Thursday, July 28, 2011

How does Atticus treat Walter?

Atticus treats Walter Cunningham respectfully like he does everyone else in Maycomb.  Later in the novel, he even calls Mayella Ewell, “m’am” when cross-examining her during the Tom Robinson trial! When Jem invites Walter to lunch after Walter and Scout got into a little scuffle at school, Atticus begins to talk to Walter about farming, something Walter would know a lot about.  This puts Walter instantly at ease at the Finch dining room table. Because Atticus probably knows that Walter doesn’t bring a lunch to school each day because the Cunninghams are so poor, Atticus wants to make him feel accepted and welcome. Scout laughs at Walter when he pours syrup all over his lunch, and that is when Atticus teaches Scout about "walking around in another person’s skin” to try to understand others. This small episode in the novel allows us to see what kind of man Atticus is, and it also allows for Scout to learn a big lesson about respecting all people. 

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