What two things does Scout mention to Mr. Cunningham at the jail?
Scout mentions to Mr. Cunningham that she admires his work ethic. She also mentions that the people of Maycomb should honor him for his devotion to his son.
Scout mentions to Mr. Cunningham that she knows his son, Walter, and that he’s a nice boy. She also mentions that entailments (debts) are “bad,” but that--according to Atticus--all of Maycomb would survive the tough times together.
Scout mentions to Mr. Cunningham that she and her father love to read. She also mentions her belief that there is something seriously wrong with the education system, and that he should educate his son at home.
Scout mentions to Mr. Cunningham that she respects Tom Robinson because he is a close friend of her father's and her father is very smart. She also mentions the fact that Tom Robinson is a hard worker who deserves respect.
How does Maycomb’s “caste system” (p.175) work, and how might it contribute to the reasons for why Boo Radley has remained a prisoner inside his own house for so long?
Maycomb’s caste system is extremely unfair to pretty much everyone in the community, but it’s especially unfair to those on the lower end of the hierarchy. The older members of the community are, from Scout’s perspective, “utterly predictable to one another” (p.175). People’s individual characteristics and traits are largely disregarded in favor of a kind of prejudicial shorthand. This system pigeonholes members of the community into groups based upon their social standing, their ancestry, and--most importantly--their race. Once a person has been labeled a certain way, there isn’t much that he/she can do to change the ways that the other citizens perceive him/her. Thus, a man like Tom Robinson is presumed guilty by virtue of the fact that he is black. All black people are considered to be inferior by the majority of racist Whites in Maycomb, but minorities aren’t the only ones who are treated unfairly. Arthur “Boo” Radley is white but is considered inferior because of his past indiscretions. He becomes a prisoner in his home, either because of his family’s unwillingness to expose him to the town’s prejudicial thinking or his own unwillingness to confront it. Surely, due the rigidity of its definitions and the lack of class mobility it promotes, Maycomb’s caste system can be viewed as not only unfair but oppressive.
Maycomb’s caste system categorizes people so that they are “utterly predictable to one another” (p.175). This makes it possible for diverse people to tolerate each other in the small town. Each person knows his/her place. It is, however, difficult for a person to change his place in Maycomb society. Arthur “Boo” Radley has been judged to be inferior because of his past indiscretions. He becomes a prisoner in his home, either because of his family’s unwillingness to expose him to the town’s prejudicial thinking or his own unwillingness to confront it. Surely, due the rigidity of its definitions and the lack of class mobility it promotes, Maycomb’s caste system can be viewed as not only unfair but oppressive.
Maycomb’s caste system is extremely fair to pretty much everyone in the community. It is especially fair to those on the lower end of the hierarchy. The older members of the community are, from Scout’s perspective, “utterly predictable to one another” (p.175). People’s individual characteristics and traits are largely disregarded in favor of a kind of shorthand. This system pigeonholes members of the community into groups based upon their social standing, their ancestry, and--most importantly--their race. Once a person has been labeled a certain way, there isn’t much that he/she can do to change the ways that the other citizens perceive him/her. Thus, people are judged for their long-term behavior instead of just for one incident. This helps ensure that Tom Robinson, in the end, will have a fair trial. Arthur “Boo” Radley is also judged fairly because of his many past indiscretions. He becomes a prisoner in his home because he has made it clear that he cannot change or improve his behavior. Maycomb’s caste system can be viewed as not only fair but logical.
Maycomb’s caste system makes older members of the community “utterly predictable to one another” (p.175). It does this by systematically putting people into categories based on three criteria: race, income, and behavior. This system makes it easy for people to understand that Arthur “Boo” Radley should be kept at home where he cannot be a negative influence on Maycomb's children. Because his family is white and rich, he should not be jailed because of his behavior. His family can take care of him, so the city and state does not need to be responsible for him. This saves citizens money and protects them. Clearly, Maycomb’s caste system can be viewed as efficient and economical.