Social class plays a big part of any community because there will always be someone doing better than regular everyday people. Depending on where you are, there is different ideas on “social class” and what goes into it. Social class in To Kill A Mockingbird is determined by heredity, economic status, and race, these are factors that change the viewpoint others have of characters in Maycomb’s society.
The Cunninghams and Ewells are examples of lower class white people that are still looked at differently because of their economic status. People of the same color as these families may still look down to them because of how poor they are. The Ewell family, described as very disgusting,racist, lazy and uneducated and do not interact too much with the main world. The Ewell children do not receive good care at home besides each other and their useless …show more content…
Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, being accused of rape and has no luck in the courts, besides Atticus as his lawyer. It is clear to the reader that Tom is innocent but the people are Maycomb are not trying to believe it because of the color of his skin. Atticus explains to Jem, “Tom Robinson’s a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say, ‘We think you’re guilty but not very’[...] acquittal or nothing” (294). Tom being black determined the way even the justice system, at the time, would treat him so unfairly. The injustice from the law shows people’s perspective on blacks at this time. Even the things said by Tom were flipped on him, making him in the wrong. “‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling” (264). Once Tom Robinson said how he felt about Mayella and her home situation, this is how the jury responded. At this time in history it was looked at as very disrespectful for someone who is black to feel like they are better, like feeling sorry, for a white
The Cunninghams and Ewells are examples of lower class white people that are still looked at differently because of their economic status. People of the same color as these families may still look down to them because of how poor they are. The Ewell family, described as very disgusting,racist, lazy and uneducated and do not interact too much with the main world. The Ewell children do not receive good care at home besides each other and their useless …show more content…
Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, being accused of rape and has no luck in the courts, besides Atticus as his lawyer. It is clear to the reader that Tom is innocent but the people are Maycomb are not trying to believe it because of the color of his skin. Atticus explains to Jem, “Tom Robinson’s a colored man, Jem. No jury in this part of the world’s going to say, ‘We think you’re guilty but not very’[...] acquittal or nothing” (294). Tom being black determined the way even the justice system, at the time, would treat him so unfairly. The injustice from the law shows people’s perspective on blacks at this time. Even the things said by Tom were flipped on him, making him in the wrong. “‘You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?’ Mr. Gilmer seemed ready to rise to the ceiling” (264). Once Tom Robinson said how he felt about Mayella and her home situation, this is how the jury responded. At this time in history it was looked at as very disrespectful for someone who is black to feel like they are better, like feeling sorry, for a white