A mob of men arrive at the jailhouse with the intent to kill Tom Robinson rather than let him and his race continue to disrupt the balance of purity in the town. At the time of the trial, all these beliefs are considered accepted ways of dealing with the threat the citizens of Maycomb consider race to be. In the eyes of Maycomb, Tom is not only charged with the raping of Mayella Ewell but, also, with the raping of a strong set of Southern traditional beliefs to which most people had grown accustomed. To Kill A Mockingbird analyzes the point at which the old tradition begins to change and evolve. Up until the trial, the people of Maycomb live the way they see fit.
Equality is frowned upon, segregation is accepted, and hate is tolerated.
Maycomb citizens believe that Tom Robinson is not, and should not be, a part of their lives or of their community Atticus, on the other hand, finds faults with the towns' traditional views. Thinking reasonably and intelligently, he knows he does not want his children to grow up with similar views. Atticus attacks old southern tradition by using the law. Atticus lives by a traditional code in which justice is highly valued. Atticus knows that if there is one place in which the time-honored codes of southern society can be broken, it is in a court of law.