The setting of a place is critical, without it would anything be to the same effect? The story of Hansel and Gretel where the story is set in a forest, would it be as scary as if it was set in an urban city? Would **Example B** Setting is crucial as every place creates a different atmosphere and portrays different ideals and societal norms, thus allowing for different messages to be conveyed to the readers. In the novel ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ by Harper Lee we see as the readers that without the setting of Maycomb we would not be reading the novel to the same effect. The story set in 1930’s America was a time of misjustice and prejudicial ways. With the peak of the Great Depression looming, times were becoming more desperate and history was taking a step backwards. People were now once again becoming largely separated by class, race and gender. To kill a mocking bird highlights these issues and shows them through the sub settings of Maycomb (The school, the courthouse and the Finch home) Each place highlighting the different aspects of prejudice.

Classism, the act of judging another person by their standing in society, rather than on the persons morals and characteristics. Society categorises people into classes based on their social standings and their volume of wealth. Maycomb school is a place where classism is evidently apparent and helps show the division that is applied to all ages. We first hear about the ‘Ewells’ “Whole school’s full of ‘em. They come first day every year and then leave. The truant lady gets ’em here ‘cause she threatens ’em with the sheriff, but she’s give up tryin‘ to hold ’em. She reckons she’s carried out the law just gettin‘ their names on the roll and runnin’ ‘em here the first day. You’re supposed to mark ’em absent the rest of the year” The Ewells are simply discarded by society and everyone lets them do there own thing. As apart of the law the “Truant lady” is supposed to make sure the Ewell children are receiving an education however at this point even the law can not be bothered looking after the Ewells. The 1930’s was a time that pushed for further division amongst the classes as everyone was suffering from the great depression, those in upper classes with money would flaunt their wealth showing their superiority over those who were harder hit. The middle classes now saving any last money the can, and the lower classes further put into despair and turmoil. Now with clear divides between the classes the children of maycomb school show these divisions imminently. A class up from the Ewells, we have the Cunningham’s, “He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham-” Scout has been taught to see the division between herself (part of a middle class family) and Walter Cunningham, a boy from a lower class. “Are we as poor as the Cunninghams?”
“Not exactly. The Cunninghams are country folks, farmers, and the crash hit them hardest.” Scout is aware of the lack of money they have and thinks that as they are not as poor as the cunninghams she is perhaps ‘better’ than them. This a common belief that society shares. The setting of the school shows how children, often a clone of their home environment react and treat one another and how classism plays out in their decisions. The setting of school specifically allows for all social classes to be present in one space and to directly interact with one another, as it would be uncommon for upper and lower classes to mingle. “There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind, like us and the neighbours, there’s the kind like the Cunningham’s out in the woods, the kind like the Ewell’s down at the dump, and the Negroes.” This quote shows a simplistic child’s view on classism and the way in which Maycomb’s society is seen to a child, rather than an adults view were prior knowledge about the family’s wealth and previous standings have been. Children only know what has been said allowed and behaviours acted around them, so this quote shows what a child has picked up on in regards on how to treat another person. For this Maycomb society it is largely based on class.

Upon meeting a new person, you are supposed to reserve any prior judgments or preconceived ideas, however more often than not we are inclined to have thoughts and opinions on what they should be like. Outside of the courthouse, Scout first meets Dolphus Raymond a man harshly subjected to by racism.