Saving a Mockingbird

In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, she reflects the historical time setting of the 1930’s in the Great Depression by using the Tom Robinson trial to show the discrimination whites put upon blacks. Many “mockingbirds” arise throughout the story, and with each one, another part of the novel is connected. Harper Lee writes from Scout’s perspective as the narrator, and begins the novel showing that Atticus believes and teaches his children that everyone will be treated equally upon personality, not the pigment of their skin. Atticus, living to his words, accepted to defend a black man named Tom Robinson in a trial. Although Atticus knew the trial would not prevail, he defended the man to make a point, to make history that every man and woman should be treated the same, no matter what they look like. In the middle of novel, the trial begins and the children are exposed to their first dose of racism. They move on to find that the town they thought was great, is actually filled with hate, as they see no matter the case or evidence, the blacks never win. Harper Lee’s theme, innocent “mockingbirds” should be treated fairly among the rest, becomes more clear while reading on in the story, as other “mockingbirds” stick up for each other throughout the novel.    
    In the 1930’s, the negroes were treated as the dirt you walk on. The social hierarchy in that time period had no room for negroes as they were not treated as humans, but more like trash. In the beginning, Scout says “Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham.”Scout(26), after a conversation about Walter forgetting his lunch and Miss Caroline offering to give him a quarter. This is set as one of the first hints of social hierarchy. "There's four kinds of folks...The ordinary...Cunninghams... Ewells...Negroes."Jem(302). This is a perfect quote to explain the caste system in Maycomb. Walter is a Cunningham, Cunningham’s can’t pay back a quarter they receive, they can’t pay because of poverty, and...