In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, social differences can be viewed in Maycomb county as foreign or not accepted. The society knows that people in the town are not accepted and are treated as outcasts, hence people often choose to pretend they are not there or exemplify their differences by talking about them. This could include occupations, race, gender, and ability. Each difference has a significant role in the book To Kill a Mockingbird. They all play a role in singling out multiple people in Maycomb County.
Examples include how Scout’s Aunt Alexandra views the Cunninghams, Atticus’s approach to the trial against Tom Robinson, and how Boo Radley is viewed at the beginning and end of the book. Harper Lee illustrates these examples of social differences to highlight the roles that they play and how they shape the town in To Kill a Mockingbird. When Scout’s aunt Alexandra first arrives at Atticus’s house, she reveals some of her views on the Cunninghams which can be seen as pompous. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the Cunninghams are seen as people who are known to get by on their own. Although they are of a lower class, when they are offered something, they do not accept it. Atticus views them as respectful people, hence they would rather give than receive.
When Scout describes Atticus’s statements on them, this is what she says, Atticus said you just had to know em. He said the Cunninghams hadn’t taken anything from or off of anybody since they migrated to the New World. He said the other thing about them was, once you earned their respect they were for you tooth and nail. (Lee, 254) So generally, the Cunninghams were respectful people who valued their character more than their reputation. They know that they are of a lower class, therefore they try to present themselves as if they were of a higher class, so in turn, they are not coming off as beggars or “common poor people”. So they accept what they do not have.
Atticus explains to Jem why one of the relatives of the Cunningham’s had been in the jury for the Tom Robinson case because Jem wonders why Atticus would put a man that could have been capable of murder in the jury. Atticus tells Jem about how the relative of the Cunninghams in the jury was unbiased and unpredictable. This shows how Atticus views the Cunninghams as a whole aside from Aunt Alexandra who thinks differently. Atticus wanted to think of the better outcome in the case for putting the man in the jury because he knew the Cunninghams were fair-minded. He knew that no matter what, the Cunninghams would support if they were respected properly.
Shortly after the discussion about the Tom Robinson case, they went on to discuss the Cunninghams’ family structure, which was that they had double first cousins. Scout asks if Aunt Alexandra had been listening to their conversation when she says “ Gee minetti, Jem,” I said when Atticus had gone, “they’re funny folks. D’ you hear that Aunty?” (Lee, 255). Aunt Alexandra then says that she heard it. After that Scout goes on to say that when school starts, she was going to invite Walter Cunningham to dinner. But Aunt Alexandra is not so certain about the Cunninghams. She had even heard their previous conversation but she still did not agree with how Atticus viewed the Cunninghams.
Even when Atticus had talked about how once someone has shown that they respect them, they will always have your back. Aunt Alexandra still does not consider them as people the Finches should be associated with. She explains to Scout that the Cunninghams are not “their kind of people”, even though she does acknowledge that they are good people. She wants Scout to be respectful to Walter Cunningham but she also does not want her around them because she may not want their ways to influence her, hence Aunt Alexandra tells Scout that they have had drinking problems and states “ 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” (Lee, 256). It goes to say that Aunt Alexandra judges people based on their reputation and background, rather than their character.
In this case, though, the character of the Cunninghams is what shapes small communities like Maycomb. Without the Cunninghams, the town would be imbalanced because there should a median between social differences. If everyone is the same in a community, there really is no structure to the community as a whole. In conclusion, the Cunninghams set the tone for communities like Maycomb because they represent how everyone should be to each other, which is respectful. Around the time of the Tom Robinson trial, it was viewed as a contentious issue because of the way the south was at the time, making it harder for Atticus to easily be a lawyer of a person of color. This had made Atticus an example of a social difference because his views on racism and law had at this point, made him unfavorable to many of the people in Maycomb such as Mrs. Dubose who called Atticus a “N***** lover”.
Although prejudice comments were thrown at him, he had still taken a stand and went through with his word. He explains to Scout that he had to take the case anyway because he was assigned to. When Scout asks why Atticus was defending a person of color he states, “For a number of reasons, said Atticus. The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to something again”( Lee, 86). When he states this, he is telling Scout basically, that if he does not do the right thing, he automatically loses his authority as well as respect for himself. He knows the right thing to do is to stick to his assignment and defend the person wrongly accused, in this case, it is Tom Robinson.
Whether or not Maycomb wants to acknowledge that it is the right thing to do, Atticus does not let prejudice statements distract him from keeping his composure and respect for the community, even when the community is wrong. Breaking the social norm adds to his Christ-like figure. It adds on because he is displaying that he cannot be deterred from what he thinks is right. Atticus considers his morals before he takes action. This is what makes him the “perfect” character. Ultimately, Atticus represents how people should actually go on about certain situations thrown at them. Hence, he thinks about the outcome of his actions rather than opinions of others, even if it is an entire town.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley is seen as this mysterious character who is identified as the main outcast of the town. He is an outcast because he is known for a rough past. Being in gangs, cussing in front of women, and stabbing his father as a teen, had made him automatically not accepted in the town anymore. As the story pushes forward, he slowly starts to reveal himself again after twenty years of being confined to his house because of his disturbing presence in the town. He only reveals himself to Jem and Scout. For instance when he gives Scout a blanket during Miss Maudie’s fire and puts gifts in the tree near their house. These situations show how Boo Radley actually views the children and shows how much he cares for them. He begins to display the opposite of what people classify him as, a monster, but sneakily.
At the end of the book, Boo Radley saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell. By being involved in this situation, he breaks the social norm because he does the exact opposite of what people would expect him to do. He leaves his home and risks being seen because of his reputation. His love for Jem and Scout overrides his fear of being seen and shows that he is actually a respectful and careful person. As a symbol, Boo represents what Maycomb does not want to do. Maycomb does not want to break from their ways and lifestyles. As previously shown, the majority of Maycomb sticks to their opinions even when they are clearly wrong, just as how wrong they were of the false accusation towards the Tom Robinson trial. Boo Radley coming out to save the children shows that he knew it was the right thing. He knew that he couldn’t worry, in this case, about getting caught in the night. At that moment of his life, he had a duty, and in his mind, it was to protect Jem and Scout.
At the very end of the story, when Boo is about to go back home, he says the only line from his own mouth in the entire book to Scout. Boo says, “Will you take me home”(Lee, 319). He does this because he has trust in Scout. He has known her for so long even though it was mostly through a window. It shows that he is actually quite innocent and vulnerable. Given these points, Boo Radley is the example of a major social difference because he risks his life even if it changes Maycomb’s views on him. He knows he is different but he does not let society keep him from what is most important to him, which in this case, is Jem and Scout. In essence, Harper Lee creates major social differences throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird, to point out the ways in which social norms can be broken and learned from.
From the Cunninghams, it is seen that they represent what holds communities like Maycomb together. They show their respect and acknowledge the fact that they are of a lower class. In turn, they help shape Maycomb because they break the social norm for “common poor people”. Aunt Alexandra represents how the majority of Maycomb truly is. It is that they are mostly stuck up people who cannot accept the fact that not everyone is on the same level. Atticus’s approach towards the Tom Robinson trial shows how Maycomb is wrong in their ways because they choose to go against Atticus rather than side with him because they do not want to break the social norm and appear as non racist.
Atticus displays how it is okay to break the social barriers by standing on his own. He cared about his morals because he knew in order to achieve something, he had to have faith and respect for himself, when people did not have his back. Boo Radley broke the social norm by doing the opposite of what Maycomb does. He broke out of his shell, which in turn changed the perspective of Scout. Maycomb does not break out of routine, they cling to what everyone else is doing because they do not want to be different and looked at as an outcast. Out of love and fear Boo saves Jem and Scout which consequently, changed his character in Maycomb into something that he was not looked at as before, a hero.
At the end of the day, social differences are what makes a society what it is. Without them, societies would lose their structure and become worthless. They would become worthless because there is no value to them. When someone does something out of the ordinary, it inspires people. It brings people out of their shells and old ways. Social differences let people know that it is okay to be different and to break the social norms to create better outcomes. They exemplify what people should be doing to change themselves for the better. Therefore, without them there cannot be a shape to a society because that society has no internal value.
