What Is Family Distinctions In To Kill A Mockingbird

“Family and Class Distinctions” “Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.” Different social classes have divided up societies throughout history and still do today in many situations. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird she showed many different types of family and class distinctions. It matters what family or class people belonged to and what class distinctions there were because they affect the story.
In Maycomb County most of the people were of a poor status, but some were more poor than others. “Are we poor, Atticus?” Atticus nodded. “We are indeed.” Jem’s nose wrinkled. “Are we as poor as the Cunninghams?” “Not exactly. The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, the crash hit them the hardest” (21). This quote shows that the Finch family is indeed poor, but not as poor and low class as the Cunningham’s are. Although the

“The tribe of which Burris Ewell and his brethren consisted had lived on the same plot of earth behind the Maycomb dump, and had thrived on county welfare money for three generations” (130). This quote shows that the Ewells had always been an unpleasant and low class family. The Ewells had to live off welfare and they were rude and ignorant. During Tom Robinson’s trial, you were able to see the Ewell’s true colors and ways they were disrespectful. Some of the people of Maycomb had different opinions on other people that may have been of a lower social status than them. For example, Aunt Alexandra told Scout that she couldn’t play with Walter Cunningham because she says that he and his family are not their kind of folks. “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” (225). This quotes shows how Aunt Alexandra believes that Scout shouldn’t associate with Walter Cunningham even though he is