WHERE DOES IT ALL HAPPEN? To kill a Mockingbird

Setting The setting in any novel is important in developing the action and conveying the story’s themes. Scout gives us lots of details about the town of Maycomb; we learn about the town’s characters and geography, which are essential for understanding the key events in the story. Set in Alabama, in the deep south of the United states. Set in the fictitious town of Maycomb.

Features of a rural Alabama town in the 1930s: A small, largely protestant population (lots of Baptist churchgoers) A hot subtropical climate with high rainfall. People want to know everyone’s business. A person’s character or worth is judged by which part of town he/she lives in. Lots of racism. Huge divide between town folk and country folk. Most people have got little money (The Depression). Much of the white population is descended from cotton plantation slave owners. Most people are reliant on agriculture. Separate schools for White and African-American children.

Social and historical factors during 1930s Alabama Southern states, slavery, Civil War. Segregation between blacks and whites still existed in the 1930s. Racism. Evidence Separate locality, churches, schools between black and white communities. Black people are often servants e.g. Calpurnia. Refer to chapter 12- visit to the First Purchase and Chapter 15- Ku Klux Klan.

Social and historical factors during 1930s 1930s The depression, poverty, unemployment, The rise of fascism (and racism) in Germany and elsewhere. Evidence Chapter 1- Scout’s reference to Roosevelt’s speech, “nothing to fear but fear itself…” Chapter 15- Atticus’ comments, “times this hard”. Chap 26- Miss Gates’ discussion of Hitler.

Finch family Atticus Finch is an educated man who goes to work in a clean shirt. The family owns a nice house and can afford a black housekeeper. They are only well off compared to farm owners, they to have very little money. Poverty made the south more class conscious than other parts of the country. For example Aunt Alexandra is so concerned with the importance of family background and ‘gentle breeding’ because these concepts were just about all that could be counted on to separate a family like the Finches from the truly poor. The characters in the novel take little interest in events outside of Maycomb. Most kids in Scout’s class don’t even know what a ‘current event’ is. Even adults seem to take little interest in the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt or the rise of Hitler in Germany. This is because people never travelled far from home.

MOST IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE The most difference between the south now and during the 1930s is the system of segregation. Black and Whites were forbidden to mix in schools, movie theatre or trains. Black had very little opportunity to get an education. Blacks were not allowed to vote or serve on juries. If a Black person publicly challenged the segregation system would have been in serious threat of being killed. Segregation was so taken for granted during this time, that is not even described in the novel in so many words. Not even Atticus, who represents idealism and a devotion to justice, ever attacks the basic system of segregation.

Class in the South What were the five levels in the socio-economic classes in the south (which characters represent each class?). What might be one reason there was such antagonism towards the Negroes after slavery was abolished?

TODAYS TASK Today you will construct a timeline in your books, showing the major events in the novel and the physical setting of each one. Settings to include: 1. The Court house 2. The School 3. The Radley’s house 4. Miss Maudie’s house 5. Xmas at the Finches 6. Mrs Dubose’s house 7. Tom Robinson’s holding cell. 8. The Pageant

SEXY PARAGRAPH You will write a sexy paragraph discussing how one of the settings in the novel helped to develop a character. Remember to follow the SEXY formula and use quotes from the text as examples. Eg The school Scout attends in Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, is a pivotal setting in the novel. Scout’s experience at school illustrates her ignorance and naivety and provides the reader with an insight into how she perceives the world. “Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham… I thought I had made things sufficiently clear. It was clear enough to the rest of us”. As a consequence of living her entire life in Maycomb, Scout is unaware that her small town does not represent the whole world and presumes that Miss Caroline would understand the Cunningham’s situation. It is this ignorance and naivety that allows Scout to see the world simply, she judges people for their actions and not their skin colour or social standing. Additionally, by making the narrator a young naïve girl, Harper Lee is able to explore the theme of racism through the eyes of someone who have not been blurred by the prejudice that exists around them.