Similarities Between Ewell And Walter Cunningham

In Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Burris Ewell and Walter Cunningham are both poor, but they are very different in several ways. They are like two sides of the same coin, and Scout learns a lot about the poor through them.
First, Burris Ewell and Walter Cunningham's appearances contrast greatly. Walter tries tries to look presentable, while Burris does not. On page 25, Scout describes Walter when she says, “If Walter had owned any shoes he would have worn them the first day of school then discarded them until mid-winter. He did have on a clean shirt and neatly mended overalls.” This shows that tries to look presentable, even though he cannot afford shoes. Scout describes Burris on page 35 when she says, “He was the filthiest human I had ever seen. His neck was dark gray, the backs of his hands were rusty, and his fingernails were black deep into the quick." He peered at Miss Caroline from a fist sized clean space on his face.” This shows he does not care about his appearance or looking presentable. Both teach Scout that a person’s wealth does not completely determine their appearance.

When Walter is talking to Atticus about school, he says, ''Reason I can’t pass the first grade, Mr. Finch, is I’ve had to stay out ever‘ spring an’ help Papa with the choppin‘," (31-32). This shows he works hard to get money, even if it is not much. Omit, Burris is quite the opposite. One of the older children describes Walter when he says, “Whole school’s full of ‘em. They come first day every year and then leave” (36). This shows that he does not care about his education, or the law. Scout learns from these two that wealth does not affect how hardworking someone