There are numerous references to Maycomb's close-knit
community, but the first, and perhaps most relevant, example can be found in chapter 1.
Much of the novel's first chapter consists of a grown-up Scout's narration describing
her family's heritage, and on page 5 (Everbind edition), she discusses Atticus's history
in Maycomb:
Atticus derived a reasonable income from the
law. He liked Maycomb, he was Maycomb County born and bred; he knew his people, they
knew him, and because of Simon Finch's industry, Atticus was related by blood or
marriage to nearly every family in the
town.
With this quote, Harper
Lee immediately establishes Atticus as a well-known and well-respected citizen--one
whose integrity and opinions are recognized in
Maycomb.
Further, when a group of concerned citizens shows
up on the Finches' front lawn to discuss the Tom Robinson trial in chapter 15, Jem, who
watches from the livingroom window, senses that Atticus is in some sort of danger. When
he asks if the men were going to "get" Atticus, Atticus replies, "No son, those were our
friends." With this statement, Atticus successfully turns what Jem tried to describe as
a "gang" into a group of individuals the family
knows.
Finally, in Chapter 16, Atticus reflects on the
incident outside the jail (which occurs in Chapter 15) and insists that a mob of people,
like the group that came with the intentions of hurting Tom Robinson, is nothing more
than a group of individuals:
A mob's always made up of people, no matter
what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man. Every mob
in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know--doesn't say much for
then, does it?
Again, this
statement reinforces Atticus's belief that individuals should all be recognized as
equals, no matter what their color, gender, or social class is. The novel's small-town
setting of Maycomb helps readers grasp this concept, as most all of the characters are
aquainted with each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment