1. The novel takes place during the Great Depression, and the economic effects of this period are felt throughout the novel.
2. The novel also takes place during the Jim Crow Era, and the white supremacy that drove Jim Crow laws is felt through the interactions of the characters.
3. Less than 100 years prior to when the novel takes place, Alabama had been one of the first states to secede from the United States due to the fact that the white population wanted to continue the practice of enslaving the Black population.