Setting
To Kill a Mockingbird was set in Maycomb County, Alabama, which is based on Harper Lee's hometown of Monroeville. The novel was based in the 1930s after the Great Depression, at a time when poverty and unemployment were wide spread issues across America. African Americans, generally the men, worked in the cotton fields in order to provide for their families, often at very low wages. It was set at a time when it was commonplace for children to go to school in bare feet, which would usually end in them catching ringworm or other nasty diseases. The Finch family, in the novel, belonged to the elite class of society, as they owned a house and could afford to hire an African American house keeper. Due to the small size of Maycomb County, people didn't like to travel, and instead preferred to stay inside the comforts of their hometowns. A system of segregation was put in place, which was very discriminatory towards African Americans. The two races were unable to mix in schools, movie theatres or on trains and could not even use the same rest rooms or drink from the same water fountains. African Americans were not allowed to vote or serve on juries and if any one of them challenged this system, they would be in serious danger of being killed by gangs such as the Klu Klux Klan.
Social Class Divide in the 1930s
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In the 1930s in the South of the United States, the social class divide was very much apparent. White men were on the top of the pyramid, and usually worked in office jobs such as lawyers or doctors. White women were quite considerably below white men, especially in the 1930s. They were expected to act like ladies, not how Scout acted in the novel, and generally did not work, but stayed home to look after their families. People considered 'white trash', such as the Ewell family were below white women and did not socialise with anyone. Black men were below white 'trash', and worked on small farms for a low wage to provide for their families. The jobs they completed were much more demanding than the professions white men chose, including harvesting crops by hand. Black women were considered the lowest class of society. They were treated horrendously and only worked in certain jobs such as domestic servants, like Calpurnia in the novel. This divide was very apparent, and the Jim Crow Laws cemented them in place. |
Jim Crow Laws
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The Jim Crow laws were laws implemented in the 1800s and 1900s. These laws further cemented the class divide in the Southern United States. They enabled American courts to impose punishments on white people socializing with black people and vice versa. There was a wide range of laws, including forbidden marriage between races and for business owners to keep their white and black customers separate. Schools were split into white and black sections and on trains, white and black passengers were unable to mix in the carriages.
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