MISS MAUDIE: TELL IT LIKE IT IS

HER REACTION TO THE VERDICT

• Disappointment
• Hopeful
• Expected

DISAPPOINTMENT
"The handful of people in this town who say fair play is not marked White Only..." (269)
This quote shows how Miss Maudie knows that the verdict of Tom's case was wrong, and how she was disappointed that Tom was found guilty.

HOPEFUL
" 'Who in this town did one thing to help Tom Robinson, just who?' 'His colored friends for one thing, and people like us. People like Judge Taylor. People like Mr. Heck Tate." (246)

HOPEFUL (cont.)
That quote shows how Miss Maudie knows that the trial made people start to realize the injustice towards blacks that was happening, and how a few people began to help black people more, even though the verdict was still unjust.

EXPECTED
"Atticus Finch won't win, he can't win, but he's the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that." (246)
This shows how although she does not like the verdict of the trial, Miss Maudie did predict how the trial would end.

Miss Maudie's Importance
She was important to the story because she represents the group of people in Maycomb that supported Atticus as he was doing the hard, but morally right thing in defending Tom.

That group of people were disappointed, although they expected the outcome of the trial, but they became hopeful as they realized some were able to do the right thing.