What does the expression 'I think there's just one kind of folks' mean?

Answer 1

The expression is quoted by Scout in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird".

This quote comes directly after Scout's brother Jem tries to figure out the caste (social) system in Maycomb and how social classes and race fit into that. Over the course of the book, Jem has become more mature than Scout, and has had his innocence taken away by events such as the knothole incident, Mrs. Dubose's death, and of course, the verdict on Tom Robinson's case. Here, he is trying to figure out why prejudice and racism are prominent in Maycomb, and have a better view of society around him. In a sense, Jem's outline is correct of the organization of Maycomb, but Scout cannot comprehend this.

Scout retains most of her innocence throughout the book by showing an ignorant indifference towards these events, not understanding or realizing the impact that they have had on her brother's life. To put it simply, she just doesn't understand that racism and prejudice are all around her. By saying this quote, she is showing the innocence she still clutches, and it represents all the purity the world has beyond bias and prejudice. When she says that there are only one kind of folks, it shows that she does not separate whites from blacks, and rich men from poor men, because she cannot see it. In essence, it represents extreme innocence, purity, and reinforces that "ignorance is bliss".

This quotation directly means that Scout believes there are only one kind of people, and those are people that are unseparated by bias and prejudice.