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More handpicked essays just for you.
Racism in literature
Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird
The idea of social inequality
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How is social inequality changing people’s way of think and how Empathy can change that developed in TKAM or other texts? Outline: Paragraph 1: Intro i. What is social Inequality? ii. Introduce how TKAM has social inequality iii. Different types of social inequalities (Gender, wealth and race,) iv. Why is it an important theme in TKAM? Paragraph 2: Examples in TKAM (Children and Scout) i. Direct quotes of social inequalities ii. How children are corrupted by social inequalities iii. How Scout is corrupted in TKAM Paragraph 3: Examples in TKAM (People in Malcomb) iv. How the town of Malcomb County is corrupted by social inequalities? v. How social inequalities are linked to racism vi. How not everybody is treated equally (Evidence +quotes) vii. Real life example with TKAM (e.g. Atticus vs Martin Luther King) viii. …show more content…
The story takes place in the town of Malcomb and the people even children there are “corrupted” by social inequalities. In the book, the Cunningham’s are considered very poor and they are mistreated and made fun of their differences. In the book, Scout, the main protagonist of the book Scout Finch is lead to think that poor means weird and publicly embarrasses Walter Cunningham by saying “Miss Caroline he’s a Cunningham” (TKAM p. 26). As Scout is a child, she does not really fully understand about social inequalities in Malcomb and is corrupted by the peoples thinking which lead her to think that Cunningham only means poor and weird. Furthermore, in Chapter 3, Scout invites Walter to dinner at her house. During that meal, Walter does poured molasses into his lunch and that lead to think that because he is a Cunningham and they are poor and weird, it is normal and made Scout think that even further. It was then Calpurnia, a colored house maid who is more like a mother to Scout taught her a lesson. “Cal he’s just a
Scout tried to explain this to her teacher, Miss Caroline, but got in trouble. Scout was so angry she rubbed Walter’s nose in dirt. Jem invited Walter over for dinner and Scout made a remark that made Calpurnia furious. She told Scout, “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (32). Scout went on to say how just because he is a Cunningham he was not company. Calpurnia became even more furious and raised her voice and said, “Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em” (33). This lesson was important because Scout learned just because you might be better than someone or have more does not mean you should act like it. Calpurnia gives the talks and is there for both children just like a real mother would be. Miss Maudie is another Maycomb citizen who is an important role model for Jem and
Scout reveals her misjudgement on Ms. Caroline in the beginning of the story. Ms. Caroline notices Walter Cunningham with no lunch and offers to buy him lunch but he refuses the offer because Cunninghams don't take anything they can't pay back. Scout informs Ms. Caroline about the situation and she gets upset with Scout and spanks her leaving Scout with a bad impression. Scout informs her dad about the situation and Atticus tells her,¨ “First of all,” he said, “if you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-”...
Poverty can be a terrible thing. It can shape who you are for better or for worse. Although it may seem awful while you experience it, poverty is never permanent. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which takes place in Alabama in the middle of the Great Depression, Walter Cunningham and Burris Ewell are both in a similar economic state. Both of their families have very little money; however, they way they manage handle themselves is very different. In this essay, I will compare Walter Cunningham and Burris Ewell’s physical appearance and hygiene, their views on education, and their manners and personalities.
The second character who is discriminated against is Walter Cunningham because of his low socioeconomic status. Scout makes a rude remark when Walter is over for dinner because he put a lot of syrup on his vegetables and meat with a “generous hand.” Calpurnia explains to Scout that Walter is their company and that not everyone eats like them.
Empathy and Social Change in To Kill a Mockingbird, Milk, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Empathy: “The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experiences fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner” (according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary). When we think of social change, several of the themes in the literature we have discussed are based upon this concept of empathy. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there’s the repetition of the idea that you should stand in someone’s shoes before judging them. In Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, we see a liberal family who finds it difficult to accept interracial marriage when having to personally deal with the issue. In Milk, Harvey discusses how the gay movement has a better chance if more people come out, where if each person knows at least one “homosexual” there’s a better chance of the movement gaining public approval. For social change to occur, one needs to be aware of and sensitive to the issues at hand, and conscious of how everyone’s lives are differently affected in one way or another. Empathy is an important vehicle for creating lasting social change.
Cunningham was a poor farmer and part of the mob that seeks to lynch Tom Robinson at the jail. They have their kids go to school, but they don’t have a bunch. His son, Walter Cunningham was a classmate of Scout’s but he has not passed first grade yet because he skips school every spring to help his father on the farm chop wood. Mr. Cunningham was really poor, but he worked firmly to keep his farm which was right outside of Maycomb. Like most farmers during the Great Depression, he owed oodles of money and paid it off by bringing any crops or plants he could spare from his farm and giving it to Atticus. One night the Finches invited Walter to dinner and he devoured it all and he drenched his food in syrup that was on the table. This shows how the Cunningham family is not always able to access their food. The kids will always be wondering where their next meal will be and when they will have it. The kids don’t always have their lunch with them, too. Instead of paying people back by the money they do it by giving materials they
In the beginning of the book Scout is innocent from all the dirt in Maycomb. One example of Scout demonstrating her innocence is when she confronts the mob that was on their way to Tom Robinson’s jail cell and recognized Mr. Cunningham. Scout, being the six year old that she is, doesn’t understand the situation and just starts up a conversation."Hey Mr. Cunningham. How's your entailment gettin' along?...I go to school with Walter...and he does right well. He's a good boy." Scout is unlike most children her age. She “questions the injustices she sees instead of accepting them as
A main factor in the storyline is the way the writer portrays society's attitude to poverty in the 18th century. The poor people were treated tremendously different to higher classed people. A lot of people were even living on the streets. For example, "He picked his way through the hordes of homeless children who congregated at evening, like the starlings, to look for the most sheltered niche into which they could huddle for the night." The writer uses immense detail to help the reader visualise the scene. She also uses a simile to help the reader compare the circumstances in which the children are in. This shows that the poor children had to live on the streets and fend for themselves during the 18th century. Another example involves a brief description of the city in which the poor people lived in. This is "nor when he smelt the stench of open sewers and foraging pigs, and the manure of horses and mules" This gives a clear example of the state of the city. It is unclean and rancid and the writer includes this whilst keeping to her fictional storyline.
The plot recounted the story of Atticus Finch a local attorney who was called upon to defend Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was a black man falsely accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Atticus had two children, Scout and Jem Finch, and they had the task of living in a society where they were mocked and jeered because their father decided to defend a “negro.” Alongside this, the Finch children and their friend Dill was fascinated with the town’s mysterious character named Arthur “Boo” Radley. The first plot revealed the children’s antics to get Boo to come out of seclusion. As the novel advanced, the second plot was the children’s interest in the trial of Tom Robinson. When Tom was convicted of a crime, the children witnessed firsthand the injustices within their society.
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.
Scout initially lacks an understanding of her nanny Calpurnia; but after enduring a difficult experience, Scout learns who Calpurnia is and how she has helped her by being both a mother figure and a role model . Early in the novel, Calpurnia witnesses Scout criticizing the way her peer ate his lunch, and Calpurnia attempts to correct Scout’s poor behavior. Scout defends herself leading to a heated argument. After the fight, Scout vows that, “when [Calpurnia] wasn 't
The main theme of the story is that, no matter how lowly on the social scale,
However, their lack of money was a result to Mr. Cunningham not wanting to accept assistance from anyone out of fear of causing them an inconvenience (Lee 20). Walter Cunningham is referred to as having hookworms and not having shoes (Lee 19). He is discussed between Scout and Miss Caroline when she realizes that he did not have a lunch and offers to loan him money (Lee 19,20). Scout explains, “‘The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back-no church baskets no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it’” (Lee 20). By this encounter, Scout hoped to educate Miss Caroline on the status of Walter’s family and states “‘That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll get to know all the country folks after a while” (Lee 20). Walter Cunningham, is also discussed between Scout and her Aunt Alexandra, later in the novel, after the encounter with him and Miss Caroline (Lee 223,224).Scout had hoped to defend Walter and is pleased with herself for the action she took (Lee 223). She thinks she should invite him to spend the night with them sometime, but quickly realizes that Aunt Alexandra has other views of the Cunninghams (Lee 223). Aunt Alexandra states, “‘But they’re not our kind of folks….you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like
The main section of Scout’s heroic acts is when she walks Arthur Radley home. This is a major part in the novel because prior to this Maycomb thought Arthur was a freak and a Murderer. For Scout to have the courage to befriend Radley is a massive step in the right direction. In this scene Scout risked a couple of things which proves her heroism. She risked her reputation which is the big one. Because she walked ‘Boo’ home, there was no doubt that she was being judged by the people of Maycomb. Throughout the novel we see Scout’s character change from a feisty, aggressive and judgy girl to a kind, open minded, less aggressive girl. There are numerous people and some experiences that took part in Scout’s change. But there is one lady that did Scout a whole lot of good, her name is Calpurnia. Calpurnia is a coloured woman and she is the Finch’s housekeeper. Throughout the novel there are different examples where Calpurnia has picked up on Scout’s behaviour at school or just in the town. This i first brought to the reader's attention when Calpurnia lectures Scout on the way she treats Mr. Cunningham jr. Scout would pick on his eating habits and she even got in a fight with him at school. Swiftly afterwards Calpurnia pulls Scout into the kitchen and gives her a stern talking to. During the narrative through
The Cunninghams are mistreated by part of the society in Maycomb. Aunt Alexandra, who mistreats them the most, is prejudiced toward the Cunninghams, she does not like them. She thinks that her reputation, and social status are going to be stained if Scout plays with Walter Jr.. Scout wants to invite Walter over, but Aunt Alexandra does not like Walter, she says that they are folks from different class. She thinks it is best if they do not see each other. She once talks to Scout about how different they are, "Because - he - is - trash, that's why you can't play with him.