To Kill A Mockingbird 1930s Analysis

The novel of To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the timeline and era of the 1930s which was synonymous for the renowned Great Depression. A tragedy in which social and economic change was urgently required yet old traditional beliefs and racial hierarchies including the Jim Crow laws were kept firm in position. These beliefs along with other aspects including behavior are clearly represented in the novel which leads the reader to infer that the time and setting of To Kill a Mockingbird is the 1930s. There are various methods and pieces of evidence that we draw upon that leads to the conclusion that the setting of the novel takes place in the following timeframe. The prime evidence to back up the following claims includes the various allusions

Which is directly related to the culture and atmosphere of the area and its timeframe. An example of an individual that has been affected by the 1930s includes Dolphus Raymond. Raymond is a rich, white individual that prefers to live along the lives of African Americans instead of Whites which is taboo in the 1930s. However, to prevent any concerning gossip from spawning, Raymond covers up the story by pretending to be a drunk and hoping it will explain his situation while in reality, he does not drink alcohol but instead drinks mostly Coke. Another example of the influences of the 1930s appears when Calpurnia is facing discrimination from Aunt Alexandra, who says that Calpurnia should be fired due to her race and prevents the kids from visiting her place. Calpurnia in general terms is also expected to face discrimination outside of the Finch’s place due to her skin color. Moving on, the case of Tom Robinson is another example of the many results of the 1930s. In this case, Tom Robinson is quickly appointed to be a rapist due to the fact that the words of the Ewells were taken literally and without question. This depicts that Black Men were not given a second chance when it came to a court case or capital punishment. Also, the fact that many individuals were not given their full income and wage due to the Great Depression has also affected many people’s lives. In

All which result in the novel having the title of being timeless. However, no techniques are perfect and I believe that Harper Lee could have done a better job when it comes to a certain aspect of local color. The first and only aspect I believe she could have done a better job at was alluding to the Great Depression further and also bringing in the supposed lifestyles of the Great Depression more along the storyline. From what have I learned about the Great Depression, everything and everyone was affected no matter the social status of the individuals. But from the way the plot progresses in the novel and as details are revealed, it seems that the Great Depression is not relevant at all and has not affected the families of Maycomb in any major way from what we can conclude from the text. Instead, the only way to determine that the families were affected by the hardships is to infer that their poor status was a result of the incident. However, when the Great Depression is rarely mentioned in the beginning, it is very brief and subtle and does not affect the storyline at all. I believe that Harper Lee should have mentioned the Great Depression more often since