How Does Miss Maudie Occur In To Kill A Mockingbird

1) Miss Maudie says she has “no business with the court this morning.” She does not feel compelled to watch the proceedings because she is aware of the injustice Tom Robinson will receive due to the prejudice the majority of Maycomb harbor against the black population. In response to Dill’s question about the reasoning behind her decision, she says “‘t’s morbid, watching a poor devil on trial for his life. Look at all those folks, it’s like a Roman carnival.” Miss Maudie’s words clearly portray her thoughts on the trial. On the other hand, Miss Stephanie is rather excited for the trail but plays it off by pretending she’s just going into town and “might just look in at the courthouse.” In reality, Miss Stephanie is attending the trail for the opportunity to spread more drama and gossip. It is reasonable to assume this as she is regarded as the “English Channel of gossip” which was proven in several events throughout the book.

As Tom testifies, she begins to think he is well-mannered and is being falsely accused. However, since Tom is a black man in a town filled with bigotry, he can not defend himself against a white women like Mayella, he can only try to escape the situation as to not case a bigger commotion. However, by escaping, it only rises suspicion and makes Tom look more guilty. After Scout realizes this, she begins to understand why he is doomed to lose the