In this chapter the author prepares the readers for the attitudes and prejudices that create the mood that will prevail throughout the novel. Cite some examples.

Scout begins the story talking about the eccentric Southern roots of the Finch family. She discusses Simon Finch, an ancestor who owned slaves. She mentions the Civil-War and how Maycomb is firmly entrenched in Southern culture. This makes the reader quite aware that white attitudes towards blacks had not significantly changed both before and after the Civil-War.