Equality Through Atticus Equality is the belief that everyone is the same despite their skin color, gender or social status. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch, a lawyer, widower and father of two, believes that no one is above anyone else. Atticus treats everyone with the same respect despite living in Maycomb; a small racist town in southern Alabama fill with prejudice and discrimination against those of different race and those who do not adhere to the norms. Lee portrays social equality in To Kill a Mockingbird through Atticus’s dialogues. Atticus believes that everyone deserves to be given the same amount of respect and courtesy. When Jem questions Atticus about the Radleys, his response is for Jem “to mind his own business and let the Radleys mind theirs” (p. 13). The Radleys keeps to themselves and this create discourse among the people of Maycomb. They are different from the other townspeople and it causes the Radleys - mainly Boo Radley - to be look at with distrust and suspicions. Atticus does not partake in the rumors and gossips about the Radleys and believes that if they want to keep to themselves, they are allow to. Equality is also portray when Scout ask Atticus if he was a ‘nigger-lover.’ He replies “I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody…” (p.144). The people of Maycomb looks down on those of different race, calling them names such as ‘niggers.’ Maycomb does not take kindly to those who defend ‘niggers’ and go “stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up…” (p.117). Atticus does not have the same views as most of Maycomb and treat