SETTING

Maycomb,

ALABAMA

Map of Maycomb, Alabama

Alabama School – 1930s

Porch of a sharecroppers cabin - Alabama

Presidents at the timeHerbert Hoover (1929-1933)Franklin D Roosevelt (1933-1945)

Only President elected for 3 terms“But it was a time of vague optimism for

some of the people. Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself.” (pg. 6) Inaugural speech, March 4, 1933

Social Class in the Novel

Wealthy

Country Folk

"White Trash"

BlackCommunity

This is probably similar to how class structure existed during the 1930’s in the South. The wealthy, although fewest in number, were most powerful. The blacks, although great in number, were lowest on the class ladder, and thus, had the least privileges.

Examples of each social class:

Wealthy - Finches

Country Folk - Cunninghams

“White Trash” – Ewells

Black Community – Tom Robinson

Racial separation (segregation)

Jim Crow LawsThe name, Jim Crow, comes from the character in a negro minstrel song written by Thomas D. Rice. This character had been popular in pre-Civil War minstrel entertainment and was a racist stage depiction of a poor and uneducated rural Black.

In the United States, the Jim Crow laws were introduced to enforce racial segregation, and included laws that would prevent black people from doing things that a white person could do, and vice versa. For instance, Jim Crow laws regulated separate use of water fountains, public bath houses, and separate seating sections on public transport.

The Jim Crow system was underpinned by the following beliefs:

-Whites were superior to Blacks in all important ways, including but not limited to intelligence, morality, and civilised behaviour-Sexual relations between Blacks and Whites would produce a mongrel race which would destroy America-Treating Blacks as equals would encourage interracial sexual unions-Any activity which suggested social equality encouraged interracial sexual relations-If necessary, violence must be used to keep Blacks at the bottom of the racial hierarchy.

The following widespread Jim Crow norms of etiquette show how inclusive and pervasive these norms were :

-A Black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a White male because it implied being socially equal. Obviously, a Black male could not offer his hand or any other part of his body to a White woman, because he risked being accused of rape.-Blacks and Whites were not supposed to eat together. If they did eat together, Whites were to be served first, and some sort of partition was to be placed between them.-Under no circumstance was a Black male to offer to light the cigarette of a White female -- that gesture implied intimacy.-Blacks were not allowed to show public affection toward one another in public, especially kissing, because it offended Whites.-Jim Crow etiquette prescribed that Blacks were introduced to Whites, never Whites to Blacks. For example: "Mr. Peters (the White person), this is Charlie (the Black person) that I spoke to you about."-Whites did not use courtesy titles of respect when referring to Blacks, for example, Mr., Mrs., Miss., Sir, or Ma'am. Instead, Blacks were called by their first names. Blacks had to use courtesy titles when referring to Whites, and were not allowed to call them by their first names.-If a Black person rode in a car driven by a White person, the Black person sat in the back seat, or the back of a truck.-White motorists had the right-of-way at all intersections. .

Blacks were supposed to observe these simple rules in conversing with Whites:

Never assert or even intimate that a White person is lying.Never impute dishonourable intentions to a White person. Never suggest that a White person is from an inferior class. Never lay claim to, or overly demonstrate, superior knowledge or intelligence. Never curse a White person. Never laugh derisively at a White person. Never comment upon the appearance of a White female

Civil Rights Timeline

Publication/Release of To Kill a Mockingbird in the Civil Rights Era: A Chronology

1954 United States Supreme Court rules in Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, that racial segregation in the public schools is inherently unequal and, therefore, illegal.

1955 Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus. (Bus Boycott)

1960 Publication of To Kill A Mockingbird in the Fall (Shoots to top of NY Times Best Seller list)

1961 To Kill A Mockingbird, is released; the screen adaptation by Horton Foote receives 5 Academy Award nominations.

1963 Massive Civil Rights March is held in Washington, D.C. (I Have a Dream)

1964 The Civil Rights Act is passed.

Gender Bias (Prejudice)Women were considered “weak”Women were generally not educated for

occupations outside the homeIn wealthy families, women were expected

to oversee the servants and entertain guests

Men not considered capable of nurturing children

Legal Issues of the 1930’s which impact the story

Women given the vote in 1920

Juries were MALE and WHITE

“Fair trial” did not include acceptance of a black man’s word against a white man’s

Prejudice in the novel

Race

Gender

Rich/Poor

Age

Religion