left his office because people brought him the news. InChapter 15, Atticus is warned about the Old Sarum bunch and a few community members fear that they will attempt to cause havoc before the trial. As predicted, the Old Sarum bunch attempts to lynch Tom Robinson. Fortunately, Mr. Underwood witnesses the entire situation from his office window and is holding a double-barrel shotgun to cover Atticus the entire time. Following Tom Robinson's trial, Scout mentions that Mr. Underwood wrote an editorial that compared Tom's verdict to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds" (Lee 147). Although Mr. Underwood is a racist, he has a conscience and believes in justice. He disagrees with the jury's decision because he thinks that it is wrong to harm crippled, helpless individuals. Mr. Underwood's editorial gives additional insight into his moral character and depicts him as an empathetic individual.

There are actually two Walter Cunninghams in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The father is one of Atticus' former clients who reappears as one of the members of the lynch mob who tries to take Tom Robinson from the jail. His son, Walter Jr., is one of Scout's classmates at school. She blames him for her bad start on the first day of first grade, "rubbing his nose in the dirt" as payback. Jem breaks up the fight and invites him back to the Finches' house for lunch. The Cunninghams are extremely poor farmers, and Walter is a skinny, hookworm-laden lad who comes to school each day without lunch or lunch money. The family is often compared to the Ewells, but in a much more positive way: Though poor, the Cunninghams are honest and Walter Jr. always comes to school in clean clothing.

Walter's father says little during the novel, but he is moved by Scout's innocent conversation and her friendship with Walter Jr. in front of the jail. Instead of roughing up Atticus and removing Tom Robinson from his cell, Mr. Cunningham does an about-face.

   "I'll tell him you said hey, little lady," he said.
   Then he straightened up and waved a big paw. "Let's clear out," he called. "Let's get going, boys." 

Like Jem and Scout, Walter Jr. is also afraid of Boo Radley, having barely survived one episode.

   "Ever hear about him, Walter?"
   "Reckon I have," said Walter. "Almost died first year I come to school and et them pecans--folks say he pizened 'em and put 'em over on the school side of the fence."

As the story progresses, we learn why Walter Cunningham Jr.’s classmates hold certain views about him. Maycomb regulars like Aunt Alexandra think of Walter and his kin as lower-class residents. According to Aunt Alexandra, people from the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum know little about social etiquette and are susceptible to making poor moral choices.

“Don’t be silly, Jean Louise,” said Aunt Alexandra. “The thing is, you can scrub Walter Cunningham till he shines, you can put him in shoes and a new suit, but he’ll never be like Jem. Besides, there’s a drinking streak in that family a mile wide. Finch women aren’t interested in that sort of people.”

To Aunt Alexandra, Walter and his kin are a burden to society. They are neither suitable to interact with in polite company nor possessive of strong moral qualities. Thus, people like Walter should be ignored and relegated to the shadows. This vein of thinking doesn't sit right with Scout, and she argues with Jem about it.

For his part, Jem tries to mollify Scout, and although his words have the ring of innocence to them, they also cast Maycomb residents like Aunt Alexandra in a poor light:

You know something, Scout? I’ve got it all figured out, now. I’ve thought about it a lot lately and I’ve got it figured out. There’s four kinds of folks in the world ... I mean in Maycomb County. The thing about it is, our kind of folks don’t like the Cunninghams, the Cunninghams don’t like the Ewells, and the Ewells hate and despise the colored folks.

In this quote, Jem tells Scout that Maycomb society is made up of four types of people. Interestingly, he separates the Cunninghams from the Ewells. Even though both families come from the lower class, there’s a distinct difference between them: Unlike the Ewells, the Cunninghams live by a strong moral code.

Later in the story, we learn that a distant relation of Walter Cunningham’s sat on Tom Robinson’s jury and initially argued for an “outright acquittal” during case deliberations.

Unlike the Cunninghams, the Ewells possess neither good manners nor strong moral values. During the trial, Mayella’s testimony strongly indicates that her father, Mr. Ewell, may have had more to do with her injuries than she’s willing to admit. The text also tells us how Mr. Ewell and the rest of his family harass Helen Robinson (Tom’s widow) as she heads to work.

So, although Maycomb residents like Aunt Alexandra maintain that there’s little to no difference between members of the lower class, the text consistently shows us otherwise.

Walter Cunningham is a poor farmer but is known throughout Maycomb as a trustworthy, respectful man. Scout attends school with his son, Walter Cunningham Jr., who is depicted as a timid, mild-mannered young boy. Scout is familiar with the Cunninghams from her father's business dealings with Walter. Atticus helped Walter Cunningham with his entailment and accepted payment in the form of farm goods. Walter is too poor to pay Atticus with money but affords his services by bartering.

Although Walter Cunningham has a relatively positive reputation throughout town, he is a racist and attempts to lynch Tom Robinson but is stopped by Atticus and his children. Following the intense showdown outside of the jailhouse, Atticus comments on Walter Cunningham by saying,

Mr. Cunningham's basically a good man ... he just has his blind spots along with the rest of us.

Atticus acknowledges that Walter Cunningham is an upstanding citizen but conforms to society's racial prejudice and is susceptible to mob mentality. He does not judge Walter for his transgressions and continues to view him as a good man.

After the Tom Robinson trial, Atticus provides further background on Walter's family. Scout reiterates Atticus's comments by saying,

[Atticus] said the Cunninghams hadn't taken anything from or off of anybody since they migrated to the New World. He said the other thing about them was, once you earned their respect they were for you tooth and nail. Atticus said he had a feeling, nothing more than a suspicion, that they left the jail that night with considerable respect for the Finches.

Atticus's comments portray Walter Cunningham in a positive light. He is depicted as an honest man who works hard for everything he has and would never try to cheat another person. Walter Cunningham is a man with integrity and someone people can trust.

Walter Cunningham is the son of a poor farmer. He is in Scout’s grade, and, despite their differences in social class, the two are somewhat friends. 

Scout tells Miss Caroline not to lend Walter a quarter to buy lunch. Scout is trying to help Walter because Miss Caroline is new and does not really understand Maycomb's social structure. Scout says Miss Caroline will soon get to know the “country folk:”

The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back—no church baskets and no scrip stamps. They never took anything off of anybody, they get along on what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it (Chapter 2).

Scout is trying to explain that, although the Cunninghams are poor, they are proud. She knows this because Atticus had Walter Cunningham, Sr. as a client and he explained to Scout that the Cunninghams were poor because they were farmers and times are difficult for farmers.

Scout invites Walter home for lunch, but finds she doesn’t really understand him. He talks like an adult and pours syrup over his entire dinner. Scout is upset when she is scolded for saying "he’s just a Cunningham.” Calpurnia tells Scout to treat Walter with respect.

Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo‘ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin‘ ’em (Chapter 3).

Not everyone feels this way about Walter; Aunt Alexandra calls Walter trash. Scout does not understand why Alexandra tells her not to play with Walter.

“I’ll tell you why,” she said. “Because—he—is—trash, that’s why you can’t play with him. I’ll not have you around him, picking up his habits and learning Lord-knows-what. You’re enough of a problem to your father as it is" (Chapter 23).

To Alexandra, a person’s social class and family name are very important. She tries to impress upon Scout that Walter Cunningham is not fit company for a Finch. This contradicts Atticus’s tendency to treat everyone with respect regardless of class.

Although Mr. Underwood, the editor of the local paper, is a minor character in the book and is almost never directly quoted, his ideas are extremely significant in undertanding the events that take place in Maycomb concerning Tom Robinson. In Chapter 25, he writes about the trial that has just taken place, and Scout relates the jist of what he is saying without actually quoting his words. Scout says, that Mr. Underwood

"didn't talk about miscarriages of justice, he was writing so children could understand. Mr. Underwood simply figured it was a sin to kill cripples, be they standing, sitting, or escaping. He likened Tom's death to the senseless slaughter of songbirds by hunters and children."

After pondering upon Mr. Underwood's words for awhile, Scout comes to an understanding of what he is trying to say. Mr. Underwood means that

"Atticus had used every tool available to free men to save Tom Robinson, but in the secret courts of men's hearts Atticus had no case. Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed."

Despite the lack of direct quotes attributed to Mr. Underwood, he apparently is a man who can be quite garrulous. In Chapter 15, on the night that Atticus holds vigil over Tom Robinson, trying to ensure his safety by sitting in front of the jail, Scout notes that "it seemed that Atticus and Mr. Underwood would talk for the rest of the night." Just previously, a mob had come to take the law into their own hands, only to be defused by the innocent talk of Scout, who appeals successfully to their individual sense of decency. When the incident is over, Mr. Underwood comes out and says the only words directly quoted by him that I could find. Mr. Underwood, holding a double-barreled shotgun, calls out after Atticus tells Tom the men won't be bothering him anymore,

"You're damn tootin' they won't. Had you covered all the time, Atticus."

Walter Cunningham does not approve of Atticus defending Tom Robinson.

Walter Cunningham is the father of one of Scout’s classmates. He is part of a family of poor white farmers who are on the lower levels of Maycomb’s power structure.  Like many people of Maycomb, he does not approve of Atticus defending Tom Robinson.  Walter and a group of others decide to do something about it.

One night before the trial, Atticus stays up outside the jail waiting for something.  The children do not know what, but when they show up they realize there is a mob of people.  They are trying to get Atticus to let them get to Tom Robinson.

“You know what we want,” another man said. “Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.”

“You can turn around and go home again, Walter,” Atticus said pleasantly. “Heck

Tate’s around somewhere.”

“The hell he is,” said another man. “Heck’s bunch’s so deep in the woods they won’t get out till mornin‘.” (Ch. 15)

This is a lynchmob. However, Atticus will have none of it.  He wants to protect his client at all costs, because he is a good lawyer and because he is wily.  He finds out what is going to happen and gets in the way, making it harder for them to get to Robinson.

Scout later asks Atticus if Walter Cunningham is a bad man, but he tells her that he was just part of a mob.  Cunningham had a blind spot, and until Scout stepped up and started talking to him he didn’t realize it.

“…A mob’s always made up of people, no matter what. Mr. Cunningham was part of a mob last night, but he was still a man.  Every mob in every little Southern town is always made up of people you know—doesn’t say much for them, does it?” (Ch. 15)

Atticus reminds Scout that every mob is made up of people.  While there are many in Maycomb who do not approve of Atticus defending Tom Robinson, he does not think that Walter Cunningham would have hurt him badly.  He thinks that Walter just got a little carried away with the excitement of the trial.

Mr. Underwood is the editor of the local rag, The Maycomb Tribune. A fairly insignificant man, he pretty much epitomizes the Average Joe in this small Southern town. A virulent racist and white supremacist, like just about everyone else in Maycomb, he nonetheless realizes that a grotesque miscarriage of justice has taken place with the conviction of Tom Robinson.

What Underwood lacks in racial sensitivity he partially makes up for in terms of empathy. Despite his racism, Underwood can see beyond Tom's race just long enough for him to realize that the man is one of life's mockingbirds, and as such, he should not be harmed. It's interesting that his empathy in this regard is similar to that of his good friend, Atticus Finch, despite their radically different outlooks on race.

This would appear to suggest that it's just as wrong to take a white racist at face value as it is to make a judgement about an African-American male charged with raping a white woman. In both cases, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye. It would be far too easy to write off Mr. Underwood as just another one-dimensional white Southern racist. But thanks to his relationship to Atticus, we can see that that's not the case, and that though he's one of the book's minor characters, his added dimensions make him no less interesting for that.

Braxton Bragg Underwood is one of the more interesting of the minor characters of To Kill a Mockingbird. Underwood was named--"in a fey fit of humor" by his father--for one of the most inept and hated of all the Confederate generals of the Civil War, Braxton Bragg; Scout mentions that rumor had it that Underwood had been determined to "live it down." The owner and editor of The Maycomb Tribune, Underwood was an "intense, profane little man" who apparently was quite a drinker, since Atticus commented that "naming people after Confederate generals made slow steady drinkers." Atticus also said that Underwood "despises Negroes," yet, on the night that the lynch mob came to take Tom Robinson from the jail, he stood guard over Atticus with his shotgun from the window above the newspaper office. Despite his feelings about the black man, he vehemently lamented Tom's death, likening it to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds." Scout decided that Underwood did not approve of the killing of cripples, be they black or white.