“Them ain’t Maycomb
ways…”
Journal Entry
What do you learn about the culture of
Maycomb as you read about Scout’s
class? List the “Maycomb Ways”
Compare and contrast Walter
Cunningham, Jr. and Burris Ewell. What
is the author trying to show us by including
these two characters? How does Harper
Lee redeem Walter?
Caste System
A social structure which divides people by
inherited social status.
People are rigidly expected to marry and
interact with people of the same social
class.
Characteristics
People marry within the same caste
exclusively.
Caste mobility is also extremely rare; one
cannot transform from a laborer to a scholar
except in very rare circumstances, for
example.
Higher castes traditionally hold all of the
political power
Castes may be divided further through
language, culture, and economics.
Within a caste system, each member
generally knows his or her place, and your
social status is usually apparent to others as
well.
Indian Caste System
Egyptian Caste System
Hidden Rules of Classes
“Maycomb Ways”
The knowledge that is taken for granted are the
hidden rules of that socioeconomic class.


For example, knowing how to enroll your child in Little
League or where to go to get the best interest rate on a
car loan are hidden rules of the middle class.
However, would a person from the middle class know
how to get and use food stamps if they were suddenly in
a situation where it was a necessity?
An example of the hidden rules of the different
classes in regards to money would be:


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Poverty - to be spent
Middle Class - to be managed
Wealth - to be conserved or invested
Taken from A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne.
How people change classes:
1.) A goal or vision of something they want to be or
have.
2.) A situation that is so painful that anything would
be better.
3.) Someone "sponsors" them (i.e., an educator or
spouse or mentor or role model who shows
them a different way or convinces them that they
could live differently).
4.) A specific talent or ability that provides an
opportunity for them.
Taken from A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby K. Payne.
What are the classes in Maycomb?
YOUR TASK AS A POD:
Create the categories of the Maycomb Caste System.
List 4+ traits/ “hidden rules” inherent in that class.
Be prepared to defend your classification.
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING WHEN CLASSIFYING:
Age
Gender/Sex
Race
Social Class (upper, middle, lower)
Profession
Education
Ancestry/Lineage
Reputation
Charisma
Connection/ relationship to others with or without
status
What do the people in each category value?
Going Deeper: Analyzing Characters
Answer these questions
about your character:
Class:
Role:
Quote:
Why he/she belongs in this
class:
“Maycomb Ways”:
Power in Caste:
Values:
Potential to change class:
Blue: Scout/Jem
Black: Atticus
Yellow: Dill
Orange: Burris Ewell
Purple: Walter
Cunningham
Brown: Little Chuck Little
Red: Calpurnia, Make
Caste Poster
Green: Ms. Caroline
How Scout Views Her:
Fisher, Miss Maudie
MAKE SURE YOU
White: The Radleys
(Boo & Nathan)
ILLUSTRATE.
4/30 Journal Entry
What social class do you belong to?
What are the “hidden rules” that you live
with?
What class would be hardest to live in?
Why?
Does your social class determine and/or
foreshadow what your life will be?
Points of Thought:
How does Miss Caroline squash Scout’s
intelligence and tenacity for learning?

How could she have better handled the situation?
How does Harper Lee characterize Scout as a
child?
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Is the narrator actually 6-year-old Scout or is it adult
Scout?
What is the effect of having a novel written from that
perspective?