THE EXISTENCE OF

SOCIAL INEQUALITY
May 8, 2014 Leave a comment

Social inequality exists within the book To Kill A Mockingbird in many

ways. As weve seen through out the story, the city of Maycomb
views certain people in certain ways because of the way they live or
their skin color. Nobody in Maycomb talks to the Ewells because of
the way they live. Theyre considered outsiders and a very low
class in society who live in nothing but filth and are very poor. On
the other hand, we have dark skinned people, who are discriminated
against because of their skin color. In Tom Robinsons case, it was
very plain obvious that he was innocent, yet they charged him guilty
ONLY because of his skin color which is so unfair. These are
examples of inequality amongst society that are seen in the story
and we should all learn from this. Harper Lee included this real life
examples to teach her readers a lesson. Characters like Atticus,
Scout, and Jem are all good people because they really dont care
how you live or what color your skin is. This is how social inequality
exists within the book.
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CHAPTERS 29-31
May 7, 2014 Leave a comment

Why did Atticus and Heck help cover the fact that Arthur Radley
killed Bob Ewell?
In the last two chapters, we see how Boo finally decides to come out
and reveal himself to the Finch family. Bob Ewell purposely tries to
kill Jem and Scout while theyre walking home alone at night. Soon
enough, while the kids run away, Bob is found dead. Later, we find
out Boo was the one who killed him to protect Jem and Scout. When
Atticus and Heck find out, they decide to keep it between them, but
why? Atticus, though, is obviously very grateful, seen in the
quote,Before he went inside the house, he stopped in front
of Boo Radley, Thank you for my children, Arthur. he
said. (Lee 276) This quote in the book proves to the reader how
thankful Atticus is that Arthur was there to help protect the kids.
Atticus and Hevck decide to help Arthur by not telling anyone what
happened that night because that would just bring attention to

Arthur, and hes not used to attention by anyone. Either way, Arthur
would not really be imprisoned because it was self-defense. An
example of this is in the quote from a non-fiction
article, Prosecutors dropped the rape charges against five of
the men in July 1937, but four others- including those
pardoned on Thursday- were convicted again and initially
sentenced to death or decades in prison.(Blinder 3) This is all
an example of social inequality because if Atticus and Heck were to
tell about what Arthur did, people would look at him the same. They
wouldnt look at him as some kind of hero, but as a murderer. They
dont give him a chance just because of the rumour of what he did
to his dad. This form of unfairness is shown in the
statement, Inequality is about who gets what, how they get
it, and why they get it. (Crossman 1) This quote is very much
true because it shows the unfairness in some people.
References:
(Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.)
(Alan Blinder. Three Scottsboro Boys Forgiven. To Kill A
Mockingbird Nonfiction Reading Companion. May 2014: P(3). Print.)
(Ashley Crossman. Sociology of Social Inequality. sociology. ND,
Web. May 6,
2014. http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-OfSocial-Inequality.htm )
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CHAPTERS 25-28
May 6, 2014 Leave a comment

What was so ironic about Scouts definition of democracy?

In chapters 25-28, we see that the Scouts teacher talks to the kids a
lot about Hitler, who he was and what he did. She then starts talking
about democracy and asks for a defintion when Scout raises her
hands and says, Equal rights for all, special privileges to no
one I quoted. (Lee 245) Whats so ironic about her giving this
definition is the fact that shes right, yet the rest of Maycomb is not
doing what the definition of democracy is to Tom Robinson. They
treat him unfairly just because of his skin color. An example of this is
seen in the quote,We pride ourselves in this coutry upon
having a free and compulsory educational system. Why then
did these young Negroes, all under age, not know how to
read and write? (No Name 12) This proves how as a country, we

value our educational system yet these kids who are all black and
under age dont know the basics, reading and writing. This relates to
the social issue going on right now, between the rich and the poor,
and this is proven in the quote,Americans have never been too
worried about the income gap. The gap between the rich and
the rest has been much wider in the United States than in
other developed nations for decades. (Porter 1) This
statement has shown that social inequality still exists in the modern
world. Not only does social inequality exist between different skin
colors, but a lot between
different levels of society.
References:
(Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.)
(No Name. Scottsboro Case. To Kill A Mockingbird Nonfiction
Reading Companion. May 2014: P(12). Print.)
(Eduardo Porter. Inequality Undermines Democracy. NYTimes.
March 20, 2012. Web. May 5,
2014.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/business/economy/tolera
nce-for-income-gap-may-be-ebbing-economic-scene.html?_r=0 )
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CHAPTERS 22-24
April 26, 2014 Leave a comment

Why are people too afraid to admit that they support Tom?
After Toms death, people start to realize that he was never the bad
person. They start to support him but are too afraid to admit it to
anything. Two of the people who realize this are Aunt Alexandra and
Miss Maudie. They start to see the good in Tom, shown in the quote
when Alexandra tells Miss Maudie, Ive seen him when-what
else do they want from him, Maudie, what else? I mean this
town. Theyre perfectly willing to let him do what theyre too
afraid to do it themselves cause it might lose em a
nickel. (Lee 236) Alexandra tells Maudie that the town are too
much of cowards to admit what they see in Tom and expect Atticus
to do all the work. The townspeople dont want to loose buisness so
they keep quiet. Tom unfortunately was killed when all along he was
innocent. This statement is reflected upon the quote, After being
falsely accused of rape in 1931, Patterson spent the next
sixteen years in Alabama courtroos and prisons. Tried four
times,Patterson was convicted and sentenced to death three

times, before receiving a seventy-five year sentence from

his fourth jury. (No Name 1) This shows how Patterson was put
through so much when all along he was innocent and not guilty of
rape. This situation is similar to the holocaust, some shop owners
were against Hitler but didnt want to admit it because they were
too afraid of what might happen to them and their buisness. Hitler
did horrible things, proven in the quote, Meanwhile, beginning
in the fall of 1939, Nazi officials selected around 70,000
Germans institutionalized for mental illness or disabilities to
be gassed to death in the so-called Euthanasia Program. (No
Name 1) This shows how horrible the situation was but nobody tried
to stop it because of fear. This is an example of social inequality
because nobody bothers to stand up for what they believe in
because theyre all too selfish.
References:
(Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.)
(No Name. Haywood Patterson. To Kill A Mockingbird Nonfiction
Reading Companion. April 2014: P(1). Print.)
(No Name. Holocaust. History. ND, Web. April 26,
2014.http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-holocaust )
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CHAPTERS 18-21
April 23, 2014 Leave a comment

Why does Scout say that Mayella is lonelier than Boo Radley?
During Tom Robinsons court trial, Scout says that Mayella Ewell is
so lonely, even lonelier than Boo Radley himself. This statement said
by Scout is shown in the quote, As Tom Robinson gave his
testimony, it came to me that Mayella Ewell must have been
the loneliest person in the world. She was even lonelier than
Boo Radley, who had not been out of the house in twentyfive years. (Lee 191) Scout is basically saying that Mayella has
nobody. Since shes a Ewell, the lowest of the low, she doesnt really
have friends. The Ewells lived in nothing but filth and trash, nobody
ever talked to them or was seen in public with them. Just as the
Scottsboro boys, they were seen as the low class. This is proven
with the quote, It is not their interest to see that the Negro
has the same legal and social rights as the white man.
Southern whites feel to their marrow-bone only one thing
about the Negro, and they say it over and over. Hundreds of

thousands of them have been saying it for generations. (No

Name 13) This statement shows how it is not in anybodys interest if
a Negro has the same rights as a white man. This is the same
situation for the Ewells because nobody would really care if they
raised as a higher class. These days, people notice social
inequality but some dont bother doing anything about it. Social
inequality is explained in the statement, Social inequality is
characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and
rewards for different social positions or statuses within a
group or society. (Crossman 1) Mayella Ewell and her family are
not seen and appreciated as much as the rest of the people of
MayComb. This is an example of how Social Inequality takes place in
the book.
References:
(Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.)
(History Of The Case. To Kill A Mockingbird Nonfiction Reading
Companion. April 2014: P(13). Print.)
(Ashley Crossman. Sociology of Social Inequality. Sociology.about.
ND, Web. April 22,
2014. http://sociology.about.com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-OfSocial-Inequality.htm )
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April 11, 2014 Aside Leave a comment

During the case of Tom Robinson, the people of Maycomb stood by

the Ewells no matter what. The Ewells were so low in society, they
lived in filthy surroundings and had low conditions, and even with
that, society still supported them and not Tom because of his skin
color. The following statement shows the reader how the Ewells are
not in a good place in society, No public health officer could
free them from congenital defects, various worms, and the
diseases indigenous to filthy surroundings. (Lee 170) This
proves how even the garbage is above the Ewells yet people
wont support Tom because of his skin color. As seen in the
Scottsboro Case, the young 9 black teenagers were never given a
chance to have a voice and nobody stood by their side because of
their skin color. They didnt have a chance and had very little
opportunities, as seen in the quote, Why then did these young
Negroes, all under the age, not know how to read and write?
Because the subjugating white race is not concerned to see
that black children go to school. (No Name 12) African

American people had very little privileges like going to school. An

example of how racism is still happening today in the fashion world
and it is shown in the quote, Whether its the decision of the
designer, stylist or casting director, that decision to use
basically all white models reveals a trait that is unbecoming
to modern society. (Tierney Sneed 1) Some racial issues still
happen in todays society but not as much as in the past.
References:
(Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.)
(Timeline Of The Case. To Kill A Mockingbird Non Fiction Reading
Campanion. March 2014: (P12). Print.)
(Tierney Sneed. The Issue Of Race Follows New York Fashion Week
Down The Catwalk. Usnews September 13, 2013, Web. April
10,2014.http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/13/theissue-of-race-follows-new-york-fashion-week-down-the-catwalk)
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April 9, 2014 Aside Leave a comment

In the book, Aunt Alexandra has a discussion with Atticus about not
letting Calpurnia in the house anymore. Atticus then refuses and
ends the conversation saying, Alexandra, Calpurnias not
leaving this house until she wants to. (Lee 137) This is an
example of how a majority of the townspeople were racist, including
Aunt Alexandra. Not everyone liked the idea that Atticus thought
everyone should be treated equally. People didnt treat colored
people fairly and did ridiculous things such as make false
accusations. This kind of even is proven in the statement, The
Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenagers accused of rape
in Alabama in 1931. (No Name 1) These boys were falsely
accused by two white woman. They were never given justice and
werent given a single chance. Racism has always been in an issue,
especially in America. These problems are shown in the
quote, Race issues are so fundamental in American society
that they seem almost an integral component. (No Name 1)
This quote clearly proves how race issues exist everywhere. Its not
fair to treat someone or think of someone differently because of
their skin color. Social inequality is clearly seen in the book and is
showing the readers one of many issues in society.
References:
(Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books, 1982. Print.)
(The Scottsboro Case. To Kill A Mockingbird Nonfiction Reading

Campanion. April 2014: (P1). Print.)

(No Name. Race, Racism, And The Law. Racism. ND, Web. April 8,
2014.http://racism.org/ )
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CHAPTERS 9-11
March 29, 2014 Leave a comment

In the book, Atticus Finch believes it is his duty to defend Tom

Robinson, a black man. When kids at Scouts school find out, they
tease her because of it. Why does Atticus really, truly wants to
defend this man, despite of what people think of him? The author
shows how Scout reacts to her fathers actions in the quote, If
you shouldnt be defendin him, then why are you doin it?
For a number of reasons, said Atticus. The main one is, if
I didnt I couldnt hold up my head in town, I couldnt
represent this county in the legislature. I couldnt even tell
you or Jem not to do something again. (Lee, 75) Atticus feels
like it is job to defend the man or else he would feel like a coward
and wouldnt be able to keep his head high. Atticus is proven to be a
good, non-judgemental man and believes that the way colored
people are treated is not fair. So many unfair, cruel laws were
passed, evident in the statement, Jim Crow states passed
statutes of severely regulating social interactions between
the races. Jim Crow signs were placed above water
fountains, door entrances and exits, and in front of public
facilities. (No Name, 4) People of color couldnt do certain things
only because of their skin type. Atticus does not care wether a
person is black or white, he believes in equality for all. Racist issues
were very common back then, seen in the quote, Racism in the
United States was worse during this time than at any period
before or since. Segregation, racial discrimination, and

expressions of white supremacy all increased. So did antiblack violence, including lynchings and race riots. (No Name,
1) Atticus was clearly a good person in the book and was against all
the racial issues and problems that were going on during that time
period.
References: (Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books,
1982. Print.) (Who Was Jim Crow? To Kill A Mockingbird Nonfiction
Reading Campanion. March 2014: Page 4. Print.) (No Name.
Background On Racial Discrimination. Dosomething.org . ND, web.
March 28,
2014.https://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/background-racialdiscrimination)
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CHAPTERS 5-8
March 25, 2014 Leave a comment

Back then, people of color were discriminated against. This caused

social issues and while some supported this cruel idea, others were
against it. Atticus Finch is an example of someone who looked at all
people equally, seen in the quote, When Atticus came home
that evening he said we were in for it and asked Calpurnia if
she wanted to stay with us for the night. (Lee, 68) Calpurnia
was a woman of color and it wasnt very common for a white man to
ask a black woman to stay the night. This shows how he did not care
that she was a black woman and offered her to stay in his house.
Colored people were not usually given privileges like this, seen by
the reader in the quote, Jim Crow was more than a series of
rigid-anti black laws. It was a way of life. Under Jim Crow,
African Americans were relegated to the status of second
class citizens. Jim Crow represented the legitimization of

anti-black racism. (No Name, 3) In this statement, it is shown

how there were harsh laws that people of color could not do certain
things and not go to certain places. It makes you realize that Atticus
was a good man and did not care about these laws. Someones skin
color does not make who they are and what their personality is like,
proven in the statement, Color discrimination involves
treating someone unfavorably because of skin color
complexion. (No Name, 1) People were sadly treated horribly back
then just because of their skin color. This shows how social issues
existed in Maycomb County and how Atticus did not follow those
laws.
References: (Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books,
1982. Print.) ( Who Was Jim Crow? To Kill A Mockingbird Nonfiction
Reading Campanion. March 2014: P (3). Print.) (No Name.
Race/Color Discrimination. eeoc. ND. Web. March 20,
2014.http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/race_color.cfm)
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CHAPTERS 1-4
March 21, 2014 Leave a comment

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The existence of social inequality is seen in the book To Kill A
Mockingbird. How did the great depression impact life during that
time and create social issues? Many people were left without a home
and had very little money. This statement is seen in the book when
Atticus is explaining to Jem and Scout the various issues with social
inequality, proven in the quote, Are we poor, Atticus? Atticus

nodded. We are indeed. Jems nose wrinkled. Are we as

poor as the Cunninghams? Not exactly. The Cunninghams
are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest.
Atticus said professional people were poor because the
farmers were poor. As Maycomb County was farm county,
nickels and dimes were hard to come by for doctors and
dentists and lawyers. (Lee, 21). Atticus is explaining to his kids
how this event has impacted everyone, but most especially the
Cunninghams, who are a family of farmers and got the most
impacted. Social issues exist here due to some people not being as
poor as others and having more. The Great Depression lead to many
people having no jobs and that affected everyone, proven in the
quote, The stock market continued to decline brief rallies.
Unemployment rose and wages fell for those who continued
to work. (Unknown, 1). Theres a division between the rich and
the poor. Some people have no place to sleep while others have
more than one bed to sleep on. The issue between the rich and the
poor is seen in the quote,The rich have been getting a larger
and larger portion of total income. From 9 percent in the
1980, the top 1 percents take increased 23.5 percent by
2007. in other words, not only are the rich getting richer,
the rest of us are getting poorer. (Robertson and Leumer, 1).
This clearly states that as seen in the book, the rich and the poor
are two different classes. These are all an example of how The
Great Depression affected Maycomb County and the issues that
came with it.
References: (Lee, H. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York: Warner Books,
1982. Print.) ( The Great Depression. To Kill A
Mockingbird Nonfiction Reading Campanion. March 2014: P1. Print.)
(Robertson, A. and Leumer, B. Rising Poverty and Social Inequality

in America. Global Research. August 4, 2012. Web. March 19,

2014.