Who Is Judge Paul Heath Till's Explanation Of Southern Civility

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“Judge Paul Heath Till’s Explanation of Southern Civility in To Kill a Mockingbird”
Places, like Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama, are known for a major thing: southern civility. Many people of the South have southern hospitality in their blood, which is proved by their civil actions and morales. These renowned actions and moral are showcased in pieces of literature that aptly describe the South. Judge Paul Heath Till’s essay, “Morals, Manners, Customs, and Public Perception”, gives cardinal examples of the Southern actions and morales. The essay discusses the morals, characteristics, and conducts that every true Southern abides by; these elements explain and describe Southern civility. These same elements are reflected in Harper Lee’s classic …show more content…
To demonstrate, Till writes in his essay, “It was the absolute moral responsibility of every man to protect and defend all ladies and children.” In To Kill a Mockingbird, Mister Link Deas retains this quality Till admires. Deas is the employer of Tom Robinson. After Tom is killed, he realized how the circumstances cruelly turned against his wife. Helen Robinson, now a single mother, had six children to take care of by herself. She had no job, no money, and no help after the death of Tom. Once Mister Deas notices Bob Ewell’s brutality towards innocent Helen, he defends her, which Till wishes all Southern gentlemen should do. “If I hear one more peep outta my girl Helen about not bein' able to walk this road I'll have you in jail before sundown” (Lee 249). Moreover, Mister Deas gave financial security to Helen by giving her a job at his store, even though he was not looking for more workers. Deas’s act of kindness mirrors the quote from Till’s essay, “All Southern women are ladies and are to be shown deference...If no male member of her family was present than it was your responsibility as a gentleman to see that this rule was followed.” According to Till’s standards, Deas can be distinguished as a true Southern
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Southern Graciousness

In Judge Paul Heath Till’s “Morals, Manners, Customs, and Public Perceptions,” Judge Heath’s explanations of Southern civility is similar to that of Harper Lee’s in To Kill A Mockingbird. Both of these works exhibit the meaning of courtesy in the South; Lee does this by the characterization of each character, while Judge Heath shows this through his past experiences. While Heath and Lee’s perceptions on the topic of Southern graciousness are portrayed in different ways, they yield the same message;…

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