Misunderstood In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout learns about different kinds of people through Dolphus Raymond, the Ewells, and Walter Cunningham Sr. The groups that these three represent are the misunderstood, the poor, and the disgraces. These characters helped to develop Scout and teach her how to tolerate everyone.

Dolphus Raymond is a very misunderstood character in the book. He is widely thought to be an alcoholic, but he would just act drunk and drink cola from a paper bag. He does this to put the town at ease, as he sits with the african-american people. It makes the town think that he’s just too drunk to know where he’s sitting, which makes his life easier. "I try to give 'em a reason, you see. It helps folks if they can latch onto a reason... folks can say Dolphus Raymond's in the clutches of whiskey--that's why he

"Every town the size of Maycomb had families like the Ewells. No economic fluctuations changed their status--- people like the Ewells lived as guests of the county in prosperity as well as in the depths of a depression. No truant officer could keep their numerous offspring in school; no public health officer could free them from congenital defects, various worms, and the diseases indigenous to filthy surroundings." (Lee, 170) They live near the dump with no money, no education, and no mother. Mayella ends up taking her mother’s place when she died, caring for all of the children and doing the entirety of the house work. The family practically lives off the county, and even takes chifferobes from the dump and breaks them up for firewood, which is where Tom Robinson comes in. Mayella falsely accused Tom of raping and beating her, when in all reality she tried to get with Tom and he didn’t want anything to do with her. Bob saw the whole thing go down and he hit Mayella as a result. She only accused him so that the true story would miss the public eye. Also, the Ewells do nothing to better their situation