(Lee 141). Calpurnia- Calpurnia is the cook in the Finch home. She is very proper when she is taking care of Scout and Jem, but when she takes them to her black church, Scout asks her why she talks like them. “Calpurnia tilted her hat and scratched her head, then pressed her hat down carefully over her ears.
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.
Calpurnia is an African American woman who works for a white family, but the Finch family treats her equally. She is even allowed to discipline Scout and Jem Finch, the son and daughter of Atticus Finch. Calpurnia is also a very well educated African American woman. During the 1930s a majority of the African American society did not have a good education and they also did not speak proper english, however Calpurnia does speak proper english and is well educated which makes her different than the typical
Cunningham into making the mob leave. In this paper, I will be evaluating. I am evaluating that Calpernia is a better mother figure than Aunt Alexandra. Calpernia is a wonderful mother figure to Scout and Jem. One reason is because she is caring.
Calpurnia does a lot more than what she is hired for. She cooks and teaches Scout how to write. The Finches are very grateful to have Calpurnia, however, since she is a black women in a white household, injustice rise. Aunt Alexandra is racist and because she is family, she has some authority in the Finches house. One day Aunt Alexandra overheard Scout telling a story to Atticus about the time she visited Calpurnia’s black church, and Scout was invited to go to Calpurnia’s house.
In the story To Kill A Mockingbird all the characters descriptions are somewhat filtered by Scout because of her ways of seeing people differently. There is one character in particular whose way of being described gives the reader a sense that it is colored by Scout’s perspective, her name s Calpurnia. Calpurnia is introduced by narrator and main character Scout Finch as the cook. Although later in the story the reader learns that she is not only the cook and housekeeper, but also a mother-type figure to Scout and older brother Jem.
Many children experience the lavish love of mothers, but those who lost their mothers at a young age often have replacement mothers set up by their remaining parent. Calpurnia established herself into the Finch family as a mother figure in Jem and Scouts’ lives. While cooking for the Finch family, this southern black woman filled the motherless voids in the children’s hearts. Although Cal’s job required only cooking skills, she utilized her best traits by being motherly, responsible, and brave. Wise old Calpurnia obtained many good attributes in her lifetime which she exercised in her job.
Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra are the two most influential women in Scout’s life and their personalities contrast to exhibit social prejudice. As Scout’s mother dies at childbirth, Atticus employs Calpurnia; an African American to be the family house-keeper who helps to raise Scout and Jem. Calpurnia encourages Scout to do the right thing in the footsteps of her father and teaches her to use manners and to be acceptant. Scout brings home Walter Cunningham from school for lunch, an event that defies Maycomb’s social class order, but Calpurnia encourages this rightful gesture. When Scout embarrasses Walter for pouring syrup all over his food, Calpurnia punishes Scout for the disrespectful way she treated Walter.
Calpurnia responds,"I don’t want anybody sayin’ I don’t look after my children.” (Lee 118). This reveals that Calpurnia is expected by her peers to be a responsible parent figure for the white children; as they are a reflection of Calpurnia. When Calpurnia, Jem, and Scout arrive at the church, they are confronted by a character named Lula, a parishioner. Lula then asks Calpurnia why she would even think to bring white children to an African American church.
Atticus says she is just a little girl, She is respectful and nice. Atticus teaches his kids to be respectful. People say you need to discipline your kids. People say that Atticus needs to fire Calpurnia because she is black. Atticus says no she is like a mother to my kids, And she has helped me through the years.
Throughout the story, Jem and Scout Finch are greatly influenced by the strong women around them in the novel. One of these strong women was Calpurnia, a black maid paid by the Finches to do cooking and cleaning around the house. For example, when Aunt Alexandra stated that Atticus should get rid of Calpurnia, Atticus explained how Calpurnia was a good influence on the kids, and in a way, the mother the kids never had. Why would you
Atticus told Scout that they “‘…could not operate a single day without Cal…’”, which is a perfect example on how Calpurnia took on a heavy role when Scout and Jem’s mother was not alive to do so (pg. 33). When telling this to Scout, Atticus’ tone is one of being appreciative of Calpurnia and her motherly capacity. Calpurnia has a home and a family of her own to take care of, but she sees this family in need and takes them on as a ‘mother’, knowing that Atticus gives her freedom to leave. Because of Calpurnia’s courage to ‘mother’ these children, she validates that taking charge over a situation during a time of need when no one else can or will is just as heroic as fighting for
Lastly, respect is seen throughout the entire novel To Kill a Mockingbird and is well represented by many Maycomb residents. Being a great mother figure to Scout and Jem, Calpurnia shows a great amount of respect for specific individuals or divided among others. When Scout asks what Walter Cunningham Jr. is doing, Calpurnia takes Scout back into the kitchen and tells her firmly, ‘“That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (Lee 32). Calpurnia understands what situations some people are and she respects them for it.
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Calpurnia is a black women who is a housekeeper while also acting as a nanny. She takes Jem and Scout to her black people’s church. Jem and Scout notices something strange about Calpurnia. She was talking differently than she spoke to Jem and Scout. When she spoke to anyone in Jem and Scout’s house, she spoke respectively and gently.
Atticus is very strict with Jem, and he’s always yelling at him. Atticus also has many ways he treats others besides his children. Calpurnia is always over at the Finch house, she works everyday and gets treated very well by Atticus. Atticus told Scout they could not live without her. He said “ She is apart of this family”(Lee 28).
