Atticus explains to Jem and Scout that mobs are made up of ordinary people. He tells Jem that he will understand this more someday when he grows up. He emphasizes several times that everyone in the mob who went to the jail is a human being.
Scout has trouble grasping this concept. She is upset with the men, and especially with Mr. Cunningham. She vows to beat up young Walter Cunningham the next time she sees him at school. Atticus warns Scout not to touch Walter. He tells her that she should not hold a grudge against Mr. Cunningham:
"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?" (To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 16).
Atticus understands that despite the men being angry, they were still just a group of people. He reminds Scout that she had helped Mr. Cunningham stand in his shoes. He also suggests that the police be made up of children.
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