2.4 To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

How do you know we ain’t Negros… Well if we came out of the Old Testament it’s too long ago to remember.. but around here once you have a drop of Negro blood, that makes you all black. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, racism is a key theme that is reinforced in the setting. Her choice of the time era, the backstory of the novel, and the classism all present this. Harper Lee has made a clever choice of these aspects as they each are the building blocks that make up the setting of the novel. This overall builds up the idea of the racism that was a problem during the setting of the novel. Harper lee wrote the novel in the 1950s and so the racism would have been a defining factor in the decision of the novels setting.

The time era that was chosen by Harper lee was cleverly decided on as it helps to shape the readers view on the racism that was occurring. Her choice of time was during the 1930s. Setting the novel from 1933-1935 meant that the characters were dealing with the issues of the Jim Crow era, and the aftermath of the great depression. The Jim Crow era was the period in time in which the Jim Crow laws were in place, from 1877 to 1964. This was important as they segregated people by their colour. Doing this is a major part of the setting because it what sets apart Calpurnia from the Finch family, and why they sat in the “Coloured balcony” at the trial. Every day in Scouts life she saw the massive amount of segregation that occurred. She was surrounded by it and didn’t know life without it, as it had been in place long before she arrived, setting the scene for the novel. The depression created a problem with money in the area as jobs had been hard to come by as employers could not afford to pay them. Leading to Scout growing up with an increased concern for money. Economic issues present the setting and link to everyday life for the citizens in Maycomb. Money put them further up the class system. This led to increased problems with racism as the economic situation of the coloured citizens was a lot worse and the had to work a lot harder just to get enough oven to survive. Setting the novel in the 1930s the aftermath of the depression and the effects of the Jim Crow Laws were very much prevalent in society and were causing issues. Setting the scene for the racism that was very well known, and the building block of the storyline. When Harper Lee wrote the novel, this was just what she set out to show. The way of life back then. She executed it well because it catches the readers attention and gains their interest. It also helps the reader to understand the difference in life now against what life was like back then. Helping to show just how far we have come in regards to the racial views of society and what still needs working on.

Having a main family in the novel is part of the setting. The Finch family is a good portrayal of what the setting of the text is because of the racism that resides within them. Their family were the ones that founded Maycomb as it was their ancestor Simon Finch that found the area. The family was very stuck in their ways but Atticus, Scout and Jem all stand up to the racism that was occurring in society and within their own families. Aunt Alexandra was deeply racist and this was shown in the ways that she treated Calpurnia. She later even goes to say that she is not needed anymore as she herself will replace her, so they don’t have a coloured woman in the house. The Finch family represent the racism that was a huge factor in the novel is very important. It helps to show the racism that the Maycomb community showed to others based on the colour of their skin. Aunt Alexandra was very much part of the community and shared many of the same views with the other people she met up with. These prejudice thoughts were shared and were put into words when Mr Raymond was found out for drinking Coca-Cola out of a paper bag, which was always thought to be an alcoholic drink in the bag instead. He replied to this saying how “it ain’t honest but it’s mighty helpful to the folks. secretly, Miss Finch, I’m not much of a drinker, but you see they could never, never understand that I live like I do because that’s the way I want to live.” He was pretending to be an alcoholic so he had a reason to marry a coloured woman. Society, which includes the Finch family, would not be able to understand why he does it so he gives them a reason for having the life he has by pretending to be an alcoholic. The Finch families prejudice ideas are shared by the community that causes a man to pretend to be someone he is not just to still be accepted in society. Their family is representative of society as their ideas are the ones that are challenged and brought to light. The racism that is shown by the finch family shows the setting of the novel as their prejudice thoughts are shared by the community. Mr Raymond is a good example of that.

The amount of money your family as is reflected in the class you are put in. This is how classism works. In Maycomb, your class greatly affected the way you lived your life and the way you were thought of in society. The class system in Maycomb put the Finch family at the top of the ladder. They had more money and higher privileges than the Cunninghams that were below them, followed by the Ewells. The lowest of the low was the ones separated because of their skin colour or their connections. If Mr Raymond had not pretended to be drunk and therefore give a reason for marrying a coloured woman, then he would be put down in class just for that and would be as low as his wife. The class you belonged to defined what standard to were held in within society. The class system is a very important part of the setting of the novel as you were held to a different standard regarding your class. This made the racism of the time more prevalent and noticeable than ever. This whole idea is why Mayella “kissed a black man” and is brave because he is coloured and it will put her further down. The classism in Maycomb sets the scene for the novel because it helps to show what life was like, and the way you lived depending on your class. Similar to life today.

To Kill a Mockingbirds setting backs up the idea of racism. The setting includes the time, the background, and the classism that was prevalent. This backs up the racism because each of these three aspects shows part of the racism of the time and they all tie in together. The time that it was set in was the 1930’s. Tying into classism as your race put you down further along with the money you had. If you were coloured, there was no way you would have a decent amount of money so you would always be at the bottom. In the 1930s, classism was a big deal and your whole life was dictated by it. If you were lower in class, you wouldn’t even attend school as you were needed to work. This is different from now as, even if the family doesn’t have a lot of money, children are still expected to go to school. The background of the novel, the Finch family, is an important part as they are at the top of the pyramid regarding their class and the history surrounding their family. The setting of the novel has a noticeable difference in modern-day life as the 1930s was a very different time. An example of this is that classism is still prevalent but it is less of a problem. If you have a different skin colour, you will not be asked to go to a different church or area and it no longer defines what you can do. Times have changed for the better. Living as life for Scout and Jem in the novel would not be acceptable now and the racism that was a big issue is now less prevalent. Harper Lee chose the setting very well as it illustrated her intention to show that life was very different back then and the move we have made to try and get rid of the racist thoughts that some have.