Theme Of Community In To Kill A Mockingbird

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The novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the segregated South of the 1930’s. The book is told in the eyes of an eight year old girl, Scout Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is an attorney who is struggling to prove the innocence of a black man incorrectly accused of rape. The historical context of the book lets one see the social status of different groups during the civil rights era. The story explores who fits into certain societies, who is respected in the community, written and unwritten rules concerning family, gender, age, and race, expectations of certain people, and what conflicts arise out of tension. The word community is explained by the Oxford Dictionary as “people of a district or country considered collectively, especially in the context of social values and responsibilities; society.” A community is determined by shared characteristics which could include location, culture, race, or beliefs. The common characteristics of a community can also dictate who belongs and who does not. Maycomb County was a community with a defined structure. There were four classes. The upper most class consisted of whites who were considered “rich” after years of depression. Atticus, Judge Taylor, Miss Maudie Atkinson, and Miss Stephanie Crawford all fit into this class. The second class of Maycomb County included white workers as well as farmers who had trouble making ends meet. The characters who represented this class were the Cunninghams, Dolphus Raymond, and the Radley