To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee depicts a time of extreme prejudice and ignorance. Throughout the novel, these specific characteristics were noted in the behavior of the residents of Maycomb, most notably during the trial of Tom Robinson – a highly publicized trial involving a black man convicted of raping a white girl from a family contemptible. Although it became apparent throughout the trial that Robinson was innocent and that the girl's father was the real culprit, Tom Robinson was convicted primarily due to social prejudice against his race. The unjust outcome of this trial deeply disturbed the novel's main characters: Scout and Jem, the children of the trial's defense attorney, Atticus Finch. Since the story was set in the 1930s, racism was still widely accepted in society and most residents of Maycomb openly professed their derogatory views towards people of one race or level different social. Growing up in a family that believed in egalitarianism, Scout and Jem faced backlash from the community since their father fought for a black man during the Tom Robinson trial. In the midst of these two high conflict environments, Scout and Jem had many unanswered questions and no support from the community during these difficult times. Additionally, the Maycomb community was plagued by injustice due to discrimination and racism. However, there was one character in the novel who remained open-minded and unprejudiced, even in the face of tradition and the ignorance of the community. A close neighbor of the Finches, who shared the same moral views as Atticus, Miss Maudie served as a mother figure to young Scout and Jem, who were going through a difficult time in the community. Although Miss Maudie may not have had enough power to change the prejudices...... middle of paper...... the future generation of the community and serving as an example of the kind of attitude of a resident of a more advanced neighborhood the society may own. Overall, Miss Maudie had a wonderful way of making people feel accepted and cared for. Although the Maycomb community of the time could not appreciate Miss Maudie's intellectual precocity from the perspective of that era, we can learn from it today. Using people like Miss Maudie as an example, perhaps one day in the future all residents of Maycomb can have the same qualities as Miss Maudie and all contribute positive assets to our society to improve it for future generations. By acting as a positive influence on the youth and the reader by radiating receptivity, Miss Maudie provided the structure necessary to avoid less conflict in the future and thus created more harmony among the members of Maycomb..