The Cunninghams are a poor farming family in Maycomb. They are hard-working, but are not aware of many social cues, as they spend most of their time working on the farm. Walter Cunningham Sr. is a good man overall, but gets swept into the racism and hive-mindedness of the town.
The Ewells are also a poor family in the area, but do not have a good reputation in Maycomb. They live in a run-down part of town, their children only go to school the first day of the school year each year to sneak their way around the law, and their father is known around town for being a low-life. This proves to be true in the courtroom scene, when we find that Bob Ewell is also an abusive liar.
Both families were poor. The main differences among families is that the Cunninghams were respected than the Ewells. In the book, the Cunnighams also singled out for being poor farmers. The family has also been described as decent and honest. On the other hand, the Ewells are described in a complete opposite to Cunninghams' positive traits. Even, Atticus himself claims that they have been disgrace to Maycomb for three generations. The family has been described as dishonest, dirty and as a "white trash".
