opens in Maycomb,
Alabama, a small country setting in the 1930s. This influences the plot and 's narration from
the very beginning as she notes, for example, that "being Southeners, it was a source of
shame to some members of the family that we had no recorded ancestors on either side of the
Battle of Hastings" and "it was customary for the men in the family to remain on
Simon's homestead, Finch's Landing, and make their living from cotton." Southern traditions
and ways of thinking influence the plot and directly build to theof the novel.
The setting also contributes to various character conflicts, with one notable conflict
being between , a more progressively-thinking Southerner, and Aunt Alexandra, who is deeply
concerned with how she and the family will be judged if they deviate from expected Southern
social norms.
Scout describes Maycomb with a lazy sort of indifference,
setting the stage for the childhood adventures she enjoys withand Dill; the setting also
provides the stark contrast between the lazy childhood days early in the novel and the backdrop
for the trial that will launch the children into new maturity later in the novel.
Readers also learn that the Finch household, which is a focal point of the setting for
much of the novel, sits close to the Radley Place, which "[juts] into a sharp curve beyond
[their] house." This proximity will also drive several subplots as the novel
progresses.
No comments:
Post a Comment