Compare and Contrast the Cunningham and Ewell Families

Compare and Contrast the Cunningham and Ewell Families In To Kill A Mockingbird, as an additional message to the main theme of the novel, Lee seeks to show two polar reactions to poverty, that of the Cunninghams and the Ewells. Her experience of the Great Depression was a major influence in the writing of the book, as she uses the contrast of these two families to show that there is hope for those in poverty, if people learn from the Ewells and emulate the Cunninghams. She introduces the values she considers to highlight the difference between the Cunninghams and Ewells, and uses this example to show that Fine Folk are not born into the position, but rather are considered as such on account of their qualities. The position of Fine†¦show more content†¦Burris Ewell, however, was the filthiest human being [Scout] had ever seen. He laughed rudely and slouched leisurely away from the classroom. This apathetic, lackadaisical and disrespectful attitude is typical of the Ewell family, and contrasts with Walters strong sense of dignity, showing the vast difference between them. A characteristic that is strongly emphasised in the novel is pride, which Lee uses to show that poverty does not necessarily humble a family. The Cunninghams pride is so strong they will not accept outside help, as shown when Scout tells her teacher, the Cunninghams never took anything they cant pay back. In stark contrast to this, the Ewells had been the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations, living off regular weekly appearances at the welfare office for his [relief] check. Bob Ewell has no qualms about living like a parasite, and none of his family care that they are seen as the lowest level of society, apart from blacks. The Cunninghams have pride despite their poverty, in contrast to the Ewells complete absence of self-respect Work ethic is an important part of the contrast between the Cunninghams and the Ewells. Even though Walter Cunningham gets held back sometimes because he has to stay out and help his daddy, he still attends school regularly. Mr Cunningham also displays a hard-working attitude, as he could get a WPA job, but does not so that he can keep his land andShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1599 Words   |  7 Pagescode of prejudice and discrimination. It is through various perspectives and representations of individuals, times, concepts and places that ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ explores human morality. By using the character Atticus as a moral compass, we can compare and evaluate the various perspectives of characters in the novel. This allows the audience to analyse the way in which these representations create moral, ethical and social positions of discrimination. 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