Calpurnia is a Mother figure to Jem and Scout Calpurnia is a cook hired by Atticus. This is uncommon in the town of Maycomb since Calpurnia is a coloured woman and Atticus is a white man. Atticus has two kids, Jem and Scout whom Calpurnia not only cooks and cleans for, but also is involved in their life outside the home. Since Jem and Scout’s mother passed away when they were young, and Atticus needs to work, Calpurnia acts as a mother to the children, and a friend to Atticus. Atticus trusts Calpurnia while he is away to take care of the children. Calpurnia cares for Jem and Scout very much and decides to take them to church with her on Sunday. Even though her church is a coloured church, it doesn’t stop her since church is an important part in the children’s lives. Calpurnia stands up for Jem and Scout when they are being criticized for being white in a black church, and they later accept the kids as their own. This part in the book shows Calpurnia caring for the kids spiritually, as well as spending time …show more content…
In chapter 3, Jem invites Walter Cunningham over. After Walter pours syrup all over his plate, Scout interrupts complaining, “he’s gone and drowned his dinner in syrup” (Lee 32). It’s then that Calpurnia asks to speak with Scout in the kitchen and scolds her for commenting on the way Walter eats. Calpurnia could have easily ignored the fact that Scout was being rude to a guest and gone about doing her own thing. But no she calls Scout aside and gives her a quick lecture about why you must be polite to your guest. Atticus is there during this part in the story and leaves it up to Calpurnia to discipline his children, fully trusting she knows what to say to them. This event in the book goes to show that Calpurnia cares as a parent or close family member about Jem and Scouts attitudes and behaviours towards
So once Scout and Jem go to the black church, they are met by a black woman named Lula. “‘I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to n-word church. ’”(Lee, 135) She tells Calpurnia and the kids to leave since the kids are white. But Calpurnia argues with Lula that they can come in.
The message Calpurnia was trying to get across was that although Walter might be poor, you should not treat him like he is something less. Since Scout is young, she fails to understand this lesson in the moment, but realizes this later on in the novel when she is an adult reflecting back at how everything has impacted her. Atticus also teaches Scout about courtesy. This is a big part of the novel because she understands this lesson as she
Consequently, the jurors at no time try to engage in cross-racial empathy. Never do Atticus and Tom stand as equals, together fighting for a life. Atticus relies on his own respect and authority to save Tom as he did with the lynch mob the night before. Additionally, when Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her church, they realize that there are places too where white people are not welcome. As one of the only voices in the novel presenting a black point of view, Lula yells at Calpurnia for bringing the kids.
Atticus was out of town and the kids didn’t know what to do. Calpurnia was going to church and she invited them to come with her. Even though Calpurnia isn’t always the nicest she does everything she can to keep them safe and out of trouble. Scout states “ I had caused Calpurnia to deny my entrance to the house every time she saw me with a stick in my hand.
And that is when she did not tell her father about how she felt about having Aunt Alexandria in her life. “I could have made several answers to this: Cal’s a girl, it would be many years before I would be interested in boys, I would never be interested in clothes… but I kept quiet” (Lee 180). Here in this quote you can tell that Scout is thinking why aunt Alexandra had to come stay with them, when Calpurnia is there. She is starting to have knowledge and think about how things are going to
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the character Calpurnia is a valuable member of the Finch family and is vital to their well-being. The first instance this is seen is when Calpurnia supplies Scout with some much need discipline after she had been rude to Walter Cunningham at the dinner table. Calpurnia tells Scout: “That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?”
Calpurnia was with them through all the years of them growing up. She was the one to give motherly advice, and listen to all the troubles the children may have. In this way, I believe Calpurnia was motherly. Although Calpurnia has children of her own, she cares for Scout and Jem like they were also her children. She bathed them, dressed them, fed them, and took poll of how their day was every evening.
Atticus is Scouts father and he is also a lawyer. He raises his children by himself, with the help of his housekeeper named Calpurnia. She is an African American but Scout’s family treat her as if they she is one of them. Racial asfsd is a huge problem in this book that Scout’s family faces constantly.
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.
They learn a lot about Calpurnia and how she acts differently around certain people. Scout said, “The warm bittersweet smell of clean Negro welcomed us as we entered the churchyard” (Lee 118). Scout and Jem both felt welcomed as they entered the church as if it wasn’t anything like their church. Scout stated, ¨It was an ancient paint-peeled framed building¨ (Lee 118). When Scout and Jem both entered the church they felt respected and welcomed.
First of all Calpurnia is very responsible, yet fun with the children. Calpurnia also provided more culture and knowledge for the children to experience while she takes care of them. These fun characteristics have been displayed when Calpurnia was trying to distract Scout, because Dill and Jem would not let her play with them. Another time this side of her was revealed was when Calpurnia rewarded Scout with a “an open-faced sandwich of bread and butter and sugar.” Lastly, Calpurnia also helps the kids work things out, so that they do not fight as much.
She makes people reevaluate the relationship that black people can have with white people, by showing the close and nurturing relationship that she has primarily with Scout, but also with Jem. Her continual dedication to caring for Jem and Scout is not something that they would necessarily realize, but subconsciously they know what she does for them and how much concern and love she puts into looking after them. Even though it is her job to cook and look after the kids, she has this bond that makes her more like a surrogate mother towards them, in which it could be because she has been with them before Scout was born. However, Calpurnia has this never ending love that she feels towards the kids, and no matter what, it will never go away. She will always feel the need to look after and care for these kids that she has grown to love so
Calpurnia is Jem and Scouts mother figure, because their mother died due to a sudden heart attack. Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to her church, First Purchase, and introduces them to the fact that not all black people are bad people. She shows courage because it’s nerve racking to bring 2 white children to an all black church. Calpurnia says, “I don’t want anybody sayin’ I don’t look after my children” (Lee pg. 118). Calpurnia takes pride in Jem and Scout and shows a massive amount of courage taking these children to her type of life, and to her church.
Thus, whilst slightly unconventional, Calpurnia has a distinct role in teaching the Finch children respect and responsibility. In conclusion, Atticus Finch and Calpurnia are contrasting characters with the same purpose in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus maintains a fair, wise character throughout the novel, in comparison to Calpurnia's cogent, blunt personality. What brings them together is how they set the correct example for and give life lessons to Jem and Scout.
Calprina is another mother figure in scout life, she cook’s for the family, and try to show Scout the right from wrong: “It was then that Calpurnia requested my presence in the kitchen. She was furious, and when she was furious Calpurnia’s grammar became erratic. When in tranquility, her grammar was as good as anybody’s in Maycomb. Atticus said Calpurnia had more education than most colored folks. When she squinted down at me the tiny lines around her eyes deepened.