Civil Rights and Civil Wrongs in To Kill a MockingbirdIn Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the author uses the small town of Maycomb, in Alabama, as a forum for different views on civil rights. On a smaller scale, Lee uses the relationship between Scout, her aunt, her father, and her housekeeper to show how racism affects everything. The issue of civil rights arises not only through the trial of Tom Robinson, but also through the daily interaction between the Finch family and their housekeeper Calpurnia. As Scout grows up, she must choose where she fits into the larger racial scheme, and her relationship with her governess plays a crucial role in this decision. Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird focuses on the maturation of a brother and sister. in the "tired old town(Lee 3)" of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s. Maycomb, a classic southern town full of gossip, tradition, and a legacy of racism, seems like a strange place to stage a drama that encourages equal treatment and non-prejudice. However, the narrator's new perspective on the sleepy town provides the reader with a multitude of perspectives on civil rights. Maycomb's traditional Southern racism is viewed through the eyes of our young narrator, Scout Finch. Scout's innocent point of view forces her to ask questions about why white people treat black people the way they do. These questions are crucial in Scout's search for her own identity. Scout must come to terms with her town's racism and how it affects the people in her life. She must find her own position and what role she will play in the whole racial game. A number of people greatly influence Scout. The two main role models in her life, her aunt Alexandria and her father Atticus, pull Scout in two opposite directions. Through their relationships with Calpurnia, Finch's black governess, the reader and Scout are able to discern the path each individual wants Scout to follow. Brought into the Finch household to teach and serve as a female role model to the young Scout, Aunt Alexandra begins by demonstrating to Scout Calpurnia the bottom position. For Aunt Alexandra, Calpurnia will not serve as a role model for Scout. Aunt Alexandra shows Scout who has the power early on. “Put my bag in the front room, Calpurnia,” was the first thing Aunt Alexandra (Lee 127).