In contrast Aunt Alexandra is Atticus’s sister. Neither of the children particularly like Aunt Alexandra due to her cold and condescending manner when she is with them. The children do not respect their Aunt as an authority figure, “Aunt Alexandra was Atticus’s sister but…I decided they had been separated at birth” Pg86. Aunt Alexandra often tries to change the way that Jem and Scout behave believing that Jem should be a young gentleman and that Scout needs to begin acting more femininely.
A key event in the novel that epitomises the character of Miss Maudie is the way that she reacts after the fire at her house. Miss Maudie is more concerned for the people trying to put out the fire and the disturbance that it has caused to the neighbourhood than her belongings that have been destroyed. This displays her selfless nature and the care she has for other people. At the end Miss Maudie remains positive despite the devastation, “Always wanted a smaller house Jem Finch. Gives me more yard.” Pg80
A key moment in the story that displays the character of Aunt Alexandra however is the argument between her and Atticus over Calpurnia. Aunt Alexandra tries to inflict her view on the black community and how a household should be run, on Atticus, “…you’ve got to do something about her.” Pg150.
The character of Miss Maudie is represented by Harper Lee as an innocent old lady who is a rock for the children during the trial. She is shown to be kind, giving and understanding. However the character of Aunt Alexandra is represented by the author as a cold hearted, arrogant relative. Aunt Alexandra is portrayed as an enemy of the children and a person who is trying to destroy the happy family life.
Miss Maudie adds a voice of reason to the child narrative of the plot and adds a mother type figure to the situation. She adds an element of warmth and love to a plot full of hate and injustice. She shows the reader that wherever there is bad there is good also. The aspects of humanity that the character of Miss Maudie show are kindness for all the support she offers the children and selflessness because of the way that she immediately worries about others before herself in the fire. Aunt Alexandra adds an element of conflict to the story outside of the courtroom. Her character and the arguments that she causes adds contrast to the large battle that is occurring in the trial. The aspects of humanity that Aunt Alexandra shows are stubbornness for her persistence in trying to make Scout and Jem perfect young children and arrogance for not seeing that the way that other people do things may be just as good as her ways.
In conclusion the characters of Aunt Alexandra and Miss Maudie add totally different ideas to the plot of the story and treat the main characters in very dissimilar ways. Both characters are also represented to the reader in a different way.
