Tuesday, November 22, 2016

To Kill A Mockingbird Setting Blog

(I apologize if the image doesn't render. Blogger seems to detest working on iPads today.)
The church in the image looks similar to the one described in To Kill A Mockingbird, at least in a more general sense. On page 6 of the book, it says, "Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather, the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square." If we apply this general setting and building style to a church, and then compare it to the attached image, we can see that what we're looking for is kind of an old, slightly sagging church. The church in the image is definitely not new, as evidenced by the damaged condition of the wood around it, and it certainly does seem to be resting heavily on its base, kind of being pulled down towards it. Also, the paint appears a bit more worn and/or imperfect around the edges.  If we excuse the black-and-white nature of the image, we can see that the church is painted a pale, dull color, which is probably a whitish-gray one regardless of the image's nature. Therefore, it fits the description and is a good stand-in for Maycomb's church.

It's definitely possible to see Atticus and Scout in the church, the preacher droning on about whatever,   Atticus focused intensely upon its meaning, and Scout, quietly plotting the Boo Radley play's minor details in her head. I imagine that Scout would be in charge of this because on page 51, it says, "Jem said, 'Scout, you can be Mrs. Radley--'" If you remember, the role of Mrs. Radley is not as massive a role as any of the others. Additionally, the boys are only thinking about half a step ahead (at least compared to Scout's extremely high intellect), which is why it makes sense for Scout to fill that role.
Additionally, I have a few questions about the book with regard to that church. The first one is, "Will we ever see Atticus and Scout in a church like this?" The other one is, "Did Harper Lee ever actually go to a similar church, or are my assumptions here way off the mark?" I wonder if any of my questions will be answered...

On that note, happy Thanksgiving break!!


intermediary roll film
Delano, Jack. Negro Church near Greensboro, Alabama. July 1941. Library of Congress, Greensboro, Alabama 

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