Scout tells her father about Burris Ewell and how he only goes to school on the first day. She questions how he can be allowed to do such a thing. Atticus tells her that someone in authority can make the Ewell children attend school, but that such a thing is not worth it to do. He is referring to a truant officer forcing the children to attend school. The Ewell family is different from others in Maycomb. They do not value education, and the children do not want to attend school. Bob Ewell does not insist that his children go to school. Atticus explains this to Scout:
He said that the Ewells were members of an exclusive society made up of Ewells. In certain circumstances the common folk judiciously allowed them certain privileges by the simple method of becoming blind to some of the Ewells' activities. They didn’t have to go to school, for one thing.
Atticus also tells Scout that Bob Ewell is not made to follow hunting season rules. He spends what little money he has on alcohol, so his children would go hungry if not for his occasional hunting.
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