Imagine you’re playing a game of monopoly. The money is handed out. The player to your right gets double your amount and the player to your left gets triple your amount. There is also a change of rules. Instead of collecting two hundred dollars as you pass go like the other players, you only receive one hundred. Instead of rolling two dice, you roll one dice. And just because you argued that it wasn’t fair, you have to skip a turn. How do you feel?
This analogy is a basic understanding of social inequality. The reality of social inequality is much broader than an unfair game of Monopoly, but the same idea can be seen throughout Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. The idea that just because you’re African- American you don’t deserve the same rights as everyone around you. The idea that your last name influences your status in society, how your treated and how much money you have .These inequalities are depicted through both Scout and Jems journey of understanding Maycomb’s social status and the events that occur prior to and during the trial of Tom Robinson that reflect this status. As Scout and Jem begin to form their own opinions on the matter, they spend a great deal of time trying to understand what defines and creates Maycomb’s social strata.
“I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folk.” – Scout Finch
The context of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is heavily influenced by the events from the early 1930s to the late 1950s, just before the books publishing in 1960. These events included the Scottsboro Case in 1931, the African-American Civil Rights Movement from 1955 till 1968 and the Great Depression in 1929, which lasted till the late 1930s. With Harper Lee growing up throughout these times, the culture and events of Maycomb as well as the characterisation of Scout reflects Lee’s experiences and lifestyle throughout her childhood.
An example of social inequality in the text is the Cunningham family. One of the poorest families in Maycomb, the Cunningham’s don’t accept anything from people if they can’t return it. Scout first encounters the Cunningham’s on her first day of school, when Walter Cunningham is in her class. Walter does not have lunch or lunch money. Her classmates ask her to explain to the teacher why Walter won't take a quarter to buy lunch, and she tells the teacher about the Cunningham’s financial situation, and how they trade goods for services. Scout and the other children have a clear understanding of the social inequalities in Maycomb, but they see these inequalities as natural and permanent.
Scout then invites Walter back to the Finches for lunch, where she judges the way he eats and behaves at the lunch table.
"There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "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?"
"He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham-"
"Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em—if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!"
Calpurnia sent me through the swinging door to the diningroom with a stinging smack. (3.26-29)
The Finch family falls rather high up in the social hierarchy, while the Ewell family falls at the bottom. However, this hierarchy only includes white people. Maycomb's black population fall beneath all white families in Maycomb, including the Ewells, whom Atticus labels as "trash".
Scout understands this social structure, but doesn't understand why it is so. She believes that everyone should be treated the same, no matter what family they are from. For example, when she wants to spend more time with Walter Cunningham, Aunt Alexandra refuses, saying no Finch girl should ever be company with a Cunningham. Scout is frustrated by this, as she wants to be able to choose her own friends based on her belief that morality is what makes a good person.
This brings us to the other end of the scale. Aunt Alexandra is an example of a higher class citizen in Maycomb and is strongly opinionated about the town’s social hierarchy. She believes she is superior to those around her, and can do as she pleases. Alexandra pulls both Jem and Scout into line, to make sure they uphold the Finches high regarded reputation.
Lee uses many language techniques throughout the novel to portray social inequality, one of these being first person. By allowing the novel to be solely focused on Scout’s perspective, her innocence and coming-of-age can be shown and followed throughout the novel. This enhances the impact of social inequity, as Scout has to learn, as well as come to terms with, the way society works in Maycomb.
Another technique used in the novel is a metaphor. The use of a metaphor enhances the text, providing the reader with a creative and interesting perspective on the subject. In Chapter three, Atticus says something to Scout that creates a deeper and more personal view on the topic of social inequality. He tells her that you can never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
There is a variety of examples of social inequality in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, which all add to the tone and storyline of the novel. The bottom line is, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ wouldn’t be the same without these cultural assumptions. They are what made the book what it was 75 years ago, what it is known for today and what it will be for future generations.
This analogy is a basic understanding of social inequality. The reality of social inequality is much broader than an unfair game of Monopoly, but the same idea can be seen throughout Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. The idea that just because you’re African- American you don’t deserve the same rights as everyone around you. The idea that your last name influences your status in society, how your treated and how much money you have .These inequalities are depicted through both Scout and Jems journey of understanding Maycomb’s social status and the events that occur prior to and during the trial of Tom Robinson that reflect this status. As Scout and Jem begin to form their own opinions on the matter, they spend a great deal of time trying to understand what defines and creates Maycomb’s social strata.
“I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folk.” – Scout Finch
The context of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is heavily influenced by the events from the early 1930s to the late 1950s, just before the books publishing in 1960. These events included the Scottsboro Case in 1931, the African-American Civil Rights Movement from 1955 till 1968 and the Great Depression in 1929, which lasted till the late 1930s. With Harper Lee growing up throughout these times, the culture and events of Maycomb as well as the characterisation of Scout reflects Lee’s experiences and lifestyle throughout her childhood.
An example of social inequality in the text is the Cunningham family. One of the poorest families in Maycomb, the Cunningham’s don’t accept anything from people if they can’t return it. Scout first encounters the Cunningham’s on her first day of school, when Walter Cunningham is in her class. Walter does not have lunch or lunch money. Her classmates ask her to explain to the teacher why Walter won't take a quarter to buy lunch, and she tells the teacher about the Cunningham’s financial situation, and how they trade goods for services. Scout and the other children have a clear understanding of the social inequalities in Maycomb, but they see these inequalities as natural and permanent.
Scout then invites Walter back to the Finches for lunch, where she judges the way he eats and behaves at the lunch table.
"There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "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?"
"He ain't company, Cal, he's just a Cunningham-"
"Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em—if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!"
Calpurnia sent me through the swinging door to the diningroom with a stinging smack. (3.26-29)
The Finch family falls rather high up in the social hierarchy, while the Ewell family falls at the bottom. However, this hierarchy only includes white people. Maycomb's black population fall beneath all white families in Maycomb, including the Ewells, whom Atticus labels as "trash".
Scout understands this social structure, but doesn't understand why it is so. She believes that everyone should be treated the same, no matter what family they are from. For example, when she wants to spend more time with Walter Cunningham, Aunt Alexandra refuses, saying no Finch girl should ever be company with a Cunningham. Scout is frustrated by this, as she wants to be able to choose her own friends based on her belief that morality is what makes a good person.
This brings us to the other end of the scale. Aunt Alexandra is an example of a higher class citizen in Maycomb and is strongly opinionated about the town’s social hierarchy. She believes she is superior to those around her, and can do as she pleases. Alexandra pulls both Jem and Scout into line, to make sure they uphold the Finches high regarded reputation.
Lee uses many language techniques throughout the novel to portray social inequality, one of these being first person. By allowing the novel to be solely focused on Scout’s perspective, her innocence and coming-of-age can be shown and followed throughout the novel. This enhances the impact of social inequity, as Scout has to learn, as well as come to terms with, the way society works in Maycomb.
Another technique used in the novel is a metaphor. The use of a metaphor enhances the text, providing the reader with a creative and interesting perspective on the subject. In Chapter three, Atticus says something to Scout that creates a deeper and more personal view on the topic of social inequality. He tells her that you can never really understand a person until you consider things from their point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.
There is a variety of examples of social inequality in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, which all add to the tone and storyline of the novel. The bottom line is, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ wouldn’t be the same without these cultural assumptions. They are what made the book what it was 75 years ago, what it is known for today and what it will be for future generations.