Examples Of Social Class In To Kill A Mockingbird

Social class is a significant issue seen throughout history. Individuals have a tendancy to put people into groups and expect them to stay there. People should not be defined by how they live and how successful they are. As seen in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird there is an extreme segregation of people. The different “classes” and how each in turn are treated are clearly visible within the novel. Seeing the progression of hatred, discrimination, and rejection shows us how social class is becoming more of an issue.

Hatred is a very evident matter in this book. After the Tom Robinson case Bob Ewell swore he would get revenge on Atticus Finch. He was so driven by hatred because of how Atticus humiliated him in court. He not only had hatred against Atticus but also anyone that was involved in the Tom Robinson case. Finally he decided to act upon his threat and he attacked Atticus’ children. “Something crushed the chicken wire around me. Metal ripped on metal and I fell to the ground and rolled as far as I could, floundering to escape my wire prison” (265-266). The amount of hatred he had was clearly great enough that he was willing to attack children just because they belonged to someone he hated.
Watching Bob Ewell falsely accuse Tom Robinson just because of his color shows the segregation of people. As a result of this false accusation Tom Robinson lost his life. They “killed a mockingbird”. There was not only discrimination against black people but also with white people. Lula confronts Calpurnia when she took the children to her church. “I wants to know why you bringin‘ white chillun to nigger church” (120). This shows just how discrimination goes both ways in the novel creating the idea of social