When Scout says that “There was indeed a caste system in Maycomb,'' she means that some people are born into a higher social status than others. Aunt Alexandra talking about heritage and families just further support Scout’s claim. Aunt Alexandra thinks that the Finch’s heritage is what makes them a great family, but that’s not true, it’s actually their hard work and dedication that makes them the great family that they are. Also, by this logic, a family like the Robinson's would rank lower than a family like the Ewell's, just because the Robinson's are black. As Scout says “I never understood her preoccupation with heredity. Somewhere, I had received the impression the Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had.” (Lee 147). A caste system is a hierarchy that is based off of mostly heritage and family legacy. In Maycomb, a successful white family, such as the Finches, are going to be at the top of the hierarchy while a poor black family would be at the very bottom, such as the Robinsons. Caste systems do not exist in modern day America, but back in the segregated south, they were very common, and even existed in Maycomb.
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ReplyDeleteI agree, there is a caste system in Maycomb. Many different people are socially ranked differently for example, the Finches would be ranked higher socially than the Ewells. This true because the Ewells were born poor but the Finch family are more successful and work for social status. In the caste, there are four different groups "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 at the dump, and the Negroes”(Lee 150). Everyone has different opinions on the caste system but because It has been around for most of Maycomb's history it is hard to change.
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