Saturday, October 5, 2013

What are Aunt Alexandra’s and Atticus’ definitions of “trash.” How do they differ?

Aunt Alexandra and Atticus' definitions of "trash" are very different.  Aunt Alexandra thinks that "trash" is people who are poor, and don't have backgrounds that they can take pride in.  Atticus thinks that "trash" is people who don't have good morals and are essentially bad people.  After Atticus tells Scout that Mr. Cunningham was a member of the jury and that he almost acquitted Tom, Scout wants to invite Walter Cunningham over for dinner and play with him.  Aunt Alexandra objects, though.  When Scout asks why she isn't aloud to play with Walter, Aunt Alexandra replies "Because-he-is-trash, that's why you can't play with him." (Lee 301) Atticus, however, believes that Bob Ewell is "trash".  Aunt Alexandra believes that Walter Cunningham is trash because he does not have a sense of family pride, and couldn't because he is from one of the poorest families in Maycomb.  Aunt Alexandra is proud of being a Finch.  When she found that Scout and Jem didn't know enough about their backgrounds, she made Atticus talk to them about it.  "You are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are a product of several generations of gentle breeding [...] that you should try to live up to your name." (Lee 177) Aunt Alexandra probably thinks that Walter Cunningham is a "run-of-the-mill" person, and therefore should not be respected and is "trash".  Aunt Alexandra is a part of Maycomb's old generation, like the cotton in the candy box given to Jem by Mrs. Dubose.  Atticus, Scout, and Jem, though, thinks that people like the Ewells are "trash".  When Scout is angry about Aunt Alexandra Calling the Cunninghams "trash" she says "that boy's not trash, Jem.  He ain't like the Ewells." (Lee 302)  Atticus, like Scout believes that the Bob Ewell is "trash" because he doesn't care about his children, is very racist, and doesn't make an effort in life, unlike the Cunninghams, who try to pay back everything that they take, and try to be good people even though they are just about as poor as the Ewells.



Do you think that the Bob Ewell is really trash and doesn't make any efforts in life?  How are the Ewells and the Cunninghams similar? How are they different?  According to Atticus' definition of trash, is Mayella trash too?

5 comments:

  1. I agree that Aunt Alexandra and Atticus have very different definitions of trash. I think however, that Aunt Alexandra's definition of trash is based on what she thinks of a person's reputation, and how these people would affect her reputation. When she first heard of Atticus' position in the Tom Robinson case, she thought that he was "ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'" (Lee 110). All she cares about is how society views her, and how the Finch name is viewed. Atticus, however, is the opposite. When asked to defend Tom, he agreed without hesitation because he knew it was the right thing to do. He tried his best to argue beside Tom even though he knew his reputation would be damaged, and according to some, the family named would be disgraced. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra not only disagree on the definition of trash, but also contradict each other's ideas on social reputation.

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  2. I agree that Aunt Alexandra and Atticus have very different definitions of trash. I think however, that Aunt Alexandra's definition of trash is based on what she thinks of a person's reputation, and how these people would affect her reputation. When she first heard of Atticus' position in the Tom Robinson case, she thought that he was "ruinin' the family, that's what he's doin'" (Lee 110). All she cares about is how society views her, and how the Finch name is viewed. Atticus, however, is the opposite. When asked to defend Tom, he agreed without hesitation because he knew it was the right thing to do. He tried his best to argue beside Tom even though he knew his reputation would be damaged, and according to some, the family named would be disgraced. Atticus and Aunt Alexandra not only disagree on the definition of trash, but also contradict each other's ideas on social reputation.

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  3. While Aunt Alexandra and Atticus do have very different definitions of "trash," I find how they view their family to be more intriguing. Aunt Alexandra takes great pride in bearing the Finch name, and uses her last name as a reason to act superior to the "trash" in Maycomb County. On the other hand, Atticus doesn't think much of reputations, and tries to downplay the family name as much as possible by coexisting with the common folk of the town. Scout sees Atticus as a freedom-giver and Aunt Alexandra as an overbearing superior who tries to transform her ways to represent the family name better. Because the book is from Scout's perspective Aunt Alexandra is portrayed as an "evil woman."

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  4. I think Mayella tries to portrait herself as non trashy. Her father Bob Ewell is trashy. "...cursed him, spat on him, and threatened to kill him," (Lee, 291). These are some actions that Mr. Ewell committed. I believe that any man that does those things is trashy. Mayella was unfortunate to be born into the Ewell family because the family has a trashy reputation. Mayella tries to separate herself from the reputation. "Mayella looked as if she tried to keep clean, and I was reminded of the red gerniums in the Ewell yard," (Lee, 239). This quote is when Scout is explaining to the reader that Mayella tries to appear different from her father who doesn't shower. It also explains that in the Ewell yard (which is a dump) Mayella grows red geraniums and she takes lots of care of them. I think this proves that Mayella tries not to be trashy.

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