The article explores the character of Atticus Finch by comparing him to a 1950s governor of Alabama, "James (Big Jim) Folsom. Both believed in the dignity of b

The article explores the character of Atticus Finch by comparing him to a 1950s governor of Alabama, "James (Big Jim) Folsom. Both believed in the dignity of black people, and worked for justice on their behalf. But they both did so in a way that avoided directly confronting their peers or standing up to entrenched institutions like segregation. A second and fascinating point deals with the trial in the book. I always read it as Atticus patiently but relentlessly exposing the obvious truth, which was that Bob Ewell beat up Mayella for daring to touch a black man. The article makes the case for a different interpretation, and offers historical support for it by citing scholars who have explored many historical cases of black-on-white rape. I don't fully subscribe to every last conclusion of the article, but it did shift my thinking and expand my perspective about the book dramatically.