How does Maycomb town in To Kill a Mockingbird function as a character, not just a backdrop?

Personification allows authors to give personalities to inanimate objects; this is how Harper Lee shows that Maycomb has a personality in and of itself. Lee lovingly talks about Maycomb as if it has a heart of its own in so many descriptions throughout the book. For instance, it seems as if the reader can feel the sweltering summer heat and the once-in-a-hundred-years snowfall that Scout and Jem experience. But the town that soaks up the weather and stays as old and stuck in traditional "Southern" ways is the town (people, buildings and all) of Maycomb itself.

In the beginning of the book, Lee describes Maycomb in the following way:

"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"(5).

The above quote first shows personification (and personality) by saying that not only is the town tired, but old. Objects can't be tired; they can be old, but not tired. Thus, Lee uses personification here to connect with the reader because everyone has felt what it is like to be tired at some point in their lives—old or not.

It is interesting to note, though, that the rest of that paragraph and into the next discusses the people, the animals (mules), the weather, and the fact that people moved slowly, with no inkling to hurry about anything. In fact, "there was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County"(5). It's as if the people are trapped within the town's city limits because nothing inspires them to think outside of their own little bubble.

Since the Depression-era people of Maycomb don't have money or many links to the outside world, there's no momentum, energy, or desire to seek out any new ideas, educaiton, or ways of life. For example, Scout doesn't have a television set that broadcasts glamorous movie stars into her home for her to dote on. Furthermore, other than the newspaper, Jem doesn't have an opportunity to watch football or see African Americans succeed in athletics, business or politics. Without media like we have today, these kids are subject to learning about the world from school, their father, and the people around them. And since Maycomb is old and non-progressive in nature, these two children will have to leave it one day to know that Maycomb isn't the center of the universe.

Maycomb's buildings and many of its people during the time that this novel takes place are stuck, grounded, and maybe even trapped in tradition just like the "red slop" Scout mentions in her descriptions of the town.

How does Maycomb town in To Kill a Mockingbird function as a character, not just a backdrop?

In chapter 1, Harper Lee personifies the small, old town of Maycomb, Alabama, as being "tired." The town of Maycomb also moves slowly and Scout mentions that "a day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County" (Lee, 6). Essentially, the town of Maycomb functions as a character by being personified as an old individual who holds onto traditional values and does not wish to accept modern beliefs and ideologies, particularly in regard to race.

Throughout the novel, the town reflects and represents the ideals of its citizens. Harper Lee illustrates both the positive and negatives associated with small southern towns in the 1930s during the Jim Crow era. The community is close-knit, shares ideological beliefs, and is aware of everyone's business because of the town's small size. Given the lack of entertainment options in Maycomb, the Tom Robinson trial becomes the talk of the town, and the entire community shows up to the courthouse to watch Atticus defend Tom. However, the town's prejudiced beliefs are emphasized and reflected by Tom Robinson's wrongful conviction. Despite Tom's conviction, Miss Maudie mentions that she felt that the trial was a baby step in the right direction for the community of Maycomb. Overall, the town of Maycomb functions more as a character than a setting because of the community's unity and shared ideological beliefs. As a character, the town of Maycomb is depicted as an old, prejudiced individual who has many positive traits but is reluctant to change his or her traditional way of life.

How does Maycomb town in To Kill a Mockingbird function as a character, not just a backdrop?

Have you ever seen the movie, The Music Man?  There is something about the functioning of Maycomb as a town in To Kill a Mockingbirdthat always reminds me of the function of the town in the movie.  I guess the best question to ask yourself about Maycomb's role in the book is to ask whether the plot of this story could have occurred in another kind of town.  For me, the answer to that question is that it would have been a very different story. 

Maycomb represents the best and worst of small-town America, in my opinion, and certainly represents the best and worst of small Southern towns in that era. As in many small towns, people are closely connected.  Scout tells us, "Atticus was related by blood or marriage to nearly every family in town (5).  People are more interested in the doings of others in the town because this is a source of entertainment.  Scout says everyone in the town was slow-moving because there was nowhere in particular to go. There isn't even a "picture show."  Church was Maycomb's "principal recreation" (9).  In a town like this, racial and class divisions are clear and important, and because everyone is closely connected to everyone else, whatever anyone does becomes everyone's business.  Of course, in a town like this, the close connections also provide an incredibly supportive network for people, who help one another and watch out for one another. 

Now, suppose for a moment that the events in the story had taken place in New York City, or even in Atlanta, which was a fairly large city even in the time in which the story is set.  People would not have been so involved with one another.  They would have minded their own business. They might not have even known the names of their neighbors.  Atticus would not have been paid in farm produce, the children would not have been permitted to roam at will, and nobody would have reported their activities to Atticus.  A trial might not have been of much interest to anyone. The racial and class divisions would not have been as apparent, since people in large cities tend to not be as connected to one another. 

Those are just a few differences that would have existed in a different setting.  I am sure you can think of at least a few more for yourself.  All of these differences support the idea that the kind of place Maycomb is is central to this novel. 

How is the town of Maycomb, Alabama depicted as a complex character in To Kill a Mockingbird?

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 ... A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County.

This is how Scout, the young narrator of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, introduces us to Maycomb, Alabama, in the first few pages of the story. Scout's naive perspective paints a picture of boredom, yet her words reflect a small town in the depths of The Great Depression. No matter who you were, you were touched by the economic troubles the entire country was facing at the time. Maycomb is a true reflection of the hardships the US faced.

Yet within the county itself, life was going on as usual. Kids went to school and played in their yards, people worked doing what they could, and the town itself continued going to church, holding community functions, and simply thriving in the ways the economy would let them. Here we see the symbolic representation of American pride where even in the face of adversity, the American household would carry on with their heads held high.

But as the novel progresses, we see the real Maycomb, especially surrounding Tom Robinson's trial. The climate of the town is reflected by the townspeople which reveal a clear racial divide. There are those who believe in equality and those who refuse to move beyond their biased views. This is how we see the town, itself, become a complex character.

As the characters start to pick sides and show their true colors based on the upcoming trial, the reader learns Maycomb's implicit racist traditions, the socioeconomic divides, and how the people in power want to ensure things continue to remain the same in the sleepy town where most will spend the entirety of their lives.

If, in fact, Maycomb were a character in and of itself, it would be one stricken with conflict. Maycomb is a ship with two captains trying to keep the crew on course, but the course, itself, is unknown. Maycomb represents humanity's attempts to right the wrongs of slavery by bringing a nation together divided by war, violence, and generational trauma. However, two captains mean two vastly different perspectives.

At the end of the novel, Atticus tucks Scout into bed. She describes a misunderstood character from a novel she's reading saying, "he was real nice," to which Atticus replies, "most people are." It seems this quote illuminates the true nature of Maycomb. Overall, most people in the town have a rational head on their shoulders and embody integrity. While it takes one person to make a difference, the same can be true for your weakest link. Maycomb is just like any other character, working on its identity and striving to be better every day.