Whoever said you can't be friends with your maid? In Harper Lee's book To Kill a Mockingbird, the Finch family's negro maid, Calpurina, is known as a family friend. Calpurnia plays a very important role in the lives of Scout, Jem, and Atticus. While Calpurnia does have a life outside of her job, a majority of her time is spent in the Finch home. Because so much of her time is spent with the children and Atticus, she has an effective impact on them. Calpurnia is known to be humble, motherly, and defensive. Calpurnia is a very humble person. She speaks little of her personal life, or any achievements she may have accomplished in the past. When Scout goes with Calpurnia to church she discovers that Calpurnia lives a separate, intriguing life outside of the Finch's home. Scout states, "That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me." (125) Being a maid, Calpurnia had always lived to serve other people and meet their needs. Yes, she had a low-class job but she never complained about her life. This shows yet another example of her humbleness. …show more content…
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. " 'I don't want nobody sayin' I don't look after my children,' she muttered." (118) Calpurnia definitely acted like a mother towards Scout and