“I waited and waited to see you all come down the sidewalk, and as I waited I thought, Atticus Finch won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like that.”
– Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 22. Miss Maudie to Jem and Scout, who are disappointed that Atticus lost the racism-driven Tom Robinson trial. She sees some hope that the community is taking “a babystep” against prejudice by the fact it took so long for the jury to reach a guilty verdict.