What is the significance of the allusions in Chapter 1-6 of "To Kill a Mockingbird?"What does it have to do with the novel?

This novel is an example of regional fiction, in which the author spends develops the setting as a character in and of itself.  This is done to show the personality of a region and how it affects the people who live in it.  The allusions used in the early chapters of this book are done so in order to better illustrate the town of Maycomb.  For example, the references made to the Civil War heros and battles in Chapter 1 alert the reader to the importance of this historical event.  Although it is 70 years later, the people of this region place such importance on the Civil War that they use it as a guide for how acceptable a family is.  In other words, this is a region that believes in both status and tradition.  In Chapter 2, the allusion to the Dewey Decimal System lets readers know how change is coming to this area, and how unwelcome that change is.  Instead of embracing this new system, Jem both misunderstands and dismisses it - as the class mostly dismisses the "out of towner" Miss Caroline.  Again, tradition is emphasized.