The setting of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is located in Maycomb, Alabama. Harper chose to write about the county to make it similar to her hometown which was Monroeville. In Monroeville, there were probably people who believed in segregation as Harper grew up. She chose the setting for her personal advantage to make a connection between the book and herself to help the readers understand the absurdity of segregation in the past. The setting of Maycomb County helps the readers realize how things were in the past, and how the towns back then really acted like. The people stuck together and helped one another, and many were unfair to the colored people, etc. Because of the connection Harper made with the setting, she was able to explain it well with more detailed imagery and a better use of voice. The similarities of both towns made it seem very realistic as to what happened.
Harper Lee shows the theme of racism through Tom Robinson's trial. His trial is based on the Scottsboro trials, in which African-American men were accused of a crime they did not commit, just like Tom Robinson. Because they are African-American, the white citizens did not believe their side of the story, even though it was the truth.
The Great Depression is expressed in To Kill A Mockingbird through the people living in Maycomb. When Jem asks Atticus if they are poor, he is told that they are, but they are not as bad off as some others. The Cunningham's are a family that has been greatly affected by the depression, therefore they are not able to pay for things with money, but rather with the crops they are able to grow.
