To Kill A Mockingbird essay on how setting effects conflict, character, and mood.

Essay by Bubbles3kJunior High, 9th gradeA, January 2003

download word file, 4 pages 3.6

The novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes a reality look at life in the South and 1930s. The trial in this book is affected by setting and changes the result of the trial, Atticus, and how people saw their views of life. Atticus, Scout, and Boo are each affected by a small town attitude, along with the trial and everyone's reaction to the conviction. There are simple and complex ways that setting affects a story. Anything from results to rumors is changed by setting. The setting affects the conflict, character, and mood by creating segregation and a small town attitude.

Segregation in a town can create some problems. It can affect key events of every day life. In Scout's case, it is the trial with Tom Robinson and Bob Ewell. Mr. Ewell claims that Tom rapes his daughter. Although Tom is convicted, Scout's father Atticus proves his point in the case showing the Tom does not do anything, but Bob does.

With an all white jury against a black defendant, Tom, segregation is the only obstacle standing in the way of proving him innocent, and so he is guilty. Atticus says, "With people like us-that's our share of the bill. We generally get juries we deserve. Our stout Maycomb citizens aren't interested, aren't interested in the first place. In the second place, they're afraid..." (p.221), showing how going against conviction, would result in hatred from other people because it isn't right for someone to agree that a black man is innocent. This is a conflict that leads to others. Now after the trial, there is a whole set of different problems dealing with Tom. Tom is sent to prison for Bob's actions. At the prison, an interesting event occurs: Guards say that Tom tried to escape...