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
Because of social stratification among black end white people, the members of society in in Maycomb had different social life. They lived in their
own circle and interacted just in their group only. In the story To Kill A Mockingbird this was shown when Jem and Scout went to Negro’s church to
worship, They wondered to see when in the middle of the worship the priest collected fund given by congregations that would be given to Tom Robinson
family, one of them who was in trouble. Jem and Scout, the white people wondering about this showed that it was unusual thing to do in their church. This
is one of the different social life in the midst of society in Maycomb between the black and white people.
Reverend Sykes shuffled some papers, chose one and held it at arm’s length. “The Misionary Society meets in the home of Sister Annete
Reeves next Tuesday. Bring your sewing.” He read from another page. “You all know of brother Tom Robinson’s trouble. He has
been a faithful member of First Purchase since he was a boy. The collection taken up today and for the next three Sundays will go to
Helen- his wife, to help her out at home.” Lee, 1960 : 120-121
Another social difference among the black and white people was found in the moment when Scout asked Calpurnia why did she talk in
Nigger language. This case showed that these two group, the black and
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white people in Maycomb had different language. Calpurnia answered because she’s black and she thought that language using must be corrected
in any place. She used Nigger language when she interacted with her folk, while she used white’s when she was in the white people circle. Language
different of both black and white people refer to their own history. Black people had their own language because they came from Arica, and white
people who’re from Europe used their own language also. “Call”, I asked, why do you talk nigger talk to the- to your folks
when you know it’s not right?” “, in the first place I’m black-.“ “That doesn’t mean you hafta talk that way when you know better,
said Jem. Calpurnia tiked her hat and scratched her head, then pressed her hat down carefully over her ears. “It’s right hard to say,”
she said. “Suppose you and Scout talked collored –folks’ talk at home it’d be out of place, wouldn’t it? Now what if I talked white-
folks’ talk at church, and with my neighbors? They’d think I was puttin’ on airs to beat Moses. Lee, 1960 : 125-126
Social life of black people was very poor compared with the white people. They lived in weak condition of economy. Most of them just the workers of the
white people. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, it was told that most of black people lived their life by working as domestic servants like Calpurnia,
who was worked by Atticus as a cookhousekeeper since Scouts mother has long since
passed when the book begins, and as farming workers like Tom Robinson. The condition
where the black people worked at white people farming in Maycomb has already existed long time ago after the slavery period was ended.
We lived on the main residential street in town- Atticus, Jem and I, plus Calpurnia our cook. Jem and I found our father satisfactory : he
played with us, and treated us with courteous detachment. Lee, 1960 : 7
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Dill leaned across me and asked Jem what Atticus was doing. Jem said Atticus was showing the jury that Tom had nothing to hide.
“Were you acquainted with Mayella Violet Ewell?” asked Atticus. “Yes suh, I had to pass her place goin’ to and from the field
everyday.” “Whose field?” “I picks for Mr. Link Deas.” Lee, 1960 : 190 .
In the story, it was told also that most of black people could not be able to read at all. In one part of the novel, Jem and Scout was astonished because there
was no hymn books in the blacks worship ceremony. They sang the hymns by following the song leader voice line by line. Line for line voices followed in
simple harmony until the hymn ended in a melancholy murmur. It was because most of the congregation could not be able to read.
Calpurnia said that there’s just four people in First Purchase who are able in reading and she was one of them. This condition explained that they’re poor in
education. Most of them didn’t get the education in school, because the fact of their social history told that they’re just the sons of slaves, those who didn’t give a
little care about education. “He’s just like our preacher.” Said Jem, “but why do you all sing
hymns that way?” “Linin’?” She asked. “Is that what it is?” “Yeah, it’s called linin’. They’ve done it that way as long as I can
remember.” Jem said it looked like they could save the collection money for a year and get some hymn books. Calpurnia laughed.
“Wouldn’t do any good,” she said “They can’t read.” “Can’t read?” I asked. “All those folk?” “That’s right,” Calpurnia nodded. “Can’t
but about four folks in First Purchase read… I’m one of ‘em.” “Where’d you go to school, Cal?” asked Jem. “Nowhere”. Lee,
1960 : 124
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This condition was a contrary fact with the white people social life of white people. Most of them were the owners of cotton farming lands in Maycomb.
It deals with the history fact that since the coming of European to America, while the northern developed became industrial area, the southern area was developed
became enormous cotton farming area. All these faming were owned by the white people. It was possibly that they lived in a better condition of economy than the
black people. It was customary for the men in the family to remain on
Gimon’s homestead, Finch’s Landing, and make their living from cotton. The place was self-sufficient : modest in comparison with the
empires around it, the Landing nevertheless produced everything required to sustain life except ice, wheat flour, and articles of
clothing, supplied by river-boats from Mobile. Lee, 1960 : 4
In education case, most white people in Maycomb were educational person. It was explained in the beginning of the story, Atticus, the member of
Finch family went to study law and his younger brother went to study medicine in Boston. It showed that Finch family, the white people took care about education
like the black people didn’t do. Simon would have regarded with impotent fury the
disturbance between the North and the South, as it left his descendants stripped of everything but their land, yet the tradition of
living on the land remained unbroken until well into the twentieth century, when my father Atticus Finch, went to Montgomery to read
law, and his younger brother went to Boston to study medicine. Lee, 1960 : 4
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4.3 Racial Injustice
