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Gift Giving In To Kill A Mockingbird

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A gift is something meaningful given from one person to another. In her novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee exemplifies many underlying meaning through the act of gift giving. Four important gifts that were given from one character to another were the soap dolls from the Radley Tree, Calpurnia, the pocket watch from the Radley Tree, and Boo Radley. The Soap dolls from the Radley Tree was a gift given from Boo Radley to the children. The dolls looked like the children even though they had never met Boo Radley before. “The boy had on shorts, and a shock of soapy hair fell to his eyebrows. I looked up at Jem . . . Jem looked from the girl-doll to me. The girl-doll wore bangs. So did I. ‘These are us,’ he said” (Lee 60). The dolls were whittled from soap. Soap is pure and clean. The dolls were made from soap because the …show more content…

She was a negro woman who was employed by Atticus. “Atticus, Jem and I, plus Calpurnia our cook.” (Lee 6). Even though “a cook” was Calpurnia’s job title, she was much more than that. Calpurnia helped Atticus run the house and took care of his children while he was away. Calpurnia was a mother figure to Scout and Jem because their mother had died a short time after Scout was born. “four years later I was born, and two years later our mother died from a sudden heart attack.” (Lee 6). Calpurnia taught Scout how to write. “She would set me a writing task by scrawling the alphabet firmly across the top of a tablet, then copying out a chapter of the Bible beneath.” (Lee 18). Calpurnia also showed the children right from wrong. “anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!” (Lee 24). When Atticus was away, the children went with Calpurnia to her church. This experience opened Scout and Jem’s eyes to the Negro Community and things they did versus what others do. Calpurnia was a healthy influence on the

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Since their mother pasted away, Atticus seems to not know what to do with the children. Due to this, he hires Calpurnia. She acts almost like the mother figure who dresses Scout. She also disciplines the children and attempts to teach them proper manners. Toward the end of the story, due to life threatening events, Atticus’ becomes closer with his children.

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578 Words | 3 Pages

Calpurnia is a good mother figure. When Jem does not want to play with Scout anymore, Cal comforts her and says she can spend time with her. She keeps them clean and cares about them. Before Cal took them to her church she made them “soap all over twice and drew fresh water in the tub for every rinse” (Lee, 156). She even says “I don’t anyone sayin’ I don’t look after my children” (Lee, 157).

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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.

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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.

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473 Words | 2 Pages

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.

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Atticus had many good qualities that he tried to pass to the two youngsters, but egalitarian, tolerance, and respect were the ones that were demonstrated through Atticus’s actions. Egalitarian was a characteristic well exhibited during the first part, since the first part was about preparing the reader for the Tom Robinson's trial in which Atticus was the defense lawyer for the young, black man. This equality aspect did not only exhibit through Atticus taking the job as the defense lawyer for Tom Robinson but by the respect, Atticus had for Calpurnia. When Jem invited Walter to eat with them and Scout called on Walter for spilling syrup all over his food, Calpurnia excused Scout and scolded her for embarrassing Walter. Later on, when Jem and

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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.

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In my opinion… Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra are both great mother figures to Jem and Scout. They both have their own traits. Calpurnia is a great mother figure. When the dog came she made sure the kids were safe inside and were all right. She then called Atticus and told him about it so he could come and help out with it.

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1138 Words | 5 Pages

Calpurnia has feared safety for the children. She fears what would happen to Atticus’s children if she sat in the front of Atticus’s car. Mr. Uele already has a close watch on Atticus since Atticus is defending Tom Robinson that was accused of raping, beating, and taking advantage of Mr. Ewell’s daughter Mayella. Calpurnia is afraid of what Mr. Ewell might do if he saw her in the front of Atticus’s car. He would have either gone after her or attacked Atticus’ children for revenge on Atticus for accepting or being open minded with colored people.

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Calpurnia serves as an amazing role model and mother figure to the children, and yet Aunt Alexandra wants to fire her. She had raised Jem and Scout, and plays an indispensable part of their lives, showering them with discipline, structure, and love. Aunt Alexandra, however, barely existed in the children 's lives up until she moved into the Finch’s home, yet she inflicts great injustice on Calpurnia by failing to recognize the necessitous part of the family that Calpurnia fills. Scout even overhears Aunt Alexandra saying, "...you 've got to do something about her. You 've let things go on too long Atticus, too long.

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585 Words | 3 Pages

I sense, rather than saw, that we were being advanced upon.” In this moment, both Jem and Scout are made aware of the perspective of the colored folk. Scout in this chapter has to recognize that Calpurnia interacts differently to the world compared to herself. As stated in the novel,” That Calpurnia lead a modest double life never dawned on me. The idea that she had a separate existence outside our household is a novel one to, to say nothing of her having command of two languages.”

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1247 Words | 5 Pages

Calpurnia is an ideal influence for Scout’s coming of age moments. She teaches Scout the importance of manners, and treating people with respect. When Walter Cunningham comes to eat lunch with Scout and Jem one day, Scout

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1132 Words | 5 Pages

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.

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1300 Words | 6 Pages

Calpurnia is seen both by Atticus and the reader as more than just a housekeeper and a cook; she is a part of the family and fills in the role of a mother to Jem and Scout by helping raise them alongside Atticus. Atticus deeply cherishes Calpurnia’s efforts of taking care of the children. With her doting attitude, yet, strict disciplinary, Calpurnia treats both Scout and Jem as she would her own children. Furthermore, this following quote proves that fatherhood is indeed an arduous and burdensome role as Atticus says these following words. Without Calpurnia by his side, Atticus would have found fatherhood even more of a demanding role without a wife by his side to help support and take care of the family, as well as raise his children to grow

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Community College over University Attending a community college rather than attending a four year University can really save people a lot of money. Attending a community college people can save two years of a University and get their Associates degree a more cheap way. Going to a community college is a lower cost than a four year University, this effects people to go to a community college because of their low prices. People attend community colleges because they are more affordable, closer to home and convenient. People would rather save two years of college than pay those two years for an experience at a four year University.

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