Why Does Miss Maudie In To Kill A Mockingbird

He constantly makes or doesn’t make certain decisions in the hopes that his connection to others will remain as good as possible. He doesn’t perform a single action without thinking about how it makes others feel or the impression he gives about himself. The best example of this is the relationship he has with his father. Regarding the night that Jem’s curiosity drove him to sneak behind the Radley house, Scout wants to inform their father of the events that occurred. In response, Jem says, “‘I—it’s like this, Scout,’ he muttered. “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way’” (Lee 75). Here, Jem shows his driving ambition to be seen as an admirable son in the eyes of his father. While this choice may also present a sense of dishonesty, it is later shown that Jem regretted disturbing the Radley home in the first place when he says, “‘I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside’” (Lee 304). So, even though he’s concerned with the way that others think of him, the way he accomplishes this is to make changes to himself for the better. This is shown during the trial as well. When Jem supports Tom Robinson, whether it is for the approval of his father, the black community, or even himself, the motive doesn’t necessarily matter, so long as he actually

Following the occurrence at the jail came the actual trial of Tom Robinson. During the trial Scout felt an assurance that Tom would be set free. After all, no solid evidence that Tom’d committed the crime had surfaced. However any hope that the townsfolk would make up for their prejudice vanished when the guilty verdict was read. “It was like watching Atticus walking to the street raise a rifle to his shoulder and pulled the trigger but watching all the time knowing the gun was empty.” (Lee 211) In this quote Scout compares the trial to the mad-dog incident, indicating that she understands Atticus 's bravery in that she knows he never had a chance at overcoming Maycomb 's prejudice. Scout demonstrates a new understanding of Maycomb in that she is able to

On the Sunday evening Atticus travels to the jail to stand guard and protect Tom Robinson as he was notified of possible “trouble and disturbance at the Jail’. When Jem and Dill run into the crowd, led by Scout, they are suddenly aware that they have walked into a bad situation. Though Jem realises the situation is precarious, he made a decision to stay and help Atticus protect Tom even after his father’s thorough protests. Dill and Scout on the other hand, are still too young to completely understand what is going on. They stand and fight with Jem though, knowing what he is doing will be what is right. Atticus continues to plea, order, threaten and at times, almost beg in a desperate attempt for the children to go home. He realises what a dangerous situation this is and could become if the mob turns violent so wants to protect them from this.

Atticus decides to take on a highly controversial case in Maycomb, where Mayella Ewell, a 19 year old white female, accuses Tom Robinson, a black man in his thirties, of rapeing her. During the trial, Mayella, Bob, and the sheriff state that Robinson hit her on the right side of her face; however, Atticus contradicts the Ewell’s story by showing the jury that Tom Robinson only has one useful hand. Jem then whispers, ‘We’ve got him’” (Lee 202). Although, Maycomb’s society would never allow for Tom Robinson to win the trail, Jem’s innocent perspective enables him to believe that race does not come before the facts. Shortly after the trial, Jem says, “‘Doesn’t make it right. You can’t just convict a man on evidence like that-—you can’t’” (Lee 252). Jem displays an understanding of the racism and divisions in society within Maycomb in this quote. He knows that the conviction of Tom Robinson is bias and that the treatment of all blacks is unfair. Jem shows moral growth in this quote and has a more mature mindset about equality than most of the folks in Maycomb.

Before she witnesses the court system through her own eyes, Scout strongly believes that the system is fair in the town of Maycomb. As time goes on, she begins to realize how the court system is actually biased. From racist juries, judges, and witnesses, the African Americans were greatly discriminated against in the court. As Atticus says, “In our courts, when it’s a white man's word against a black man's, the white man always wins” (Lee 295). This quote from the story showed Scout, Jem, and the reader how the court system truly was not equitable in Maycomb at the time. Had there been a fair court system, Tom Robinson would have never been ruled guilty. Atticus acknowledges in his speech at the end of Tom Robinson’s case, “Gentlemen, a court is no better than each man of you sitting before me on this jury” (274). This, being another well-said quote from Atticus, shows again the discriminatory court system. Through the large case told about in the story, Scout learns that it is an illusion that court systems are just. Realistically, the system was unfair and intolerant. Through the court system, one can see how racist people were back then towards the African American people and how the white people believed humans of the opposite color are terrible people. This leads to another illusion that Scout eventually learns the truth

   The trial of Tom Robinson is central to our understanding of racial and social prejudice in Maycomb. Harper Lee uses Tom Robinson's 'crime' to bring tensions in the town to a head and the author uses the trial as a way of making the ideas behind such tensions explicit for the reader.

Dubose, Mrs. Maudie’s courage is found in what she doesn’t do and what she doesn’t say, and is fueled by her sense of ethics. The vast majority of Maycomb revels in the gossip of the Robinson trial, and they blatantly despise Atticus for defending him; whereas Mrs. Maudie quietly supports Atticus and rejects racism. Moreover, she is impervious to the town’s opinion of her and continues on her path to self-defined moral high ground. She explains to Jem and Scout, “‘Footwashers believe anything that's pleasure is a sin. Did you know some of ‘em came out of the woods one Saturday and passed by this place and told me me and my flowers were going to hell?[...] They’d burn right with me. They thought I spent too much time in God’s outdoors and not enough time inside reading the bible’” (Lee 44). Mrs. Maudie’s reaction to the onlookers is where her courage lies, she is both non confrontational with them and steady in her own beliefs. Despite her quiet rebellion, her actions are still futile as they will not change the racism and prejudice around her. Mrs. Maudie heeds Lee’s courage in a more subtle, yet equally effective,

When it snows in Maycomb, she is out in her yard putting burlap bags over her flowers to save them from freezing. She is the only one in the neighborhood that cares so much about her yard. After the trial, she explains to Jem that there are still honorable people in Maycomb. The book says, “‘ Did it ever strike you that Judge Taylor naming Atticus to defend that boy was no accident? That Judge Taylor might have had his reasons for naming him?’” (Lee 289). Miss Maudie sees the trial differently than everyone else in Maycomb. After Tom dies and Aunt Alexandra is distraught about it, Miss Maudie consoles her by telling her that not all of Maycomb is immoral like Aunt Alexandra is saying. Miss Maudie says, “‘The handful of people in this town who say that fair play is not marked White Only…’” (Lee 316). In the novel, Miss Maudie is one of the select few that views the world from a broader

This section is after Jem & Scout received their guns and they are beginning to learn how to shoot. Atticus has told them that they can shoot bluejays, but not mockingbirds. Scout then asks Miss Maudie about Atticus’ rule and Miss Maudie explains the reason to Scout. The reason I chose this section was because it is decidedly informative as to why Harper Lee gave To Kill A Mockingbird that particular name. I think that one reason she gave the book this name was because of the connection between the mockingbird and the accused Tom Robinson. (Although at this point we don’t know much about Tom Robinson, other than the fact that he is black and he was accused by the Ewells for a crime he supposedly committed.) Even so, I think that the author

Harper Lee slows down time and the pace of the story during these chapters because this is a large event that will greatly affect Scout’s view of Maycomb and her childhood. Harper Lee can be shown slowing down the chapters with the trial to provide the reader with some foresight on how much this influenced Maycomb and how the citizens reacted to it. If Harper Lee had sped through the details of the trial, we would not have gotten to see how the community and individuals of Maycomb and their views on the trial and life in general. For example, Miss Maudie’s opinions of the trial were very different than the majority of the whites. Miss Maudie said, “I simply wanted to tell you that there are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant

The prejudice in Tom’s trial is also visible by the segregated seating arrangements of the whites and the blacks in the courthouse. The portrayed segregation not only takes place at the Maycomb court of law but had appeared through out the novel in all aspects of Maycomb life. This segregation is illustrated by Harper Lee through imagery and is strengthened through the realist aspect of the novel. The author shows prejudice through this segregation by revealing the two contrasting places where the ‘white and blacks’ lived and even where they went to separate churches. The author paints a vivid picture of the blacks living in a ghetto

The book, from Scout’s point of view, doesn’t focus on the trial at all. The people in Scout’s life and events involving Scout specifically make up the novel. Even though a court case involving a race issue is more important than the personal life of a six-year old, it allows the reader to see the society in uncommon setups. Moreover, Scout allows the reader to see how children in general think of society’s events. Scout, along with Jem and Dill, are not really part of any social issues in Maycomb County. According to critic Edgar H. Schuster in Mancini’s book, Jem and Scout aren’t a part of “racial prejudice” and the theme of racism is “concentrated in one part of the book only…” (Mancini 101). Again, the novel is more focused on Maycomb County as a whole. If the narrator had been an adult, the reader would not have been able to see the “outer surface” of society. With a child narrator, racial issues are not a very big deal. The reader gets to experience the story in a more relaxed setting. All things considered, Scout gives the reader a chance to look at issues outside of the box, and in addition, in different ways.

Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that portrays women as not better or worse than men, but with the same faults and the same brilliance. In the novel, she does not glamorize the women, but shows how they are normal human beings like the rest of us. Miss. Maudie is brought out as part of the few. She is portrayed as a caring and does not follow the easy to follow ways of this world.

I rub my vigorously sweating hands on my apron and raise one up to my forehead to shield my eyes from the sun. I see my dark, glossy skin reflecting the forceful rays. My feet shuffle hurriedly across the long dirt road, my head aches in the intense weather. Those darn children ought to tell me why in the world they snuck off to go see the hearing. Jem, Scout and Dill are too young and innocent to witness such a trial.

Atticus continues to remain calm and collected as the town continues to harass him for defending Tom Robinson. Once Tom returns to town for his trial Atticus decides to stand guard at his house knowing that trouble will arise. Low and behold, a crowd of angry racist men show up with rifles to kill Tom. Scout, Jem, and Dill arrive just as the trouble does. Atticus tries to send the children away but they refuse to leave. Scout recognizes Mr. Cunningham and goes up to him. Mr. Cunningham then calls off the mob. The next morning after the incident, marks the first day of the trial. The kids attend the trial. As the trial unfolds Mayella provides a very inconsistent recount of what happened the day she was allegedly raped. Atticus wittingly proves she is lying based on the fact that Tom cannot use his left hand due to a cotton gin incident, but coincidently her father is left handed. Tom recounts that he did help Mayella with her chifferobe, but that he helped her many times because he felt bad for her and always refused payment. Until one day she grabbed him and tried to get him to kiss her which Bob saw and threatened to kill her for it. The prosecutor questions him about how he could possibly feel bad for a white woman and gets him to admit that he is indeed strong enough to cause great harm. As the lawyers give closing remarks, Atticus shares that there is a gross lack of evidence to prove that Tom committed this crime. He does