To Blog a Mockingbird Modern Social Inequalities : Homelessness

Historical Background

Homelessness is a problem that has been seen in America during Colonial times. The first recorded causes of homelessness was the King Philip’s’ War. After that, the Revolutionary War caused an increase in the homeless population. During The Great Depression, the homeless population to spike again. Homeless people became a common sight and the Vintage News describes the situation in the following quote : “Most large cities built municipal lodging houses for them, but the depression exponentially increased demand. The homeless clustered in shanty towns close to free soup kitchens. A “Hooverville” was a shanty town built by homeless people during the Great Depression”. While some of the occupants of these towns were removed, many were ignored or tolerated out of necessity.

Current Status

In 2007, there was about 647,000 homeless people. The overall homelessness decreased by 14.4%. There was a 34.3% decrease among veterans, 27.4% decrease of individuals experiencing chronic homeless by 27.4%, and a 24.6% decrease for people living in unsheltered locations from 2007 to 2018. While these statistics are going down, the issue still has not gone away. In Orange County alone, the homelessness population seemed to be at least 4,452 in 2017. And this number is continuing to increase. Many homeless in Orange County used to live along the Santa Ana River, before they started to be cleared out by authorities in January of this year.

Social and Political Status of Homelessness/Homeless People

In Orange County homelessness has been an issue in politics for a while. There have been many attempts to help give more money to and expand homeless shelters, but they have been restricted due to money concerns.

Many homeless people suffer from addiction or mental issues. The Windward Way describes drug abuse as “both a cause and a result of homelessness. More often than not, these issues appear after people have lost their homes and are trying to find different ways to cope with the situation and be accepted by their community”. However many others are just financially unable to afford a house. Many homeless do work, but are unable to make money to afford a home. “I was sleeping like that, outside of people’s tents, and then having to turn around and wake up 6, 7 o’clock in the morning and work at the Registrar of Voters”“I was sleeping like that, outside of people’s tents, and then having to turn around and wake up 6, 7 o’clock in the morning and work at the Registrar of Voters” said Bobby Austin, who is currently homeless. There are also many other things that homeless people deal with. “Poverty, Unemployment, lack of affordable housing, poor physical or mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, Gambling, family and relationship breakdown, domestic violence, physical and/or sexual abuse.” are issues listed by the Salvation Army for why some may homeless. For many homeless many want/need medical help and/or economic stability. Unfortunately there is social stigma against homeless. “Despite the fact that individuals who are homeless are perceived as struggling and in need of care and compassion (Kidd, 2004; Benbow et al., 2011; Shier et al., 2011), there is also evidence that homeless individuals are not perceived as fully human (Harris and Fiske, 2006)”. While people are homeless for different reasons, most are not homeless because of their own actions, and need help.

Opponents/Proponents

As of around a decade ago, Orange County officials have decided to move homeless people, that have already housed themselves along the Santa Ana River Trail, away, but without a place for them to go. LA officials have made plans during this time for the homeless people to have provided shelter or temporary homes for them.  If they do not come up with a solution to this, the District Judge will prevent cities in OC from administering their anti camping ordinances. Homeless people were allowed to camp out on the streets overnight until they get their shelter for them to live in. Some supervisors are proponents for this cause and have supported it by protesting that homeless people should not just be considered strangers and should be very welcomed into the city. “They know we are an affluent city with lots of immigrants, so they think we will automatically welcome other people,” was a quote stated by one Irvine local that shows how the city is not completely able to support their cause but there would be a benefit to do as much as they could for this. As seen in a UC Irvine study, it has shown that around 68% of homeless people in OC have lived their lived like this for around 10 years or longer; 90% of them are US born. During this study it is concluded that if Orange County provides the homeless with shelters, that OC could save around $42 million in healthcare and law enforcing. This sums up that the housing of these people will create a great benefit to the homeless people as individuals and the income of the county as well.

Connection to To Kill a Mockingbird

This connects to ¨To Kill a Mockingbird” because Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are the same as homeless people. Tom Robinson is judged and accused because of his race, African American. Bob Ewell, a white man, accuses Tom Robinson for raping his daughter, Mayella Ewell. During the testimony, Tom Robinson is asked to tell his own side of the story. He says that Mayella was the one seducing him. When Bob Ewell saw this, he yelled at Mayella and beat her up for kissing Tom Robinson, a black man. Tom Robinson, on the other hand, decided to run away from the house after hearing Bob Ewell screaming at Mayella. This relates to the theme, “Social Inequality.” Most people in the court believe that Tom is lying, as said in a quote from the book, “You know the truth, and the truth is this: some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around women—black or white…There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.” This is like the homeless people because most people are quick to judge the homeless people because they think that they are too lazy to find a job. They don’t know what the homeless people have been through and some of them did nothing wrong and don’t have a choice. For example, a deformed man born in a poor family. He isn’t able to go to school because his family is too poor. Another reason is that companies won’t accept him because he didn’t go to college or high school and that he is deformed. This is just like the blacks. They are judged because the “whites” think that they are different just because of the skin color. The homeless people are like the blacks, and the regular people are like the whites. Overall, this is how the theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, “Social Inequality”, relates to homelessness.

                                 Ways to Help/What should we do

There are many ways to help homeless people. One these ways can be to volunteer and donate to charities. Many charities are in short supply for the resources they need to help the homeless, so help will always be appreciated. These charities are also in need of volunteers to help run the cause, so help will also be appreciated. Some charities that can be donated too are the organizations Back on my Feet and Rescue Mission. Another way to help homeless people is to bring awareness to this issue. If more people know about this issue, more people will be able to help.

 

Chapter 1: The Memories of the Past

This story is narrated by a girl named Jean Louise Finch who is often called as Scout.

She then starts talking about the past, about how Jem, her brother, got a broken arm, and about her ancestors. She then talks about her father, Atticus Finch, who is a lawyer.

She also talks about Jack Finch, Atticus’ brother, who is in the medical field in Boston. Finally, she talks about Alexandria Finch, Atticus’ sister, who is running the Finch’s Landing. Atticus was a successful lawyer, making a solid living. Atticus lives with Jem, Scout, and Calpurnia, their cook, who helps keep the house in check. Scout and Jem’s mother died when Scout was two, so she doesn’t really remember her mother, butJem remembers her clearly. In the summer of 1933, Jem is 10 and Scout is 6. That summer, they meet a boy named Dill.

One day, Dill comes with the idea to lure out Boo Radley, a man, who in rumors, stabbed his father with a scissor. Eventually, Dill dares Jem to touch Boo Radley’s house.

Jem agrees and touches Boo Radley’s House. There is no movement, but Scout thinks that she saw a shutter move slightly, like someone was peeking out.

 

Tyler

Chapter 6: Gambling Pants

The chapter begins with the Jem and Dill playing at Dill’s aunt’s house on Dill’s last day in Maycomb this year. Dill, wanting to just go for a walk, ends up sneaking over to the Radley place with Jem and Scout, who does not like the idea of it. The three of them hears a loud noise, a shotgun, after peering through the window of the house and run away from a shadowed man. As they escape by crawling through the fence, Jem’s pants get caught in them and is forced to kick it off to get out.

When they get home, Atticus asked where Jem’s pants were; they gave the excuse that Dill won it in a game of strip poker, which doesn’t come through, but that they were playing with matches instead. Also, Mrs. Maudie informed the kids that the sound they heard was supposedly the gunshot of Nathan Radley, Boo’s older brother, shooting at an African American in his yard.

Scout tries to stop Jem from leaving to retrieve his pants later that night but he goes anyways and returns it without a sound of gunshot heard, which Scout was worried for.

This chapter can signify the beginning of being ignorant since Mrs. Maudie assumed something bad was happening when they were off at the Radley house.

Ethan

 

Chapter 8 : Miss Maudie’s House and a Mysterious Overseer?

Maycomb, Alabama

The weather in Maycomb has been at its coldest since 1885. Mrs, Radley had also died during this time, but her death did not effect many. During this time it had also snowed, which had caused school to be cancelled. At first Scout thought the world was ending, but Atticus explained what it was.

Jem took this opportunity to make a snowman. Although there was not enough snow in their yard to construct a snowman they were able to take snow from Mrs. Maudie’s yard as well. Instead of the whole thing being made of snow it was constructed with the center being made up of dirt and mud, while it’s outside was covered in snow. The snowman ended up being shaped in the image of Mr. Avery. Atticus told them to make it different, as so Mr. Avery wouldn’t get mad at them. This prompted him to take Mrs. Maudie’s hat.

Later that day, during the night, Mrs. Maudie’s house catch on fire. Atticus escorted Scout and Jem to move to the Radley yard as a precaution while other tried rescuing what was left in Mrs. Maudie’s house. Mrs. Maudie’s house ended up burning down but many of her possessions were saved, and she was set to live in Ms. Stephanie Crawford’s home.

Later that night, as Atticus was making hot chocolate for the kids, he realized that Scout had a blanket on that wasn’t theirs. They suspected Boo Radley put it on her as they stood in his yard, but they decided to keep it anyways. However, Jem ended up telling Atticus about all the things they found in the Radley’s tree, but he did not mind it either. These gifts and the gift of the blanket could be seen as a foreshadowing of Boo’s involvement with the children. Atticus even said “Scout can thank him for covering her up”.

The next day as they were talking to Ms. Maudie, as they did not have school revealed she was not grieving for her house and she was actually thankful because now she would have more room for her flowers. Jem and Scout even offered to help, but Ms. Maudie declined. Jem ended up saying , “That was just Ms. Maudie”.

The theme of this chapter is that at its best, a community can come together to do good.

By Brian Pham

 

Chapter 9: The Racist Case

In this chapter, Scout and Atticus are being called names having to do with Atticus working with an African American during this case. Cecil Jacobs and Francis are two people that have named called Atticus. Francis, who Scout despises, nearly gets knocked out by Scout after name calling Atticus and getting on Scout’s last nerve. Uncle Jack had scolded Scout for doing what he did to Francis but did not consider hearing Scouts explanation. He then listens to what Scout had to say and sends her to wash her bloody fists. Later, Scout overhears a conversation between Uncle Jack and Atticus taking about how Atticus did not want to be involved in a case that he is in. The case was to defend the African American, Tom Robinson, that was accused of raping a white woman. Tom Robinson is supposed to be innocent according to Atticus but the white jury would still accuse him guilty because he is a black man.

The theme in this chapter could be courage since Scout stands up for her father after Cecil Jacobs and Francis name calls him. Although Atticus has tried to encourage Scout to use her mind and words to deal with a fight instead of physically, it does not turn out like that when Francis called Atticus. Scout threw her fists at Francis instead of calmly settling it by talking. She had the courage to fight him to defend her father. There was one point in the chapter where Atticus would “wear me out” according to Scout if he ever heard Scout fighting anymore. This can be kind of hypocritical because Scout is forbid from creating a fight although the punishment insists that Atticus will do physically beat Scout if she doesn’t comply.

Ethan

 

Chapter 10 : Mad Dogs and Dead Shots ?

Maycomb, Alabama

Scout and Jem’s father was almost 50 years old. As such he could not participate in many of the things Jem wishes we could, such as football.  However this didn’t stop him from being a source of contention and teasing from the other kids at school, due to his defending of Tom Robinson, a black man. Scout however, had been committed to not fighting on “public” grounds, such as with school and school mates, but this wouldn’t stop her from fighting on “private” grounds such as at her house and and with family members.

When Jem and Scout received their air rifles Atticus told them “it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee, 119). Scout decided to ask Miss Maudie about this and she agreed.

She said “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing, except for make music for us to enjoy” (119). This talk is a metaphor for things that will come up in future chapters, like Tom Robinson’s trial, where people who are “innocent” (like mockingbirds) are “shot down” even though they are innocent.

Scout proceeded with this conversation and during this conversation she called Atticus and Miss Maudie old. Miss Maudie tried to impress Scout with things Atticus is good at, but Scout was not impressed. Scout also asked Calpurnia this, but Calpurnia said she “don’t rightly know”(121).

On one Saturday, Scout and Jem noticed a dog, Tim Johnson, who was considered the pet of Maycomb, had something wrong with him. They asked Calpurnia to check it out and she recognized that the dog was going mad and it needed to be put down. She rushed the kids inside and called Atticus and the Sheriff, and alerted everyone in town, including the Radleys. When Atticus and Sheriff Tate came to the scene, the Sheriff wanted Atticus to shoot the dog instead of him because Atticus shoots better then him, which is a surprise to Jem and Scout.

Atticus shot the dog and drove back to town with Sheriff Tate, after cutting him off after he was about to tell Jem that Atticus was the best shot in town. Miss Maudie came back out and asked if they were still ashamed of Atticus and they said no. This is symbolic of Atticus try to “shoot down” the racism of Maycomb. Tim Johnson represents the racism of Maycomb, that has become to dangerous and that needs to go away, even though it is like the “pet” of Maycomb.

The theme of this chapter is the protection of the innocent, like children and mockingbirds.

By Brian Pham

Chapter 11 : Trouble with Mrs. Dubose

Maycomb, Alabama

While walking across the street in Maycomb, Alabama, Scout and Jem have always had problems with Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose would always try to pick a criticize them or their father, Atticus, as they walked by, and they hated her for this. Atticus, however has payed no mind to it or has ever really cared, and told them to shrug it off and be polite because she is a sick old lady. He told Jem, ” ‘You just hold your head high and be a gentleman’ “.

One day, Jem and Scout were walking past Mrs.Dubose’s home on the way to shop, when she started throwing many insults at them. She said that Scout will end up waiting at the O.K Cafe and that she and Jem will end up at a reform school. Jem was going to shrug it off and ignore her and was going to have Scout do the same thing too, until she called Atticus an “n-word lover”. This left Jem furious enough to the point to where he tore down all of her camellias with the baton he had purchased for Scout on their way home.

At home they sulked and waited until Atticus came back from work. When Atticus came home from work he instructed Jem to talk Mrs. Dubose. When he came back he said that Mrs. Dubose wants him to read to her, and Atticus said that is what he’ll do for a month.

Jem went to go read to Mrs. Dubose, and Scout went with him every time. Jem read to her and every time he read, Mrs. Dubose’s maid would escort them out everytime her alarm clock rang. However, during the reading, Mrs. Dubose would scold Jem for his reading, then not pay any attention at all.

After the month had passed, Mrs. Dubose had died and left behind a box of candy and a flower for Jem, and Atticus revealed that Dubose was addicted to morphine and was trying to rid herself of the addiction because she wanted to die free and that Jem reading to her was a part of an effort to get rid of her addiction. Atticus also revealed that he would’ve told Jem to read to her anyway, even if he didn’t destroy her flowers because he wanted Jem to see what real courage was. “I wanted you to see what true courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”.

This entire situation is symbolism comparing the morphine addiction of Mrs. Dubose to the racism that Maycomb seems so intent on keeping. Her getting rid of her addiction shows her bravery and it represents the change that Maycomb is going to go through. Her death is symbolism for the death of racism in Maycomb.

The theme of this chapter is that people are able to change if they really want too.

By Brian Pham

 

Chapter 12: The First Purchase

This chapter first starts out with Jem telling Scout to “act more like a girl” which Scout gets upset about since Jem doesn’t want to be bothered by her. Scout was looking forward to Dill’s annual visit this summer but he was unable to come this year because he had to stay with his new father in Meridian. Atticus has to go to the state capital every day for two weeks just for the case of Tom Robinson.

Calpurnia then decides to tidy up Jem and Scout and take them to the “First Purchase,” a church for black/colored people, on Sunday while Atticus is away. Because the kids are white, a woman, Lula, is not happy about it and does not welcome white kids to a colored church with open arms. Since the church does not have enough money to afford hymns, they repeat after their only hymn recited by Cal’s oldest son, the town’s garbage collector, Zeebo. When the kids get home, they see their Aunt Alexandra “sitting in a rocking chair exactly as if she had sat there every day of her life.”

The loss of innocence could relate to the theme of this chapter since Dill, a symbol of innocence itself, cannot come back this summer, which could insist the ceasing of innocence. Also, after the church when Aunt Alexandra shows up could also relate to this because Jem and Scout do not necessarily like her and it kind of shows how she is not going to benefit them but rather have a negative effect leading to the loss of innocence.

Ethan

Chapter 13: Alexandra, the new boss

Aunt Alexandra gets a warm welcome into Maycomb from everyone in the neighborhood; people make her cakes, she goes on coffee excursions with them, and has already established herself as a fixture of the town’s social society. Although she might be an exemplary Maycombian, Jem, Scout, and Atticus view her otherwise. According to Alexandra, Jem and Scout lack the qualities it takes to live up to the family name and nags Atticus to lecture them about how they should behave as Finches. The talk just frightens the kids and brings Scout to tears, so Atticus gives up the notion which he wasn’t all that fond of in the first place. The theme that could possibly contribute to this chapter could relate to prejudice because the influence Aunt Alexandra is trying to put upon the children in only what she thinks since Atticus can’t fully support her opinion when he tries to lecture them.

“Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was” (173). This quote holds significance in the chapter because it ties into the societal themes of the chapter. In Chapter 13, with Aunt Alexandra’s arrival, Scout and Jem’s heritage as Finches is given a spotlight and with that, so is an analysis of Maycomb’s social hierarchy. Here, Aunt Alexandra shows what counts as “respectability” in Maycomb. Since the Great Depression economically hurt everyone, the way social classes are divided in Maycomb ultimately have to do with who’s family’s been around longer and how long they’ve retained a plot of land.

“There was indeed a caste system in Maycomb, but to my mind it worked this way: the older citizens, the present generation of people who had lived side by side for years and years, were utterly predictable to one another: they took for granted attitudes, character shadings, even gestures, as having been repeated in each generation and refined by time” (175).Within Chapter 13, the objective was to focus on Maycomb society and its
inner workings. This quote describes how, after generations of residents, there had been mantas made about each of Maycomb’s ancestral families. There’s a strong sense of small town familiarity and superstition in this passage that ties in with the recurring theme of society and judgement.

Ethan

 

 

Chapter 14 Recap, The Boy who Fled from Mississippi to Maycomb, Alabama

Scout and Jem went to town after the talk of their family and as they went to town, they heard more about their family. Within the town, they found people saying stuff like,”They c’n go loose and rape up the countryside for all of ’em who run this county care” (180). This shows that the town is racist against the black people since they automatically believe it is rape and not take second and think other possibilities. After they went to town, Scout asked Atticus what rape was and explained the trip to the church with Calpurnia. Scout asked if she could go to Calpurnia’s house, but their aunt, Alexandra, said no and she had to apologize to her for speaking up to her when Scout said,”I didn’t ask you!”

After that, Alexandra said to Atticus that “You’ve let things go on too long”(182). This quote is important since this shows that Atticus hasn’t been raising them right according to Alexandra. They later had a talk about having Calpurnia. After Scout and Jem went to their room, they talked about the Tom Robinson case and fought over later on because Jem is becoming more independent and angry. After Atticus seperated them, Scout asked what a snake felt like and said there might be one underneath her bed. Jem took a look under the bed and as he was looking underneath, Dill suddenly jumps out.

When Dill settled down, he told them that his new father chained him up and he broke loose in which he then goes to a small animal show for wash a camel in Mississippi. He then traveled with until he got to Abbott County which is just across the river from Maycomb in which he then walked all the way there. Scout then told Atticus Dill is here and he is fine with that. Dill was given food and a shower. Then Jem told Dills that he has to tell his mother since he went 300 miles without his mother knowing. Dills finally told them after he ate that he ran away since his family had no interest with him and that his family is better with out him. Also that they buy him everything he wants, but it is now “you’ve-got-it-go-play-with-it” or “I-got-you-that-book-so-go-read-it.”

Dills then tells Scout that he wants a baby and he says that babies come from a man who had a boat in foggy island where you can order babies, but Scout said,”But there’s this man, too— he has all these babies just waitin’ to wake up, he breathes life into’ em…”(192). This is an allusion since it is relating to God which is believed for some to breath life into people.

Finally when they were about to sleep, Scout asked,”Why do you reckon Boo Radley’s never run off?” and Dill responded,”Maybe he dosen’t have anywhere to run off to…” (192). This is important because they are finally thinking more clearly about Boo Radley. In this chapter, running away from your family is not always the solution and running away can hurt your family emotionally by being worried and yourself too.

Chris