The use of events in historical novels is not uncommon. Harper Lee does this in her historical fiction novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. The setting of the book is the 1930s, as it was a decade of significant change for America. Harper Lee used cultural parallels between important historical events and ideas in To Kill A Mockingbird to show the hardships of the 1930s that influenced the corruption of the human mentality. One of the biggest and most crippling events of the 1930s was the Great Depression. Preceded by a decade of wealth and carelessness, the economic crash came as a shock to everyone involved. In the article "Standards Focus: Historical Context, The Great Depression", the author points out that "life savings suddenly disappeared and, as a result, people could no longer afford to pay for their housing or to buy food, clothing or other products. necessities. » (Secondary solutions). This shows how helpless families were and how impossible it was to resist corrupt ideas. This idea of ​​poverty is also used by Harper Lee when she describes that the Cunninghams are a family in terrible conditions. At school, Scout tries to defend Walter Cunningham, a son of the Cunningham family, and explains that "Walter Cunningham was sitting there with his head stretched out." He didn't forget his lunch, he didn't have any. He didn't have any today and he wouldn't have any tomorrow or the next day. He'd probably never seen three quarters together at the same time in his life. (Lee 26). The Cunningham family is a dramatic example of the daily struggle that all residents of the town face to lead a decent life. Harper Lee used this idea in her writing because it shows that the common person had little or no influence on the events happening in America... middle of paper ... hers in her novel because These corrupt ideas and events were common in the 1930s and, although many in the town thought it was wrong, none were able to oppose it due to widespread poverty. These notions were popular throughout the decade and continued throughout history. The parallels comparing To Kill A Mockingbird to important historical ideas and events in America were used by Harper Lee to show how the corruption of the human mentality was influenced by the hardships of the 1930s. The decade in which the book was set placed was a period of significant change for America. The work of historical fiction To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a popular book because it connects the events of the plot to the events of the story. The use of cultural parallels provides the audience with a strong connection to the characters and makes the novel overall more enjoyable..