Question

According to Atticus, who are the common folk in Maycomb County? What characteristics does he say or imply are shared by the common folk? Who does Atticus not include in the common folk? Why are they not included?

Answer 1

In 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Atticus Finch defines the common folk of Maycomb as the average citizens with traditional, conservative views and modest lifestyles. He excludes individuals like the Ewells and his own family due to their differing values and circumstances, which do not align with the majority's way of life.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, the common folk in Maycomb County are the average, everyday people who make up the majority of the town's population. They are characterized by their traditional ways, modest means, and generally conservative views. Atticus implies that these people are often uneducated and hold prejudices, particularly racial ones, that are ingrained in their community values.

Atticus does not include certain individuals in the classification of common folk, such as the Ewells or the very poor who do not work to better themselves, as well as the Finch family, who are somewhat more progressive and educated. They are not included because their values or circumstances set them apart from the majority—in the case of the Ewells, it is their lack of integrity and community involvement, while the Finch family's education and Atticus's role as a moral compass differentiate them from Maycomb's 'common folk.'