To Kill A Mockingbird Setting Analysis

In the novel, the setting of the story is very important for the novel because it heavily impacts parts of the plot, such as the mood/atmosphere and the characters. To begin with, in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird the setting of the story takes place in a “tired old town” named Maycomb County, in Southern Alabama, which is in the United States. Maycomb represents the place where Scout and Jem learn the most valuable lessons of their lives, even though it is small it holds great importance to the story. The setting is introduced in the beginning of the story like this:

“Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop... Somehow it was hotter then... bony mules hitched

The time period that it takes place in is the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. The crash causes many people to be struck with poverty and unemployment in the town. This results in a town that does not grow or decrease in numbers. The town is sleepy and time passes slowly because the people do not have many activities to engage in such as shopping, without money. In addition, the whole story takes place over a course of 3 years from 1933-1935. This is the number of years it takes for Scout to narrate the novel, completely. Overall, the setting of the story is in Maycomb County, during the Great Depression over the time of around three years from

The historical period of the story causes the mood to change frequently and it does not remain stable. In the beginning, the setting creates a very slow, and sleepy mood. It feels like time is taking a lot of time to pass. Then as we get into the childhood experience of the children it is easy-going, humorous and relaxing but there is always a tense mood for the adult of the family. The kid don’t understand what I going on around them so they have a more peaceful mood, although there are moment in the story where the adults create a dark and gloomy mood. The circumstances that occur because of the Great Depression causes the mood to become dark in between the happy glimpses of the kids. As Jem and Scout grow up they see some of the more important things about life in their town, such as Tom Robinson’s case. Events like these cause the atmosphere of the story to turn suspenseful and mysterious. At the end of the book, the setting of the town creates a more light and friendly mood, as the Finch family’s tension in the town about Tom’s case has been put down. That is why, the setting of the novel, builds and changes the mood and atmosphere of the whole