One of the most significant quotes in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird was uttered by Scout Finch in chapter 23, when Scout disagreed with her brother in a crucial manner when she said “Naw, Jem, I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 227). This statement has more meaning to be uncovered than what is drawn from it when first read. The quote boldly deals with many of Lee’s themes of her novel, such as that racism classifies people into groups, innocence allows for idealized views, and that education can be used as a social construct. Lee uses Scout’s innocence to convey her message, as well as her conversation with Jem and earlier altercation with Aunt Alexandra to make her point. Analyzing such a quote can be accomplished through
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Jem, by putting black people at the bottom of the social ladder and saying that they are the most despised people in Maycomb despite their educational attainment speaks clearly on the matter of racism. Lee uses Jem to frame the attitude of white people towards those of color – even if a black person were to graduate from Harvard, he or she would still be regarded as less than someone such as Bob Ewell solely because of the color of his or her skin. Therefore, the last “caste” in Jem’s hierarchy is a direct reference to the racism in Maycomb. The fact that the black people are at the bottom of the social hierarchy clearly shows the reader that even a poor, disrespected family like the Ewells, who are white, is higher up than someone with black skin. This also means that only the white people in Maycomb can be classified by their intangible attributes (such as education or heritage); black people are “otherized” and automatically assumed to be the lowest members in society. Scout’s objection to these assumptions, then, shows that she believes that there’s only “one kind of folks”, including black people. This inclusive view of black people that regards them as equals in society shows that racism is ridiculous, since there is only one type of people. This further shows that racism divides society unfairly into different groups based on …show more content…
This aura of innocence is also used to convey Lee’s message of social equality to the readers by showing that the best assumptions about the world are sometimes made by those that are the least tainted by society. The quote in this particular context allows the reader to infer that Scout believes that all men are created equal, an assumption that is disregarded throughout society as wrong due to the prejudice in Maycomb. Scout, as evidenced by her quote, believes that people are different based upon access to education, not on the color of their skin. However, this innocent assumption, despite its philosophical significance, is not consistent with Jem’s view, a more common one in Maycomb. Scout’s philosophical revelation reveals that Scout has a better grasp on human nature than does Jem, despite her younger age. This shows that children, despite their relative ignorance of the world, can come to idealized views of the world that are oftentimes more accurate and better for society as a whole. This is perhaps due to the fact that they are not subjected to racist assumptions rampant in society when they are older. Regardless, Scout adopts an unorthodox view of society, and Lee conveys to the reader that age does not matter when explaining the world. Jem acknowledges Scout’s
Jem, by putting black people at the bottom of the social ladder and saying that they are the most despised people in Maycomb despite their educational attainment speaks clearly on the matter of racism. Lee uses Jem to frame the attitude of white people towards those of color – even if a black person were to graduate from Harvard, he or she would still be regarded as less than someone such as Bob Ewell solely because of the color of his or her skin. Therefore, the last “caste” in Jem’s hierarchy is a direct reference to the racism in Maycomb. The fact that the black people are at the bottom of the social hierarchy clearly shows the reader that even a poor, disrespected family like the Ewells, who are white, is higher up than someone with black skin. This also means that only the white people in Maycomb can be classified by their intangible attributes (such as education or heritage); black people are “otherized” and automatically assumed to be the lowest members in society. Scout’s objection to these assumptions, then, shows that she believes that there’s only “one kind of folks”, including black people. This inclusive view of black people that regards them as equals in society shows that racism is ridiculous, since there is only one type of people. This further shows that racism divides society unfairly into different groups based on …show more content…
This aura of innocence is also used to convey Lee’s message of social equality to the readers by showing that the best assumptions about the world are sometimes made by those that are the least tainted by society. The quote in this particular context allows the reader to infer that Scout believes that all men are created equal, an assumption that is disregarded throughout society as wrong due to the prejudice in Maycomb. Scout, as evidenced by her quote, believes that people are different based upon access to education, not on the color of their skin. However, this innocent assumption, despite its philosophical significance, is not consistent with Jem’s view, a more common one in Maycomb. Scout’s philosophical revelation reveals that Scout has a better grasp on human nature than does Jem, despite her younger age. This shows that children, despite their relative ignorance of the world, can come to idealized views of the world that are oftentimes more accurate and better for society as a whole. This is perhaps due to the fact that they are not subjected to racist assumptions rampant in society when they are older. Regardless, Scout adopts an unorthodox view of society, and Lee conveys to the reader that age does not matter when explaining the world. Jem acknowledges Scout’s