Top Of The Bottom In The Segregated South: An Analysis
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One’s status in society impacts one’s ethics because being in a higher class will change how most people think of themselves and how they treat others. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the article, “ At the Top of the bottom in the Segregated South” by David Levering Lewis, and the article,” The Money-Empathy Gap” by Lisa Miller, all show how being in a high class or high status in society can affect how ethical and unethical a person will act toward others. Status in society does have an impact and it is shown in these sources that someone in a higher class will behave more ethically to people of lower status. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the treatment of the lower class is obviously degrading. the novel…show more content… The whites were always giving the blacks a hard time and discriminating the they would never stop to realize that they are humans too. Dolphus feels that it is unfair and inhumane of how blacks get treated. Since the Raymond family is white it is ethically wrong for him to be around or even feel bad for the blacks, This is just another way that is showing how the social class effects ethics. Whites are the social class, nothing can hurt them. They feel that they have this power and they know what they can use it for . For example in the following quote Mayella Ewell and her father are testifying against Tom Robinson for an alleged rape. Just because of his skin color it is obvious who will win the case even if it is not right and just. Atticus has all the right evidence to completely prove that Bob was the one who abused Mayella but the jury will ruled in favor of Bob and Mayella. When atticus makes a statement toward Mayella, “ She was white, and she tempted a negro. She did something that in our society is unspeakable: she kissed a black man”(Lee 204). Her action was the one of the worst things she could’ve done, kissing a black man or showing affection is a disgusting act to the people. Since Mayella is of white race even if she is considered the lower part of the class, she still rules of from her skin color. Bob and her believe and think they are better than