Imagine you are one of the characters. Deliver a speech on what you think of the above question.

Character: Atticus

Maycomb is a town plagued by prejudice and scorn. Maycomb is a town blessed with courageous and helpful people. Maycomb is a town where you are judged not by your character but by your skin color.

In Maycomb, if you’re a black, you live in the slums, marginalized from the rest of society. You are unable to attend school, live in luxury, enjoy fine food, get a better job simply because you are branded as a black. Take for example, Tom Robinson’s case. The evidence favours him, but the jury does not. Even though the culprit was clear, prejudice blinded the people and jury from seeing that. However, this judgment pricked the people’s conscience, and marked not the end of the case, but the beginning of a new world void of prejudice.

In Maycomb, there are two groups of white. One of the groups belong to people like Bob Ewell and live in the slums with the blacks. They’re the lowest of the white, but the still ranks above the Blacks. Their word, no matter how twisted or false it is, still holds power over that of a Black. However, they are looked down upon by the whites who live in town, whites who command more authority than you.

In Maycomb, if you belong to the latter group, you reign supreme over the rest. Still, prejudice is apparent here. Prejudice existing in culture, manners and behavior. For example, Scout is found to be distasteful by Alexandra because of her clothing and behavior. While she should behave like a Southern Belle, she chose instead to wear tomboyish clothes, and play with boys instead of mixing around with ladies.

Is Maycomb corrupted? I think the answer conspicuous.

Now that I have introduced the three groups of people living in Maycomb, judge yourself. Is Maycomb a good place to live

…if you are a black

… if you are lower class white

…and if you are a high class white