“ Atticus don’t ever do anything to Jem and me in the house that he don’t do in the yard” scout said this about Atticus, she means that Atticus would never do anything to her and Jem in the house, that he wouldn’t do in the street for all the neighbours to see. This shows that Atticus wouldn’t harm Scout and Jem in any way and that how much respect his children have for him.
Tradition in Maycomb is a big issue, well to Aunt Alexandra it is. In Maycomb County the same families have lived in the area for nearly two hundred years. Aunt Alexandra feels that certain families have inherited certain characteristics e.g. a Cunningham is to be trusted or that a Ewell is a liar and dishonest or that Finches are upper class, Ewells are lower class whites and blacks are the lowest. Atticus does not believe in this kind of classification and thinks you should get to know a person and then judge them, do not judge a book by its cover, Or person! Maycomb “folks” do the same activities everyday.
“ Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three o’ clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and talcum “ scout describes this as something that Maycomb residents do everyday, although Atticus has never been mentioned to do this, maybe because Atticus is different to most Maycomb folk. When Sunday comes it is also the same routine, they go to church and ladies go there to gossip and find out about the latest Maycomb rumours. Atticus does not listen to rumours and makes sure adults don’t have an effect on Scout and Jem e.g. if Scout and Jem listen to what adults say about black people, they might become prejudice as well. Atticus wants his children growing up making their own decisions about others and how to treat them. He does not want bad influences to make them think a certain way. You could say Maycomb is a typical southern old town (has traditional values, and has different classes and strong family values).
Maycomb county’s residents are not only prejudice but also are racist. They do not like coloured people and mixed race is considered to be worse. For example Mr. Dolphus Raymond, who married a black woman and had cross-bread children acts as if he has a drinking problem and always carries around a bottle, which most people think is filled with alcohol. But as we find out it is filled with coke. He would rather have people thinking he is mad, and that is why he married a black woman, rather than people knowing the truth and not accepting him. He told the children because he respects their innocence and that they have not been contaminated by prejudice from other adults. He says “ the hell white people give coloured folks” , he knows that blacks are discriminated, hated and not accepted in Maycomb. He is not prejudice or racist and he is probably scared that if white people knew that he was not mad and married a black woman because he loved her that white people in Maycomb would hate him, not accept him and give him and his family hell on earth. Atticus is not prejudice in anyway and stands up for what he believes in, this is where he is strong, different and honest he will not back down from a fight no matter how many people are against him, where as Mr Raymond takes the easy way out. Some might say he is a coward. Atticus shows signs of courage when he stands up to the lynch mob who come to beat up Tom Robinson, he stands up to many racist and prejudice people who want to kill Tom Robinson before the trial.
“You Know what we want, get aside from the door Mr Finch” someone from the lynch mob says, Atticus is in a very tense and frightening situation does not retreat and tells them to go, they tell him that Heck Tate was called off in a hoax call and not to expect him to come and help Atticus. Even though Atticus’s life could be in danger as well as Toms he still stands his ground and when his children turn up to help him he orders them to go home, but they stay there and explain to Mr Cunningham the situation, they realise that they were in the wrong and leave. Mr Cunningham’s ideas about blacks and whites were changed after scout and Jem came to help Atticus, and he was moved by their speech and the courage they showed. When many Maycomb residents refer to black people as “Niggers” they are showing that they think of them as outsiders that do not belong on this planet, like animals which can be pushed around and treated anyway you like and like they are not humans that do not deserve rights, Atticus does not revert to saying this, as he would be as bad as them, he would never sink to their level.
Atticus finds faults with traditional values of Maycomb county, he doesn’t agree with the higher or lower class system unlike Aunt Alexandra, he thinks it doesn’t matter whether you’re rich or poor or black or white, he thinks were all equal.