Out to the Quarters
'I don't think it's a good habit, Atticus. It encourages them. You know how they talk among themselves. Everything that happens in this town's out to the Quarters before sundown.'
In this sentence, "the Quarters" refers to the area outside of town where the Black people live - perhaps an area that was formerly used as Slave Quarters.
When Alexandra says this, she is talking to Atticus in reference to the fact that Atticus just said, in front of Calpurnia, that "(Braxton Underwood) despises Negroes, won't have one near him." They had been talking about the scene at the jail house the night before and the fact that Mr. Underwood saw the whole thing. Aunt Alexandra does not think Atticus should say such things in front of Calpurnia because she thinks that it encourages the Negroes. Alexandra does not trust in Calpurnia and believes that Calpurnia will go out and gossip, telling everyone what she heard. She is acting typical Maycomb practice of pretending not to be racist.
In this sentence, "the Quarters" refers to the area outside of town where the Black people live - perhaps an area that was formerly used as Slave Quarters.
When Alexandra says this, she is talking to Atticus in reference to the fact that Atticus just said, in front of Calpurnia, that "(Braxton Underwood) despises Negroes, won't have one near him." They had been talking about the scene at the jail house the night before and the fact that Mr. Underwood saw the whole thing. Aunt Alexandra does not think Atticus should say such things in front of Calpurnia because she thinks that it encourages the Negroes. Alexandra does not trust in Calpurnia and believes that Calpurnia will go out and gossip, telling everyone what she heard. She is acting typical Maycomb practice of pretending not to be racist.