Historical Influences in To Kill A Mockingbird
“The Great Depression was a time of devastation and uncertainty. After the stock market crashed in October 1929, millions of Americans lost their jobs and homes” (McCabe 12). Harper Lee used real-life events like the Great Depression– as To Kill A Mockingbird took place during this time period– as inspiration to give the book more authenticity. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, there are connections to the Jim Crow laws and mob mentality.
The first historical influence on To Kill a Mockingbird is the Jim Crow laws. The laws were unfair and discriminatory. “Jim Crow laws were an official effort to keep African Americans separate from Whites in the southern United States for many years” (“Jim Crow laws”). “A black male could not offer his hand (to shake hands) with a white male because it implied being socially equal”(Pilgrim). Many people in this region thought they had good reason for the laws including the belief that. “Whites were superior to Blacks in all important ways” and many Christian churches taught that blacks were meant to serve whites and it was the will of God (Pilgrim). The Jim Crow laws can be seen in To Kill a Mockingbird in many ways. One Jim Crow law was that a colored person could never assert that a white person was lying (Pilgrim). The law was referenced in the trial seen of Tom Robinson when Mr. Gilmer was furious with Tom asked if Tom was lying ( Lee 224). Not only did the Jim Crow laws influence To Kill a
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Clearly, there are many examples of mob mentality in To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee gave connections of real life scenarios in To Kill A Mockingbird. From mob mentality against blacks and the Jim Crow laws, she added these elements into the novel. Even though America had tough trials through the era of the Great Depression, it