How Does Walter Cunningham Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are life lessons that Jem and Scout learn from events that are symbolized through the book. Life lessons that appear even in today’s society. Lee uses a variety of images and even people to symbolize some of the social issues that were plaguing the setting of her novel, Maycomb County: the fire, Boo Radley, the Cunninghams, and Dolphus Raymond. An event that symbolizes community unity is Miss Maudie’s house fire. When Atticus is talking to Jem and Scout about the fire, he tells them, “Looks like all of Maycomb was out tonight, in one way or another” (Lee 95). Atticus says this because the citizens of Maycomb, Abbottsville, and even Clark’s Ferry help in putting out the fire to save

At school, Scout narrates,” 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” (Lee 26). This quote shows that Walter Cunningham was living an impoverished life and that he and his family were extremely poor. However, the Cunningham family is also a symbol of dignity and honor. At school Scout tells Miss Caroline,” The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back -- no church baskets and no score 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 26). This quote shows that the Cunningham family is an honorable and dignified family because even though they are very poor, they still have morals and no matter how poor they get they still hold on to their morals. Andrea Tenedero supported this statements in her presentation, Symbolism-To Kill A Mockingbird, by saying that, “The Cunningham family are in the lower-class part of the Maycomb society and that the Cunningham family also have integrity and pride” (Tenedero slide14-15/43). This shows that the Cunningham family is extremely poor, but nonetheless they still have morals and pride. The Cunningham family is not the only

Dolphus Raymond does his best to teach Scout, Dill, and Jem about society’s racist views, empathy, and why he pretends to be a drunk because of the racial stereotypes set by society. According to Jem’s gossip about the death of Mr. Raymond’s first fiancé, as a result of him supposedly liking a colored woman, in chapter sixteen Jem says, “ because she found out about his colored woman, he reckoned he could keep her and get married too. He's been sorta drunk ever since" (Lee 215). This quote shows the reader that the townspeople accepts that Mr. Raymond married a colored woman because he is always “drunk.” However, Mr. Raymond is not really a drunk, he just pretends to be so that the people of Maycomb have a way to justify him treating colored people with respect. Mr. Raymond proclaims, “I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live” (Lee 268). This shows the deep concept of the understanding that Mr. Raymond has for society and the people around him. He realizes how the world perceives him and he uses that to his advantage to protect his family and himself. Equally important is the fact that when it comes down to it, people are people. Mr. Raymond attempts to make Jem, Scout, and Dill understand this concept when he says, “Cry about the simple hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they’re people, too" (Lee 269). The main reason Mr. Raymond