“Maycomb’s usual disease.” – Do I want to use?

Analyse how setting was used to reinforce an idea in the written text(s). “Idea” may refer to character or theme

Maycomb, 1930’s, Southern state America, The Great Economic Depression, Jim Crow Laws, Women’s roles, Separated, Disease-striken

Theme: Prejudice. 3 different settings(School yard, Finch Household and the Courthouse) that show prejudice

School Yard – Prejudice in the forms of classism – Reflection of the towns’ hierarchy – “Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham.”; sufficient evidence and not to show respect and a generalisation – “Walter hasn’t got a quarter home to bring you,”; The Great Depression and no money to pay back – “and they were looking at me in the innocent assurance that familiarity breeds understanding.”; if you know something you can teach it to others is not true if you don’t fully know all the information to truthfully explain it to others.

The Great Depression – The start of the 1930’s the stock market crashed, similar to today where due to the COVID-19 outbreak it has crashed today too after panic buying and selling. Low classes lost jobs and homes leaving them with nothing and far worse off like today where many people are losing jobs and struggling to meet ends meet. Today because of social media the wealthy are able to flaunt it off to lower classes making them feel even worse about themselves. The Great Depression made class separation more significant

Finch Household – Prejudice in the forms of sexism – Aunt Alexandra’s choice in time bringing it to them – Women’s role in society – “Aunt Alexandra was fanatical on the subject of my attire. I could not possibly hope to be a lady if I wore breeches” when I said I could do nothing in a dress, she said I wasn’t supposed to be doing things that required pants,”; women pressuring women to be delicate not manly – “”I declare to the Lord you’re gettin’ more like a girl every day!” With that, I had no option but to join them.”; should be a mindless bystander instead of a complainer – “”Where are you britches today?””Under my dress.” I hadn’t meant to be funny, but the ladies laughed.”; pressure from society to act and dress a certain way to be a “woman”

Women’s roles – Women in the 1930’s weren’t meant to work and weren’t accepted as equals and those with jobs were payed a lot less than men.

The Courthouse – Prejudice in the forms of racism – Ironic symbol of unjustness – Jim Crow Laws – “If you had been on that jury, son, and eleven other boys just like you, Tom would be a free man, so far nothing in your life has interfered with your reasoning process.”; young people’s views aren’t all clouded by prejudice and can see what’s right and wrong – “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They’re ugly but those are the facts of life.”; justice isn’t based off facts and instead on biased opinions on what society say – “They’ve done it before and they did it tonight and they’ll do it again and when they do it – seems only the children weep.”; only children are able to see the adults wrong doings but don’t have the power to change it

Jim Crow Laws – The Great Depression brought tensions to a high and it was much worse in the Southern states making it evident the racial divide. Like today there is still inequality across racial groups.