Miss Maudie Atkinson is a such a strong and supportive character in this novel! She is the Finch's neighbor from across the street who is not prejudiced at all and delights the children by talking about Atticus when he was a child. Miss Maudie absolutely never talks down to either Scout or Jem and, as a result, earns their ultimate respect. Quite simply, Miss Maudie tells it like it is with very little frills involved, . . . a perfect way of speaking so even young children can understand. Miss Maudie also has a profound connection to the title of the novel because of the following excerpt:
That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.
"Your father's right," she said. "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." (Lee 90)
In addition to being respected by the Finches, Miss Maudie is also respected as a strong Christian by the community. Any reader must add the quality of bravery to the character sketch of Miss Maudie because of her reaction to losing her home due to fire. Miss Maudie uses the situation to rejoice in building a new home with more gardening room instead of lamenting the loss of her things. Because Miss Maudie shares Atticus' passion for justice, she remains one of my favorite characters in the book.
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