Despite the fact that Walter Cunningham led the Old Sarum bunch to Maycomb's jailhouse in order to harm Tom Robinson, Atticus tells his children that Walter is still their friend. Atticus says,
"Mr. Cunningham's basically a good man...he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us." (Lee 97)
Atticus then explains to Jem and Scout that Walter Cunningham was influenced by the group of men that he was around. Atticus goes on to explain mob mentality to his children and mentions that Walter's actions did not reflect his individual personality. Atticus's tolerant demeanor is reflected in his response and explanation of Walter's actions. Scout made Mr. Cunningham see the error in his behavior, which is why Walter told his men to leave. Despite being prejudiced against African Americans and participating in a lynch mob, Walter Cunningham is an honest man who has morals. He's always paid Atticus for his services and is a loyal friend of the Finches. Later on in the novel, Atticus tells his children that one of the Cunninghams voted that Tom Robinson should be acquitted.
No comments:
Post a Comment