Why won't Miss Maudie attend the trial?

In Chapter 16, the children ask Miss Maudie if she will be attending the trial of Tom Robinson. Miss Maudie tells the children that she thinks it is morbid to watch a man on trial for his life. She compares watching the trial of Tom Robinson to a Roman carnival. Miss Maudie is a moral character throughout the novel and is not interested in seeing a man on trial for his life. Witnessing a man...

In Chapter 16, the children ask Miss Maudie if she will be attending the trial of Tom Robinson. Miss Maudie tells the children that she thinks it is morbid to watch a man on trial for his life. She compares watching the trial of Tom Robinson to a Roman carnival. Miss Maudie is a moral character throughout the novel and is not interested in seeing a man on trial for his life. Witnessing a man stand on trial for his life is no different than Roman citizens watching gladiators fight to the death in the Colosseum. Supporting an event where a man can possibly die displays a lack of humanity on the audience's behalf. Miss Stephanie, the Maycomb gossip queen, pretends that she is going to the Jitney Jungle before casually confessing she is going to the courthouse. Miss Maudie jokingly tells Stephanie that she needs to be careful she is not served a subpoena to testify. Miss Maudie refuses to witness such a disgusting event and wants nothing to do with Tom Robinson's trial.