At the end of chapter 23, Jem argues that different kinds of folks are divided because of their “Background”, which is based on whether or not a family can read. He and Scout are disagreeing over what “Background” actually means, when Scout brings up the point, “No, everybody’s gotta learn, nobody’s born knowin’.” (Lee 304) Jem had said Walter didn’t know how to read because his family couldn’t, when in truth Walter has to help his family in the fields during the school year. It’s not his fault he doesn’t have time to learn during that time. Jem talks about what differentiates folks before he brings up “Background”, saying folks are split up by their families. He creates four categories: “the ordinary kind like [the Finches] and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes.” (Lee 302) and basically places them into their categories based on socioeconomic status. The Finches and other who live in Maycomb are more wealthy, thus more educated and more likely to be on the side of equality. The Cunninghams and the Ewells are far more poor, and therefore only interested in themselves and how they can get by well enough on their own; putting a black man on trial to keep their dignity isn’t such a big ask for them. The final category in Jem’s mind belongs to black families, who were the lowest of the low in the 1930s. Due to institutionalized racism, black people were viewed as even less significant than women at that time. Jem is right about a person’s level of education affecting their socioeconomic status, but Scout is also correct in that a person is born into whatever family with no way to control the socioeconomic status of said family. A person’s “Background” affects their family as much as the reverse is true.
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