Study of Families in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Study of Families in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Families are very important in To Kill a Mockingbird. In Maycomb being

established in society is very important for the residents of the

town. As are family values. At the beginning of the story Scout

describes how important it is to have a good family history. This

importance of having a good family background is a theme that runs

throughout the book.

" Being Southerners, it was a source of shame to some members of the

family that we had no recorded ancestors on either side of the Battle

of Hastings." (Scout, page 9)

Miss Caroline is regarded with suspicion because she is an outsider.

She is from North Alabama, which is known as a place of industry,

republicans and 'other persons of no background'. She is a foreigner

and because she had no roots in the country she would be frowned upon.

The population of Maycomb has consisted of the same families for

nearly two hundred years. Over this time the families have clear

characteristics that they have inherited. This can often lead to

social division. The rest of the town labels each of the families. In

chapter two Scout tries to explain why Walter Cunningham will not take

her money. She simply says

"Miss Caroline, he's a Cunningham."

Scout thinks that just mentioning his surname will show her that the

Cunnighams will never take anything they cannot pay back because

that's the established characteristic they have built up. Miss

Caroline being an outsider doesn't understand this.

It is important for people in Maycomb to mix with the 'right' families

if you view yourself in the upper classes or in anyway respectable....

... middle of paper ...

...done about it nowadays. It would not be socially acceptable

anymore to lock up your son for being arrested. The communities of

today would not allow it and social workers would think there was

something wrong with the father. Families today are in some way more

like the Radleys. Families today keep more to themselves like the

Radleys but for different reasons. Communities like Maycomb are not so

widespread these days and people don't tend to mix as much with their

community like the people did in the thirties. Families like the

Finches are common. People nowadays are far more broad-minded like

Atticus. Black people are treated equally and the class system is not

so strong but there are still prejudices against people. The

situations today are different but many family values still exist from

the time the story was set.