Reading Response #6

“...there’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads- they couldn’t be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.” (Lee 252). In this quote Atticus is talking to Jem about how unfair the court’s case was because of the split community's diversion in racism. Tom couldn’t have won the case and had a rare chance because he was black, and the people always put the white man’s words before the black man’s. This shows the diversion between the communities because of the black and white racism everyone is facing and showing. For example, Ewell and Mayella won because they were white when they had much evidence to show they were guilty and Tom innocent, but because he was black they voted guilty against him. 

Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64)

This moment Mama is talking about how sad she thinks it is that American black people don’t know anything about Africa ‘cept Tarzan and all that. I find these similar because Jem and Atticus are discussing how unfair it is that black people lose cases because the person is white. And Mama is finding it sad how the American black people are so unaware of the rest of the community because instead of helping them drive out the French and Englishmen they’re busy spending all the money into churches. Both statements are about how something is unfair, and not right. Mama, Jem, and Atticus are similar in their characteristics because they want to justify something that is not right.

“ ‘Soon’s school starts I’m gonna ask Walter home to dinner,’ I planned, having forgotten my private resolve to beat him up the next time I saw him. ‘He can stay over sometimes after school, too. Atticus could drive him back to Old Sarum. Maybe he could spend the night with us sometime, okay, Jem?’ ‘We’ll see about that,’ Aunt Alexandra said, a declaration that with her was always a threat, never a promise. Surprised, I turned to her. ‘Why not, Aunty? They’re good folks.’ She looked at me over her sewing glasses. ‘Jean Louise, there is no doubt in my mind that they’re good folks. But they’re not our kind of folks.’ ”(Lee 299). 

In this situation, Aunt Alexandra is refusing Walter Cunnigham’s presence because he and his family aren’t like the Finch family. She directly voices how they may be good people, but they are not, “ ‘...out kind of folks.’ ” (Lee 299), referring to the Cunningham family being known to be farmers, and in Aunt Alexandra’s words “trash”. The division between the characters in this circumstance is not only between the Cunninghams and the Finchs, but it is also between Scout and Aunt Alexandra. Scout doesn’t realize how she cannot be friends with Walter, she is welcoming towards all. Aunt Alexandra on the other hand is very judgemental and is fixated on her ways and beliefs about society and the disparity between folks.

Walter to George: "What the hell you learning over there?... they teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teaching you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk proper and read books and wear them faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85)

This circumstance connects to the one above because both Walter and Aunt Alexandra and stereotyping and feeding into the stigma created. Aunt Alexandra’s social status allows her to be pompous and pretentious, she believes that because she holds a higher status that means she is better than everyone else. Aunt Alexandra doesn’t even like to associate herself with lower-class people. In a similar manner, but almost opposite to Aunt Alexandra, Walter is of the lower class, but he is just as judgemental as Aunt Alexandra because he is judging the people of the higher class. The classism created just creates stereotypes of people, Aunt Alexandra doesn’t want to associate with the lower class because that would diminish her standing in society, and Walter doesn’t like the teaching because he believes that it just teaches people to assimilate or adapt their characteristics to fit in with the higher classes. 

Tom Robinson And Atticus 

“It must have been disorderly,  set Atticus. “what did it consist of?”  “got in a fight with another man he tried to cut me” …  “you were both convicted?” “ yes, Suh,  I had to serve 'cause I couldn't pay the fine but the fellow paid his’n.”( lee 217) Atticus is proving to the jury that tom Robinson has nothing to hide with this confession and proves the difference between the Economic situation between them because Atticus is a Defense attorney and Tom Robinson couldn't even pay a small fine.

Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out the French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64) the classism shown here is how people have been separated from their culture and that they no longer care about rejoining that culture instead assimilating with the dominant culture in their area.

The similarities in the situation between the characters Show discrimination against minority cultures and groups This goes for both the play and novel. This helps me understand that classism can happen even between people of the same group.

Tell them they must never do this again. Times are too hard (lee 244) this quote is about them sending breakfast to the finches because they are appreciative of him representing mr. robinson but they are at a lower class than the finches and mr. Finch told Cal to tell them not to do it again, times are too hard. This is a division between their circumstances because they feel the need to pay back the finches but Atticus doesnt want it because they are poor.

1. Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64)

The similarity of these two quotes are that mama isn't as informed about africa as asagai whos from africa and that Atticus is not accepting a gift from the black community and that he isn't informed that that is how they show appreciation and the similarity is they both aren't as informed as they should be. This helps me understand that classism limits yourself from being well educated about other people's classes and normalites

“Cry about the simple hell people give other people—without even thinking. Cry about the hell white people give colored folks, without even stopping to think that they're people, too”(Lee 269). 

This quote is about how Dolphus Raymond views the world and doesn’t like the racism seen and the town as he reveals his intention and views to Scout and Dill.

Walter to Mama: "...tell it to my wife, Mama, tomorrow when she has to go out of here to look after somebody else's kids. And tell it to me, Mama, every time we need a new pair of curtains and I have to watch you go out and work in somebody's kitchen." (Hansberry 71)

This quote relates to the first one because of the idea that some people are less than people for something such as race and class. How people get comfortable in the bubbles they are put in if it means they're better standing then someone else.

“I turned to her. “Why not, Aunty? They’re good folks.” She looked at me over her sewing glasses. “Jean Louise, there is no doubt in my mind that they’re good folks. But they’re not our kind of folks” (Lee 227) Scott wanted to have Walter over for dinner when school started and she was saying how maybe he can spend the night some time or maybe how he can stay over after school and Atticus can bring him home after, but then her aunt says no she will do no such thing because the cunninghams aren't their kind of people.

"What the hell are you learning over there?... They are teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teach you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk properly and read books and wear faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85)

The similarities between these situations are that Alaxdranda doesn't want Scout to hang out with Walter because she thinks that they are below them and that Scout shouldn't hang out with him because it would look bad on them, and then Walter doesn't understand why George is trying to act white when he's black like how he is learning to “talk properly” or read books but unfortunately in that time period people are most likely going to hire people who “talk properly” and people who can read and who dress in nice clothes and shoes. This helps me better understand the effects of classism because in any society there are going to be people who are rich and people who are poor there are going to be different classes and people are going to want to be in that higher class and that are doing well and are going to be respected.   

They—they ’preciate what you did, Mr. Finch. They—they aren’t oversteppin‘ themselves, are they?” Atticus’s eyes filled with tears. He did not speak for a moment. “Tell them I’m very grateful,” he said. “Tell them—tell them they must never do this again. Times are too hard…”(Lee 244).  

Mr. Finch is appreciative of the food sent to them because he defended Mr. Robinson but feels that it is wrong to take it because the Robinson family is poor and that times are too hard. 

Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64). 

The similarities between the two are that both Mama and Mr. Finch don’t understand the history of the black community. Mama doesn’t know as much about Africa as she’d like to whereas Asagai who was born there knows a lot more than the wise Mama. The black community in To Kill A Mockingbird is very appreciative of Mr. Finch for fighting tooth and nail but he doesn’t feel that they should send them this food because they come from a poor community. Although, that’s how the black community shows respect and kindness.

“...Because-he-is-trash, that's why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what…” (Lee 256). This is showing division among people because Aunt Alexandra is very ladylike. She stays in her own little bubble and doesn’t want bad influences to come into the family let alone kids that don’t meet up to her standards. She thinks the Cunningham family is trash and she thinks their kids would be a bad influence on Scout. 

Walter to George: "What the hell you learning over there?... they teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teaching you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk proper and read books and wear them faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85). Walter doesn't like George and he thinks he’s a bad influence on his daughter. The only reason he doesn’t like him is that he has money. Walter makes George seem like a bad person and a bad influence on his daughter just because he has money and wears fancy shoes. 

Walter and Aunt Alexandra are alike because they both don’t like someone because of their appearance. Aunt Alexandra thinks the Cunningham boy is trash and a bad influence because they don’t have a lot of money and are uneducated, whereas Walter doesn’t like George because he’s educated and has money. This helps me understand that when two people are different and they don’t have an open mind or heart they can make someone who is different from them seem less important or make them feel as if they are doing something bad when they aren’t. 

“‘As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it—whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.’” (224).
Atticus says this to his children. He reveals an opinion that they hadn’t heard. Although Atticus doesn’t explain who is experiencing classism. The quote is still beneficial in describing how Maycomb as a society had classism. Atticus thinks that no matter the wealth, fine, or politeness a white man is, if they discriminate against a Negro, they are trash.

Walter to George: "What the hell you learning over there?... they teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teaching you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk proper and read books and wear them faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85)
This pair of characters' classism compares with the one prior because Walter is saying that George is learning just like how to be a white man. Trying to look like a higher class, but it won’t change the color of his skin or the way people see him on the inside.

Tom Robinson and Bequetha have similar circumstances. They are both struggling because of their race. Tom’s trial is biased because of his race and the fact that a white girl is going against him. While Bequetha is struggling to become a doctor because of her gender and skin color. There are few doctors of black race and women, leading others to push down her goal because they think it is impossible. This tells me that classism can change the way society views truth possibility. In Maycomb, people lean to trust Mrs. Ewell because she is a young white girl. Bequetha’s family doesn’t trust the possibilities of her decision because it is a profession that only white men get hired into and have the education to do.

“‘There's four kinds of folks in the world. There's the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there's the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down in the dumb, and the negroes’” (Lee 206)

When Jem is talking to Scout about this, it is showing classism in the town because people separate others by their wealth and social status. Like Jem says, there are “ordinary” people, then people who live in the woods and down in the dump, but they aren't any less of citizens just because they are lower-class families, but that is how they make it out to be. 

Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64)

Some similarities between these two circumstances are that even with money some families are still in a worse state than others, even though we have the resources to prevent that. Also, families that aren’t like the rest, for example, black families in the mid-1900s, were seen as not so important and not the ordinary type of family. This helps me understand that classism can affect people by separating them when one is considered a higher class than the other.

I looked around. They were standing. All around us and in the balcony on the opposite wall, the Negroes were getting to their feet. (Lee 283) In this Quote the kids went back to court after dinner with the approval of their father showing their relationship maturing. When the trial was over the kids were tired Scout described it as a dream but it was really happening. The colored people are all stranded in respect of Atticus. This shows classism because even though the black people have a much lower social standing than the whites they still stand for Atticus showing respect for him whereas the whites instead of being grateful are mean to Atticus and the whole family.

Walter to George: "What the hell you learning over there?... they teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teaching you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk proper and read books and wear them faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85) In this Quote Walter is talking to George a belittling him because he is going to college and having nice clothes. Walter thinks little of him because to Walter he hasn’t had to live in the real world. Showing classism because George has more money than Walter ever could dream of and Walter is jealous, Walter is mean because George is better off than him. 

“Jean Louise, there is no doubt in my mind that they’re good folks. But they’re not our kind of folks.” Jem says, “She means they’re yappy, Scout.” “What’s a yap?” “Aw, tacky. They like fiddlin‘ and things like that.” “Well I do too—” “Don’t be silly, Jean Louise,” said Aunt Alexandra.“The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem” (lee 255) alecandra doent wont scout to hang out with walter because he is lesser then them. Even though scout and walter do the same things they are different because walter is not like jem he is different. 

Walter to George: "What the hell you learning over there?... they teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teaching you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk proper and read books and wear them faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85) walter is making fun of george because he is different and because he is doing things that walter would never do and because of that walter thinks he is trying to act wihite.

Ant alexandra and walter a similar because they both think if people do things they wouldent or they havent seen other people do they are wired and different alexandra thinks that because walter cunningham isent like jem and scout they shouldent  be able to hang out with him and waltet thinks that george is trying to be white because of what he is learning and how he dresses. 

To provide context to the quote Jem and Scout are in conversation about how certain people are different and the “classism” and why people treat others the way they do.

“That’s what I thought, too,” he said at last, “when I was your age. If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other? Scout, I think I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside” (Lee 231).

This quote shows how Scout and Jem are wondering as to why society could treat certain people so differently. Through racism and throughout economic class. That’s why they believe Boo Radley is always in his house. Boo Radley hates the outside world with all of the evil and disunited people. The discrimination keeps him locked away and keeps him out of society because he does not want to be around the unequal society.

Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land" (Hansberry 64).

The way that these quotes compare is through the same society. Both quotes show how people are all looked at differently. Even though every level of us are all the same. Every different classification of people are disunited which weakens us. As a society we all have different features but are ultimately the same and both examples show how society is corrupt and everyone discriminates for race or gender.

“There's nothing more sickening to me than a low-grade white man who’ll take advantage of a Negro’s ignorance. Don't fool yourselves--Its all adding up and one of these days we're going to pay the bill for it.” (Lee 252)

"I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64)

These two quotes are comparable because classism is very similar in each. They both infer that African Americans are ignorant and taken advantage of. They are both taken advantage of and used to be a limo driver or get to work for dirt cheap for rich white people that took their land. These quotes are very similar to each other through their way of inferring the exploitation of African Americans.

 Walter to George: "What the hell are you learning over there?... They are teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teach you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill. Naw---just to talk properly and read books and wear faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85)

“Tell them I'm very grateful,” he said. “Tell them-tell them they must never do this ever again. Times are too hard” Atticus Finch got a gift basket and is grateful but he thinks that it's just showing they have money for a gift backset because they are willing to give them a gift basket. 

The similarities between them are that people are talking or doing a gesture that makes them feel bad about themselves because they have more money and are flaunting the money by doing the gestures. This helps me understand classism because it shows people flaunting money at people who have less than them which is not ok.

“Lula stopped, but she said, ‘you ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?’ Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God, ain’t it?’ Jem said, ‘Let’s go home, Cal, they don’t want us here-’”(Lee 120) 

This quote is from when Cal had taken both Jem and Scout to her church and a black woman at the church told Cal that she shouldn’t be with white kids, and judged them for the fact they are white and because of Scout and Jem having very nice clothes on led to classism by the woman in the church. 

 Mama to Asagai: "I think it's so sad the way our American Negroes don't know nothing about Africa 'cept Tarzan and all that. And all that money they pour into these churches when they ought to be helping you people over there drive out them French and Englishmen done taken away your land." (Hansberry 64) 

In this quote Mama is telling Asagai how the money that is given to churches should be used to help the people in Africa but don’t because Africa is less fortunate and is a show of classism. 

Cal and Mama are similar because they both think that classism and unfairness shouldn’t exist. Black’s don’t know their own culture because they don’t have the money or right skin color for schooling or whatever it might be. Cal protects Jem and Scout because she just wants to show what the culture and their class looks like. 

This is the morning after the trial ended. Calpurnia serves up chicken and rolls for breakfast, when Atticus questions why, Calpurnia brings him into the kitchen and shows him all of the food that some of the townspeople left for Atticus because they felt bad for him because he lost the case. After this Atticus leaves and Dill comes in and eats Atticus’ untouched breakfast that had been purposefully left for him by Calpurnia. Scout, Jem, and Dill begin to talk about what happened to Dill after they got home from the trial while they all eat. Dill tells Scout and Jem about how his aunt said that she was up half the night wondering where he was, even though he swears he told her where he was going, he said that, “‘... she’s just seein’ too many snakes in the closet. But that woman drinks a pint for breakfast every morning” (Lee 244), Aunt Alexandra, who was also sitting at the table, did not like the way that Dill was talking about his aunt especially as he was about the same age as Scout, Dill didn’t see anything wrong with it because he hasn’t been told that it was wrong to talk to people like that, it seems like Dill gets what he wants most of the time and isn’t disciplined very often. So Aunt Alexandra took it upon herself to tell Dill, “‘Don’t talk like that, Dill,’ said Aunt Alexandra. ‘It’s not becoming to a child. It’s—cynical.’” (Lee 244), Dill says that it’s the truth, that’s not cynical, and Aunt Alexandra said that if you tell the truth like that it is cynical. Showing that Dill had no bad intentions when talking about his aunt like that but Aunt Alexandra does.

Mama to Walter: ”In my time we was worried about not getting lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too… Now here come you and Beneatha—talking ‘bout things we never even thought about hardly, me and your daddy.” (Hansberry 74). This shows how Mama never had a chance to have dreams to achieve her focus was always on survival and freedom as she and Walter’s father were slaves, they never had thought about going to school to be a doctor, they never thought about investing in a liquor store, they never had dreams because she couldn’t have dreams when she was Walter and Beneatha’s age. Where Walter, all he can think about is the liquor store investment and how that’s the only thing that they should be putting money towards and not Beneatha’s schooling, not on a new house, and not for their overall well being at that time, he thinks the money should only be used on the liquor store and then eventually they’ll get rich and move and fix their living conditions.

Both of these scenes show elders instructing younger people on what is right and wrong, and what they should and shouldn’t do. Both Mama and Aunt Alexandra were chastising younger people about their choices/decisions, Mama about Walter's dreams of investing in that liquor store, and Aunt Alexandra about how Dill speaks about his aunt. This helps me understand how older people think differently from the younger population and how they were taught differently when growing up. There are a lot of differences between what they think is right and what is wrong.

“A white mans’ word against a black mans’, the white man always wins. They’re ugly, but those are the facts of life.”(Lee 251-252)

In this scene Atticus talks to Jem about how Tom would never be able to win the case even if he was lucky, the white man always wins. Jem has a moment of “that doesn’t make it right”. He sees what Atticus sees and is mad about it too, It’s just something that the two of them share together, but nobody else does. Despite all the evidence Ewell and Mayella have against them, Tom is still going to lose. It’s the whole community against them.

Mama to Walter: "In my time we was worried about not being lynched and getting to the North if we could and how to stay alive and still have a pinch of dignity too...Now here come you and Beneatha---talking 'bout things we ain't never even thought about hardly, me and your daddy." (Hansberry 74)

Mama is reflecting on how when her and her husband moved up north with their dignity, they never thought about the things that Walter and Beneatha have on their radar. It’s hard for her, especially with Walters' expectations. He wants to be this successful businessman, but with the white supremacy of the area, it makes the situation tougher than ever.

I find these situations similar in the way that both families are struggling to find the equality that is being deserved. Jem wants Tom to get his justice, just like how Mama wants her family to be successful and proud. Both are basically unobtainable, they just aren’t going to happen.

“Atticus says cheatin’ a colored man is ten times worse than cheatin’ a white man.”

This is said because of the time period with whites normally doing better than black with them normally being poor with small houses making it worse for them then a white person.

 Walter to George: "What the hell you learning over there?... they teaching you how to be a man? How to take over and run the world? They teaching you how to run a rubber plantation or a steel mill? Naw---just to talk proper and read books and wear them faggoty-looking white shoes..." (Hansberry 85) 

this shows walter anger towards people who do not need to worry about money and how he envies them and because of this he tries is while he is drunk to bring him down