Examples Of Classism In To Kill A Mockingbird

How times have changed America as a society has grown enormously since the 1930s. Civil rights have made it possible for equality to exist for all races and genders. This is vastly different from what the small town of Maycomb, Alabama displays in Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The people and attitudes of Maycomb showcase examples of racism, classism, and gender inequality. This book depicts societal standards for America in the South before freedom movements for African Americans in the 1950s and for Women in the 1970s. Through its retelling of injustices against these groups, a greater understanding is made about the growth of societal views as a whole. Atticus and Calpurnia, characters from the book, are able to represent views

In the novel, there are families with lower status than everyone else, the Cunninghams and the Ewells. When Scout asks Aunt Alexandra if she can invite Walter Cunningham over to play, Aunt Alexandra responds by saying, “Jean Louise will not invite Walter Cunningham to this house.” She says this because, “he—is—trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what.” (PDF pg. 228). Scout can’t play with him just because his family is poor and doesn’t have the same social status that the Finches do. Aunt Alexandra is an example of societal views, but Scout also gets a taste of nondiscriminatory views as well. Earlier on in the book Scout also judged Walter for not sharing the same mannerisms as her. Walter was invited by Atticus to eat dinner with them, but he did not eat the same way as everyone else. He had no table manners, which annoyed Scout. Scout gave him a hard time for the way he eats, but was quickly summoned by Calpurnia into the Kitchen. Calpurnia explained that not everyone shares the same luxuries and mannerisms that the finches are accustomed to. “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 table cloth you let him, you hear?” (PDF pg. 25). Scout responds by saying that he’s “Just a Cunningham”. However, Calpurnia doesn’t want to hear it and tells Scout that she is no better than anybody else. People were divided back then, and they still are today. However, divisions in the 1930s were more apparent than they are now. Calpurnia represents why it is important to accept everybody regardless of class, gender, or