North Carolina Central Law Review Volume 32 Article 3 Number 2 Volume 32, Number 2 4-1-2010 Natural Law, Positive Law, and Conflicting Social Norms in Harper Lee's to Kill a Mockingbird Maureen E. Markey Follow this and additional works at: https://archives.law.nccu.edu/ncclr Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons Recommended Citation Markey, Maureen E. (2010) "Natural Law, Positive Law, and Conflicting Social Norms in Harper Lee's to Kill a Mockingbird," North Carolina Central Law Review: Vol. 32 : No. 2 , Article 3. Available at: https://archives.law.nccu.edu/ncclr/vol32/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by History and Scholarship Digital Archives. It has been accepted for inclusion in North Carolina Central Law Review by an authorized editor of History and Scholarship Digital Archives. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. Markey: Natural Law, Positive Law, and Conflicting Social Norms in Harper NATURAL LAW, POSITIVE LAW, AND CONFLICTING SOCIAL NORMS IN HARPER LEE'S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD MAUREEN E. MARKEY* INTRODUCTION To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee' is a classic of the Law and Literature canon, much loved and appreciated because of its universal themes, articulated through that unerring grasp of the human condi- tion that is the hallmark of great literature. It is a deeply affecting drama that reveals the essence of human behavior, both noble and craven. Because Atticus Finch, more than any real life lawyer, exem- plifies both the personal and professional identity that most lawyers strive for, the novel has been hugely influential in many lawyers' lives.2 In a profession often stereotyped as greedy, amoral, and uncar- ing, Atticus represents transcendent moral values, traditionally recog- nized as a natural law view of the world,3 and respect for the rule of law reflected in good positive law.