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How Did Maudie Speak Up In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird was set in the southern states of America during the interwar period, a place and period of time where racism and sexism were predominant. This story highlights the plight of those that acted out against the dominant ideology. Some brave people began to speak and act upon what they believed in no matter what society said. A few women began to speak up which was very uncommon. Miss Maudie Atkinson, Calpurnia, and Scout Finch showed very strong characteristics. Firstly, Miss Maudie Atkinson did not feel the need to view others misfortune as a source of entertainment. Scout asked her if she would be attending Tom Robinson’s trial and she responded saying “I have no business with the court …show more content…

She was hired to be the Finch’s families cook but she had put more into that job then required, she built a close relationship with these kids over the years of her working there, she became a parental figure to them. This was not very common in this time because most families had mom and a dad and if a white family both were white and if it were a black family both were black. Calpurnia was a black worker and was the closest thing the kids had to a mom in the family. During the time of preparation for the trial Atticus was gone a lot and was not able to take the kids to church one Sunday, Calpurnia decided she would take them to her church. As she is getting them dressed Jem asked why she is taking out fancy clothes and she responds, “ I don’t want anyone saying I don’t look after my children” (Lee, 157). This proved she did not only treat them as her own but also that she thought of them as her children. Taking the kids to her church was very brave of her because blacks would not want any whites coming into their church. Especially during this tough time of Tom Robinson’s trial, a man of their community getting charged for a crime he did not commit but is predicted to be guilty solely for the reason that it will be a white man's voice over a black mans. She brought them anyway because in the Finch family they did not believe in racism but equality. Calpurnia proved she had a strong personality because she was a black woman raising white children that are not

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