In the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are two families
that are textbook examples of complete opposites on the moral ladder, and in the
community. The Cunninghams and the Ewells have two distinctly different
reputations. The Cunninghams, although extremely poor, are highly respected
throughout Maycomb County. The Ewells, being just as poor as the Cunninghams,
are deeply despised. The Cunninghams are very respected by the citizens of
Maycomb. They take nothing, unless they can pay it back, and that is virtually
nothing. On the first day of school, the youngest of the Cunningham family,
Walter, had no lunch. The new teacher didn't know the ways of Maycomb, or the
Cunninghams. She tried to offer Walter money to buy lunch, and could not
comprehend why he could not accept. Scout tries to explain to Ms. Caroline,
"Walter's one of the Cunninghams, Ms. Caroline. They never took nothiin'
they can't give back-no church baskets, no scrip stamps. They never took nothing
off anybody, they get along with what they have. They don't have much, but they
get along on it." Walter knew he could not pay back the quarter, so he did
not take it. On that same first day of class, Bob Ewell's son Burris also had an
altercation with Miss Caroline. She asked him to go home and wash his hair with
lye soap, and then treat his scalp with kerosene to get rid of the
"cooties." Burris would have none of it. He told Miss Caroline that he
was on the virge of leaving anyway. When Miss Caroline questioned his response,
one member of the class tried to explain, "He's one of the Ewells ma'am.
Whole school's full of 'em. They come the first day every year and then leave.
The truant lady gets 'em here 'cause she threatens 'em with the sheriff....
You're supposed to mark 'em absent the rest of the year." Burris' father
was a uncaring, jobless, drunk, who never even pretended to care about the
education or well being of his many children. Walter Cunningham(Sr.), along with
most whites before the trial, believed Tom Robinson to be guilty. He showed up
at the jail where Tom Robinson was being held, with all intentions to kill Tom.
After a one sided conversation with Scout, Mr. Cunningham realizes that he has
no reason to be at the jail, and has even less of a reason to use his rifle. Bob
Ewell cost Maycomb two lives, while Mr. Cunningham, at least for a while, saved
one. Among the many things Bob Ewell had little value for, human existence
proved to be right at the top. After finding his daughter Mayella kissing Tom
Robinson (a black man), Bob accused Tom of raping and beating his daughter,
though he had done it himself. After being found guilty, Tom Robinson was shot
while supposedly trying to escape. All Bob Ewell could think about however was
the fact that his word was held in only a slightly higher standing than that of
a black man. He tried to kill Scout and Jem for retribution against Atticus, but
eventually was killed himself by Aurthur "Boo" Radley.