Turn On Your GPS

Home Driving up to a 1930’s house in the South, do not be taken aback by the large rifle hanging on the wall in the garage. It is extremely common for families to have a gun for protection. You will be greeted by a house maid. They help keep the house clean, the kids well fed, and become a part of the family. On a Sunday the doors will be wide open so you can come right in and say hello. But we need to say goodbye, we have a few more stops to make.

Church Next we are going to visit the church. At church, you will see people dressed up in dresses and suits. Children will be dressed formally as well, but only if the parents can afford the clothes. Church is a big part of people’s lives in the South of the 1930’s. It holds them together.

Court Let’s stop by the court house. This is another formal event. Ladies are in dresses, hats, and gloves while men are usually in common business suits. It is always polite to stand when someone of importance enters or exits the room. Depending on how big the event is, people from different parts of town will come into witness the trial. Smoking is allowed in the courthouse so you will see several people with cigars and/or cigarettes. There is a separate balcony for the blacks. Sadly, courts are not always fair or reasonable, but it is still a big social event for the townsfolk.

Schoolhouse This would be the school house. In a small town in the South in 1930’s, the law of having to go to school is not enforced very strictly. Kids come and go as they please or as their parents need them on the farms. Children that do not live far from school will usually go home during lunch. Others will bring a sack lunch to eat during the lunch break. When a child is disrespectful or breaks a rule, they are punished by a slap on the hands with a ruler. Schools in the South in the 1930’s may be good at math and reading, but they are not good at teaching the difference between right and wrong.

Public In public there is a certain way of how you should look and act. Women are in dresses while men are in suits. You will see that a lot of men in the South know how to shoot a gun. You might come across a few drunks on your way to the square. Alcohol is very common in the South in the 1930’s and a little bit too available. Be aware that where you came from and your heredity make a very big difference in how people view you as a person. If you get a funny look from someone, don’t be too worried, it’s probably because your family has a bad reputation. Reputation is everything in the South in the era of 1930’s.

Sources _Buckingham_Court_House_HD_VLR_4th_edition.jpg LOT painting-artwork-print.jpg Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. New York, New York; HarperCollins, Print.