Jem is right on target when he explains his belief that there
are "four types of people." There are regular people, like the Finches and their neighbors; there
are poor but honest people like the Cunninghams; there are poor but dishonest people like the
Ewells; and there are Negroes. Obviously, Jem's view is not a worldly one, but it is fairly
accurate for his little world of
Maycomb.
- African-Americans
are on the bottom of the social ladder with virtually no distinguishing differences between them;
they are outcasts to the white community and live in the Quarters just outside town.
- The Ewells are pretty much alone in
their status as "the disgrace of Maycomb." They rank above Negroes, but just barely, and they
live outside town between the dump and the
Quarters. - Poor but honest people like
the Cunninghams are numerous and may actually be the largest social class in Maycomb. Their
honesty and willingness to work is probably all that separates them from the Ewells and,
according to Jem, they are mostly rural, living outside the city
limits. - People like us--like the
Finches and their neighbors--are at the top of Jem's social scale. They are friendly, have nice
little houses in town, and have similar tastes and
beliefs.
There are several characters who don't fit into
any of these groups, however. Boo Radley, though a neighbor, is hardly like Jem and Scout.
Dolphus Raymond, a white man who lives with blacks, is certainly the biggest outcast. His wealth
would put him at the top of the town's social chart, but his love of the black man (and woman)
drops him considerably in the minds of Maycombians.
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