people that day. When you think about it this crime comes down more than race. This has everything to do with class and morality. This event is just like when the lynch mob tried to kill Tom Robinson because he was black

Harper lee, wrote to kill a mockingbird. She explained how morality, race, and class separated people. She told us how people would say things or do things to people without knowing them. It's sad how some people still only see skin color or statistic. Is everyone like this? no. Some people treat others equal. They don't judge the book by its cover. So which path will you chose? Will you be like the people from

maycomb?