Ms. Penn
English 2, Section 5
3 March 2017
Southern Social Classes In most cultures and societies, social classes exist and are commonly depicted as upper, middle, and lower classes. In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the social classes of the south are vastly illustrated. Atticus Finch and his family, Walter Cunningham, Bob Ewell and Tom Robinson clearly illustrate the southern social classes. In the sixth page of page in the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper lee stated, “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town, when I first knew it”(Lee,6). This statement explains that the town is very old and poor and the citizens are not trying their hardest to make enhancements or improvements to Maycomb …show more content…
But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself”(Lee,12). In saying this statement, Harper Lee is explaining that United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed this issue during his inauguration speech at the start or beginning of the Great Depression, especially the lowest of the low class, which is the blacks, who were breaking their backs to keep a steady job and afford to live in a somewhat decent household. The middle class was made up of owners of small farms and small-town business owners. The Cunninghams are seen as the other low class family as well as the Ewells in Maycomb, but unlike the Ewells, the Cunninghams are honest people and work as farmers and try their very best to live with what they have, so in this instance they can be recognized as “middle class” citizens. They are so unwealthy that they don’t have enough money to eat lunch. Another reason that makes them part of the middle class is that their son, Walter Cunningham, goes to school and they don't have enough money to get by in their