The character I’ve chosen to evaluate is Walter Cunningham Sr., also known as Mr Cunningham in the story. Mr Cunningham is a round character as he possesses many qualities but yet still has his own weaknesses.
Mr Cunningham is a man with dignity and has his own principals. When Atticus offered his services to Mr Cunningham free of charge, Mr Cunningham, despite his family’s financial difficulties, declined his offer and even went to great lengths to pay him. Though the Cunninghams were so poor they “had probably never seen three quarters together at the same time” (26), Mr Cunningham still went to great lengths to pay Atticus via goods instead of money, such as “a sack of hickory nuts” (26), “a crate of smilax and holly” (26) and the like. The Cunninghams may have been poor folks but they have the basic moral values to know not to live off others, preferring to be independent and not be a burden to others. Throughout the years, the Cunninghams were always very poor but they “never took anything they can’t pay back” (26) and “never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have” (26).
This clearly shows the pride Mr Cunningham takes in obeying his own principals as he feels that it was wrong to take or benefit from others and yet have nothing to give in return. Mr Cunningham and his family are respectful and dignified people, proudly eking out enough to survive from the land rather than going on welfare. Thus we can tell that Mr Cunningham is a man who lives according to his moral values and self principals, making him an honorable and dignified man.
The Essay on The Uses Of Poverty: The Poor Pay All
In the article entitled “The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All,” sociologist Herbert J. Gans discusses the strange alliance between the poor and the wealthy in American society. He states that the underprivileged in essence have kept several vocations in existence such as social work, criminology, and journalism. These vocations serve the double pretense of aiding the less fortunate ...
However, Mr Cunningham also has his weak points as he is a bigot who is subjected to animosity towards most blacks, such as Tom Robinson. Without obtaining any concrete evidence, Mr Cunningham immediately falsely accused Tom Robinson of raping Mayella Ewell, even leading a mob of friends from Old Sarum, and tried to lynch Tom Robinson the night before the trial. This action of his was unexpected as it was not mentioned previously that Mr Cunningham was so racist and cruel that he would even resort to murder. This puts Mr Cunningham on the side of regressive and prejudiced values, portraying him as a prejudiced man.
Mr Cunningham respects Scout even though she is much younger than him and has a good impression of her, which shows that Mr Cunningham is not one who looks down on others because of their age. When Scout initiated a conversation with Mr Cunningham, at first he “seemed uncomfortable; cleared his throat and looked away” (159) and feigned ignorance, hoping that Scout would give up talking to him. After a while he acknowledged Scout when he saw that she did not give up trying and continued talking though she had no clue to what was actually going on, which probably earned her his respect. From the way Mr Cunningham’s “attention amounted to fascination” (160) clearly shows that Mr Cunningham respected Scout for her bravery in that kind of dangerous situation. When Mr Cunningham “squatted down and took me by both shoulders” (160) it strongly indicates that he felt that Scout, despite her young age, was mature and brave enough not to run away but instead face a whole group of strangers. By standing at the same height as Scout, it means that Mr Cunningham look upon Scout not as a child but as his equal and that shows his clear respect for her, hence the fact that he does not look down on others even if they may not have reached an equal level of maturity as him.
Mr Cunningham is the type of man who will do his best to help the person he respects, described by Atticus as “once you earned their respect they were for you tooth and nail” (228).
As long as he feels that that person is worthy of his respect, he will strongly believe in this person. For example, it is understood that the Finches had earned Mr Cunningham’s respect after the night at the jail, and therefore Mr Cunningham trusted Atticus’s opinions and supported him, and even managed to convince his double first cousin, who was a member of the jury, to vote for “an outright acquittal” (228) for the man whom he wanted to kill only the day before. This shows how much respect Mr Cunningham had for the Finches that he was willing to go through so much trouble to help the Finches. Thus the evidences indicate strongly that Mr Cunningham felt that ‘respect’ was so important it had to be hard earned and felt that it defines a person.
The Essay on Tom Robinson Atticus Scout Man
Stereotypes Pretend you are driving along on the highway. You see a person on the side of the road having car problems. This is person is wearing an Armani suit and driving a Porsche. The next day, you encounter the same incident but, this time, it is a man wearing baggy jeans with holes in them, a dirty shirt and he looks very unclean. Would you be more likely to stop for the man in the Armani ...
How Walter Cunningham Sr. has contributed to my understanding of courage:
The character Mr Cunningham has contributed to my understanding of one of the main themes of the book: Courage. Courage is when “you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (118).
This was the definition of ‘courage’ which I learnt from the story but what Mr Cunningham made me realize was that courage comes in many forms, and was not just limited to a never-say-die attitude.
When Mr Cunningham dispersed the Old Sarum gang members at the jail the night before the trial I believe many of them must have been unpleased with his decision. Having to come all the way to the jail and yet not be able to complete their mission must have upset these men a lot. Surely Mr Cunningham was aware of this when he made the decision, and the men he dispersed were not just normal working men but gang members who fight and kill. Should any of them be so angry with him that they resort to using their fists, he may even lose his life. Even if Mr Cunningham was safe, the mockery he would have to endure, such as being called a “nigger-lover” is certainly unbearable. He might even be discriminated against by his closest friends, and be looked down by others even more so. I can only imagine the many unpleasant outcomes leading to this ‘wrong’ decision of his.
But was it really wrong?
No, it most certainly was not. Even with all these consequences in mind, Mr Cunningham was still able to find the courage within him to conquer these fears and do the right thing, no matter how intimidating the future may seem. This courage, which later motivated him to support Tom Robinson by convincing his double first cousin to vote for an acquittal, is something I admire about Mr Cunningham.
The Essay on Courage In "To Kill A Mockingbird"
“Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” According to Atticus Finch, an honest lawyer in Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” teaches the children that courage can be portrayed as both physical bravery and strength, but fighting for what is right regardless of whether you win or ...
Courage is do what you know is right, even though the consequences may be fatal. This courage, we do not need to look for it in big name superheroes, it is all around us in our daily lives. Courage is to march forward bravely in the right path, and to never let anything hold you back. This courage, we can find it in all of us, it’s just a matter of removing the fear that is hindering us.