One can argue that that the fictional city of Maycomb, Alabama, is a character in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Like many small towns in the American south during the Great Depression, Maycomb is the center of life for its residents. Each character, whether they know it or not, is greatly shaped by their hometown.
One of the greatest examples of Maycomb’s influence on its people is the character of Atticus Finch. Atticus is native to Maycomb, but stands apart due to his high level of education and egalitarian views regarding justice. Even so, due to Maycomb’s social norms regarding race and segregation, Atticus is forced to work within the system when defending Tom Robinson. Unfortunately, his best efforts are no match against Maycomb’s institutionalized racism.
Other examples of how setting can affect characters are Jem and Scout. Being young children, Maycomb is their universe. They know about the rest of the world, but it is an abstract concept. Maycomb is real; Maycomb is important. It is possibly for this reason why they invent a grand mythology around Boo Radley. With no other great mysteries at their disposal, a man who never comes outside becomes their focus of attention and wonder.
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