Miss Maudie
Miss Maudie Atkinson lived across the street from the Finch family. She had known the Finches for many years, having been brought up on the Buford place, which was near the Finch's ancestral home, Finch Landing. She is described as a woman of about 40 who enjoys baking and gardening; her cakes are held in especially high regard. She is also considered by some to be a symbolic Mockingbird, as she is frequently harassed by devout "Foot-Washing Baptists", who tell her that her enjoyment of gardening is a sin. Miss Maudie befriends Scout and Jem and tells them about Atticus as a boy. During the course of the novel, her house burns down, however, she shows remarkable courage throughout this, even joking that she wanted to burn it down herself to make more room for her flowers. She is not prejudiced, unlike many of her Southern neighbours. Also, she is one of the few adults that Jem and Scout hold in high regard and respect. She does not act condescendingly towards them, even though they are young children. It is important to note that Miss Maudie fully explained that "it is a sin to kill a mockingbird", whereas Atticus Finch initially brought up the subject, but didn't go into depth. When Jem gets older, and doesn't want to be bothered by Scout, Maudie keeps her from going mad.