and conflict-ridden social change in the South since the Civil War and Reconstruction
Harper Lee in her novel focuses on racial injustice against black people in United States especially in Maycomb, Alabama. In her novel, Harper reveals a lot
about the society of Maycomb and the norms and values of the small town. The reader is constantly able to see throughout the book what Harper Lee’s conception
of Maycomb’s society is. Some black people worked as domestic servants or had poorly jobs. And the worst thing that happened was that if they were charged for
doing something to a white person and it was not true, the court would find the black person guilty over the white person, just like Tom Robinson’s trial.
Maycomb’s society is one deeply filled with racial injustice, social jealousy, and social hatred.
4.1 Social Class Stratification
In sociology social coating is known as social stratification or social class stratification. The words social stratification come from Latin language. Stratum
means grade and socius means society. Literally, social stratification means grades in the society. Paul B.Horton and Chester L.Hunt 1999 give the
meaning of social stratification as status difference system existed in society. There was a strong social stratification in the town of Maycomb by the
time of To Kill A Mockingbird story. Four groups among the society were stratificated in a class degree. At the top is the Finch family, due to Atticus’
position as a lawyer. Beneath them are the white towns people who have jobs such
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as the Cunningham’s, who are farmers, and Ms. Maudie who babysits for Scout. Next are the white trash families like the Ewells. Despite being treated like crash,
all of these white people still have a higher status than any of the black people. “You know something, Scout? I’ve got it all figured out, now.
There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like Cunninghams out in
the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.” Lee, 1960 : 226
Each group has its own place to live, where one could not live in another circles. Finch, as the ordinary kind stayed in the common place of the city,
Cunningham was out in the woods, Ewells was at the dump, and Negroes was at the corner of the city.
Strengthtening this social class stratification in Maycomb is viewed in the second chapter of this novel. It impacted each group’s economy condition to be
different. In a moment, Jem asked his father whether they’re as poor as the Cunningham, and Atticus answered no.This explains that Finch was in the upper
class than Cunningham, but among the groups, Negro was in the lowest. But It showed also that different class was happened even among the white people
“Why does he pay you like that? I asked. “Because that’s the only way he can pay me. He has no money. “Are we poor Atticus?”
Atticus nodded. “We are indeed.” Jem’s nose wrinkled. “Are we as poor as Cunninghams?” Not exactly. The Cunningham are country
folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest. Lee, 1960 : 21 .
The black people worked as domestic servants or poorly paid job like white people cotton farming worker. In the social class stratification black
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people belong to the lowest class. White people are still considered something of
an upper-class and have higher incomes and education than black people. Mrs. Dubose lived alone except for a negro girl in constant
attendence, two doors up the street from us in a house with a steep front steps and a dog—trot hall. She was very old; she spent most of
each day in bed and the rest of it in a wheelchair. It was rumored that she kept a CSA pistol concealed among her numerous shawls and
wraps. Lee, 1960 : 99
“Were you acquainted with Mayella Violet Ewell?” asked Atticus. “Yes suh, I had to pass her place goin’ to and from the field every
day. “Whose field?” “I picks for Mr. Link Deas.”“Were you picking cotton in November?” “No suh, I works in his yard fall an
wintertime. I works pretty steady for him all year round, he’s got a lot of pecan trees’n things.” Lee, 1960 : 190
The class stratification in Maycomb result gaps among the society. In the common place, white people and black people were segregated. In the novel,
when people come to the court to see Tom Robinson’s case, they take their place based on their skin colors.
The colored balcony ran along three walls of the courtroom like a second-story vuranda, and from it we could see everything Lee,
1960 : 164
“I know where they are Atticus.” Mr, Underwood spoke up. “They’re right up yonder in the colored balcony- been there since
precisely one-eighteen P.M. Our father turned around and look up. “Jem, come down from there,” he called. Then he said something to
the judge we didn’t hear.We climbed across Reverend Sykes and made our way to the staircase. Lee, 1960 : 206
Another case of social gaps in Maycomb caused by social class stratification is when Calpurnia invited Scout and Jemm to come to their church.
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Their church namely First Purchase African M.E Church was a church where Negroes worshiped in it on Sunday. A woman who saw both Scout and Jem
entering their church told Calpurnia that she shouldn’t bring the white people to the church, because it is belong to the black people.
A Murmur ran through the crowd. Don’t you fret. “Calpurnia whispered to me, but the roses on her hat trembled indignantly.
When Lula came up the pathway toward us Calpurnia said, “Stop right there, Nigger.” Lula stopped, but she said, “You ain’t got no
business bringin’ white chillun here- they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Call?” Lee, 1960 : 119
This means that white people and black people worshiped in different church. It was a stratification in the society that made gaps among the society
where people interacted just in their groups. It deals with the history told that after slavery era, the condition of America was replaced by a postbellum social and
legal system of separating citizens on the basis of race that remained intact through the middle of twentieth century.
Actually, as the lowest class of the society, black people respected the white people. It was shown in the novel when Jem and Scout were entering the
church, the men stepped back and took off their hats while the women crossed their arms at their waists.
By the history fact of slavery era, black people were in white people slaves. After the era ended, most black people still worked for the white people
even not as slaves but as the workers such as cotton farming workers, domestic servants, and other poorly jobs. This could be the reason why black people gave a
respectful attention to the white people.
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When they saw Jem and me with Calpurnia, the men stepped back and took off their hats; the women crossed their arms at their waists,
weekday gestures of respectful attention. They parted and made a small pathway to the church door for us. Calpurnia walked between
Jem and me, responding to the greetings of her brightly clad neighbors. Lee, 1960 : 118
4.2 Social Life Differences Between Black and White People
