In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the concept of entailment is introduced early in the novel, and although it may seem like a small legal detail, it plays a much larger symbolic role in understanding the socioeconomic struggles and moral framework of the story. The mention of entailment may confuse some readers at first, but it becomes a meaningful term when looked at through the lens of history, family legacy, and justice. Understanding entailment in To Kill a Mockingbird helps deepen our appreciation of how Lee weaves legal, financial, and social realities into the lives of her characters in Maycomb, Alabama.
Understanding Entailment as a Legal Concept
Definition of Entailment
Entailment refers to a legal situation where the inheritance of property is restricted to specific heirs, usually male descendants, and cannot be sold or otherwise transferred. It was historically used to keep land or wealth within a family line for generations. Entailments can be financially crippling for families who own property but cannot legally use it as collateral or sell it to pay off debts.
Entailment in Historical Context
This legal concept dates back to English common law and was designed to preserve estates for aristocratic families. In the American South, similar principles were often applied to maintain control over farmland and assets. By the time of the Great Depression when To Kill a Mockingbird is set entailments were increasingly seen as outdated and harmful to struggling families trying to survive financial hardship.
Entailment in the Story
Mr. Cunningham and the Finch Family
Entailment first arises in a conversation between Scout Finch and Atticus regarding Mr. Cunningham. When Scout asks her father what entailment means, it’s in response to Mr. Cunningham’s financial situation. Mr. Cunningham is a proud but poor farmer who cannot afford to pay Atticus in money for legal services, so he pays with goods like hickory nuts and stovewood instead. His land is entailed, which restricts him from selling it to raise cash.
A Child’s Perspective
Scout’s curiosity about entailment reflects a child’s attempt to understand the complicated adult world around her. When she hears the term, she repeats it to others like Mr. Cunningham himself without fully grasping its meaning. This innocent repetition serves as a form of comic relief but also shows the depth of children’s awareness in Maycomb’s closely tied community.
Symbolism and Social Commentary
Entailment as a Metaphor
Lee uses entailment symbolically to represent the burdens of history and inherited injustice. Just as landowners like Mr. Cunningham are trapped by legal traditions, the town of Maycomb is trapped by social and racial prejudices. The community’s entailments are not only financial but also moral. These inherited limitations prevent real progress and equality.
The Inequality of Opportunity
The concept also highlights economic disparity. The Cunninghams have land but no liquid wealth, while others in the town have neither. This distinction subtly critiques the illusion of class mobility in the South during that time. The entailment keeps a good man like Mr. Cunningham in poverty, despite his hard work and good intentions.
Character Development Through Entailment
Scout’s Maturity
Scout’s understanding of entailment evolves as the story progresses. Initially, she mimics adult conversations without comprehension, but over time, she becomes more aware of the social structures that define her town. Her early interactions with terms like entailment are part of her journey from innocence to awareness.
Atticus as a Teacher
Atticus Finch uses the discussion of entailment to teach his children about fairness, dignity, and respect. He accepts payment in kind from Mr. Cunningham without embarrassment or condescension. This behavior shows his commitment to justice and equality, even in small, everyday matters. His lesson about entailment becomes part of a broader education in empathy and ethics.
The Broader Legal Landscape
Law and Limitations
The novel consistently presents the law as a double-edged sword. While Atticus represents the legal profession in its most noble form, the law also appears rigid and antiquated, as in the case of entailments. The courts uphold laws that restrict freedom and perpetuate inequality, echoing the limitations seen in the Tom Robinson trial later in the story.
Legacy of Injustice
Just as entailment restricts property, the law in Maycomb restricts justice. The structures of society both legal and social are built to maintain a certain order, even at the cost of fairness. This theme recurs throughout the novel and is introduced subtly through ideas like entailment, foreshadowing the much greater legal injustice that follows.
Entailment and Southern Identity
The Southern Aristocracy
Entailment ties directly into the Southern obsession with land and legacy. Families like the Cunninghams are proud of their land even if it offers no immediate economic benefit. This pride reflects a cultural mindset deeply rooted in inheritance, tradition, and honor. Harper Lee captures this through small but meaningful references like entailment.
Breaking the Cycle
By the end of the novel, Scout begins to see the need for change in her society. The concept of entailment can be viewed as a representation of everything that must be reexamined and possibly dismantled for true progress to happen. Scout’s gradual understanding suggests hope that future generations can escape these inherited burdens.
Although entailment might appear as a minor detail in To Kill a Mockingbird, it carries significant thematic weight. It connects legal history, personal struggle, class structure, and moral obligation into a single, recurring symbol. Through Mr. Cunningham’s entailed property, Harper Lee introduces readers to the quiet, often invisible forces that shape people’s lives. In doing so, she reminds us that the law is not just about justice it’s about who has access to it, who is bound by it, and who must fight to change it. Understanding entailment enhances our appreciation of the novel’s rich layers and reinforces its message about the need for compassion, equality, and reform.