To Kill A Mockingbird Context Essay

Regina Lewis

Ms. Scott

Literature Composition 9 Honors - 2nd Block

1 March 2023

Historical Context in To Kill a Mockingbird Historical context should be used by readers of To Kill a Mockingbird in order to fully understand the significance of the book. To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee in the mid-1950s and published in 1960. The novel tells the story of a court case based on that of the Scottsboro boy’s trial. The novel differentiates itself by allowing the reader to see the story from the perspective of a child. This allows the reader to look at the situation from a less biased perspective. Historical context is the social, political, or economic setting for an idea or event (Scott). Lee’s novel uses historical context

“Separate but equal” is the separating of races while claiming that the races are treated equally (“Separate but equal”). There are many examples of this in To Kill a Mockingbird. One of them is when the courtroom is separated into white and colored sections. It can also be seen in the sheer treatment of people of color vs. the treatment of whites. Evidence to support this can be found when the novel states, “ The colored balcony ran along three walls of the courtroom like a second-story veranda, and from it, we could see everything” (Lee 166). This supports the prior claim by showing how the two races were separate. This also shows how different the races were treated. This can be found when the African Americans have to sit at the top of the courtroom where it is hotter due to the warmer air rising. This can also be found in history throughout the years. A major example of this can be found in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. The case in which the U.S. Supreme court decision on “Separate but equal”. Evidence to support this claim can be found in Cornell’s where it states, “Plessy v. Ferguson, a legal case in which the U.S. Supreme court on May 18, 1896, by a seven-to-one majority… advanced the controversial ‘Separate but equal’” (“Separate but equal”). In conclusion, by using historical context the reader can more deeply comprehend the point in the author was

A black church is a separate church organization based on race (“The Black Church in America, a Story”). These were often large with many people of color at these churches as they were not allowed to worship in white churches. This topic can be seen many times in To Kill a Mockingbird. It is shown when Scout ad Jem go to Calpurnia’s church. While they were there they were not originally welcomed into the church. Evidence to support this can be found when the text states, “ Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here they got their church we got our’n’” (Lee 120). This supports the prior claim made because it shows how the people of color view their church as a safe place. This also shows just how segregated churches typically are. There are many examples of just how important these churches are to minorities. This can also be seen throughout history. Their importance can be specifically seen in many of Marx’s speeches. Evidence to support this can be found when the text states, “ Although Marx was no fan of religion, to put it mildly, this statement, which Panthers loved to quote… ‘Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering’” (Gates). This supports the prior claim by showing that even though Marx wasn’t a fan of religion he still knew the overall importance of black churches to