When a group develops a "mob mentality", they become willing to do things they normally wouldn't do if they were in their right frames of mind. This is the mentality of the mob outside the jail. They have allowed their emotions to overtake their reason, and all they want is revenge against Tom Robinson, an innocent black man, whom they think has raped Mayella Ewell.
By talking to Mr. Cunningham, Scout reminds him that he is a father just as Atticus is. She calms Cunningham and the other men down by making them realize that all of them are residents of Maycomb. Scout's innocent remarks turnsthe mob back into a group of friends and neighbors who have always been treated kindly and respectfully by Atticus. As a mob, the men are nameless, but when Scout calls them by their names, the men become individuals.
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