Maycomb County

Maycomb county is a community set in the southern states of America, specifically Alabama.  It's presented to us, as an audience, as a tired town with not much fun for young people, especially Scout and Jem.

Maycomb is a microcosm of American society in the 1930s, especially that of the Southern States.

With the background of economic hardship and racial prejudice, we see how the geographical setting has a direct impact on shaping both the characters and the plot of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Economic Depression

Poverty swept across the country and the people worst hit were the farmers and people who relied on the land for their income.  That's why the Cunninghams were poorer than the poorest in Maycomb.  However, they were proud people, as were most Americans, so they didn't let that stop them from continuing to contribute to their society.

Civil Rights

People in America believed that the black community were second class citizens.  This was only because of the colour of their skin.  This was especially prevalent in the southern states, where the slave trade died last.  As a result of the slave trade, white people thought that black people were only there to help them succeed.  Therefore it was alright to hurt them if they didn't help them and to blame them for the things that go wrong in their lives.

Below is a description of Maycomb at the beginning of the text.  It doesn't mention the second contextual concept mentioned above, but does give an insight into how the economic depression impacted rural towns in America.

As you move throughout the text, Maycomb county itself isn't necessarily describe in so much detail, however, the attitudes of the town are.  This is demonstrated in the following extract:

In this piece, Miss Maudie expresses her belief that Maycomb county is inherently racist, although it doesn't necessarily want to be.  It has grown up on these values and, as a result, it cannot easily escape from their notions and ideas.  This is further reinforced by Atticus' own nephew, when he naively calls his uncle a defender of niggers.  As a result, he expresses the racist views of the county and reinforces the negative stereotype of his society.

In the passage below, Atticus describes Maycomb as having a "disease".  The "disease" Atticus refers to is racism, and he's talking about how Maycomb is so racist that they can't help themselves.  They also discuss the fact that Atticus shouldn't be defending Tom Robinson at all, just because he's black.

Are there any other instances in the novel where these types of ideas are expressed?

Then, throughout the text the attitudes of Maycomb County are directly contrasted to the attitudes of the Finches.  This is a prime example below as it shows the attitudes of Maycomb County with Atticus begin described as a nigger-lover for defending Tom Robinson:

Although Maycomb County is initially presented as a wholly racist town, unable to accept a person, without first looking at the colour of their skin, this slowly changes throughout the text.  The Tom Robinson trial shook people and made them question themselves and their beliefs.  Although Tom Robinson was eventually found guilty, it took the jury a long time, which shows the audience how Maycomb is changing.

Racism isn't the only type of intolerance and prejudice explored throughout the text.  

Social Intolerance

• Aunt Alexandra won't let Scout play with Walter Cunningham because his family are poor - she doesn't think the Cunninghams are good enough for the Finches
• Dolphus Raymond has to pretend to be a drunk in order to get people to accept the fact he prefers the company of black people.

Gender Intolerance

• There's sexism in Maycomb - Miss Maudie tells Scout that "foot-washers think women are a sin by definition", and women aren't allowed to sit on a jury
• Aunt Alexandra is always trying to turn Scout into a lady - she won't let Scout wear her dungarees because they're not very ladylike
• It's not just the women who are expected to behave in a certain way - Dill's parents tell him "Boys get out and play baseball with other boys"

Religious Intolerance

• "foot-washing" Baptists tell Miss Maudie she's going to hell just because she grows flowers
• People gossip about the Radley Family because they don't go to church and worship at home

EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS ON MAYCOMB COUNTY:

1. How far do you think racist attitudes in Maycomb are beginning to change by the end of the novel?
2. Explain the different types of intolerance in Maycomb and explore their importance to the text.
3. In the novel as a whole, how are the Finches presented as the savours of racist attitudes in Maycomb?