Calpurnia Character Analysis

Atticus is an honorable man, kind and chivalrous to everyone he encounters. He is even polite to the people who call him a “nigger lover” and who spit at him. Mrs. Dubose calls Atticus a “nigger lover” and terrorizes his children, but he is still respectful to her. He even calls her a model and compliments her rose bushes. On a walk home from work Atticus says, “Good evening Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening”(115). Bob Ewell spat at Atticus on the post office corner, but Atticus does not retaliate. He keeps his head high and treats Ewell as an equal. Ewell threatens Atticus and his children, but Atticus is respectful to Bob Ewell. At a time where many people are prejudice against blacks, Atticus is caring to Calpurnia. He treats her as a member of the household, instead of an inferior.

On page 143, it stated ““Cal,” I asked, “why do you talk nigger- talk to the — to your folks when you know it’s not right?” and Calpurnia answer by stated “Well, in the first place I’m black —.” This show that the author is trying to say that what may be right in one place may not be in another place, as Calpurnia switch between her command of two language, we could see that Calpurnia have to adapt to the environment that she is in. This does not hold true because in my opinion, when you look at Atticus, you could see that he act the same wherever he

One time Cal scolded Scout and Scout talked to Atticus and wanted her removed from the house. But after that she realized Calpurnia only cared for her and wasn't trying to be rude. When you get older you get to have more emotions and for a 7 year old I feel like you wouldn't care that much if there was a killer in town that was raping young teenagers. But if you were in Calpurnia's situation you would feel very scared and frightened and would keep all the doors locked in your house and not have your kids go out at night.

Calpurnia, or “Cal”, was the Finch’s African-American housekeeper and cook. Her being a black, middle-aged woman in a white dominated society, we can already infer she has experienced great racial injustices. Throughout the novel, we see significant and noticeable changes in the main characters, but little development in Calpurnia´s character. Before you discard this essay on what was supposed to be about a chosen character changing due to social and racial injustices throughout the book, give the thesis some thought. Scout is the narrator of the book, therefore we are seeing changes through her point of view; so we only see Calpurnia changing through the eyes of Scout, but they were not in actuality

Another stereotype in Maycomb that African Americans, specifically, might be placed under is that they are uneducated and inferior to the white community. Calpurnia disproves this easily. In fact, when Scout is describing her and the arguments they had, she states that “Calpurnia always won, mainly because Atticus always took her side” (Lee 6). This clearly shows that Calpurnia has Atticus’ approval, something she could only gain by showing intelligence and capability. It proves that she is not only correct and just in her ways, but that she is respected and has some authority in the Finch household. This is neither common nor stereotypical in Maycomb, and neither is Boo Radley. Though he is at the center of the most notorious story in all of Maycomb, and is rumored to be a haunted psychopath, he is not the typical recluse. His true nature is revealed in “Summer, and he watched his children’s heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him” (Lee 279). Clearly, Boo is much more benevolent than anyone could perceive, as he chooses to be kind despite his hardship. He disproves the stereotype that would lead Maycomb citizens to see him as spiteful or self-pitying, by coming to the aid of Jem and Scout. He goes so far as to call Scout and Jem “his children”, proving his love and sense of responsibility towards them. Moreover, his empathy proves that the existence of racism is not the only thing Maycomb County does not fully comprehend. In

she’s a faithful member of this family” (Lee 137). Atticus defends Cal and defines her as a member of the family. Atticus clearly sees Calpurnia as equal, even when practically everyone else does not. Atticus is standing up for what he believes is right even though others, even his own sister, do not believe in the same values. Someone who stands up for what is right is a good person who is worthy of looking up to and a great example to follow. When someone stands up for what they believe is right, it is a great quality to have and a quality that everyone should have. Nobody at the time saw blacks as equal, but Atticus still did and this makes him a great role model because he stands up for what he believes in.

1. Atticus and his sister disagree on many things, mostly the treatment of colored people and how important the reputation of the finch family is. Alexandra believe that she is above colored people, especially Calpurnia and that Atticus shouldn’t let his children go to church her because it’s a disgrace to their family. Atticus believe that colored people deserve the same amount of respect as white people and that Calpurnia is a member of the finch family and should be treated like one.

Along with these stereotypes comes racism. Jem and Scout first experience racism against them when Calpurnia takes them to her church one Sunday. Another member of Calpurnia’s church berates Calpurnia for bringing Jem and Scout into an all-black church. Calpurina refuses to let berating change her mind about allowing the children to attend her church. Rather than allow the children to go home as Jem suggests, Calpurnia challenges the racism against white people and proclaims that the children are her “comp’ny” (Lee 158). Throughout the novel Calpurnia models the respect that Atticus expects his children to show. Calpurnia complies with her hospitality whenever she is given the opportunity. In his article “Race in To Kill a Mockingbird” Chris Gonzalez refers to Calpurnia’s hospitality as “a great equalizer of

Next, just as Atticus is a socially just character, so too is Calpurnia. The first example of Calpurnia acting with social justice is when she warned the town about the

The book,¨To kill a Mockingbird¨ and ¨The Help¨ have people who really appreciate what others do for them no matter the race. By the same token, ¨To kill a Mockingbird¨ Scout, Jem and Atticus treat Calpurnia as if she was family, they don't think less of her or make her feel useless. Scout and Jem are always listening to Calpurnia's advice and are really never impolite to her and treat her as if she was more than just their maid(Lee,np).Atticus never mistreat´s Calpurnia, in all of maycomb Atticus stands out and never looks in the outside and really cares about what's inside, even though everyone else in Maycomb is very judgmental and uncivil without trying.Everyone in Maycomb feels the need to have someone that's less than them so they

When his sister, Aunt Alexandra, tries to persuade him to let Calpurnia go, Atticus refuses, he tells her, “Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to. You may think otherwise, but I couldn’t have got along without her all these years. She’s a faithful member of this family and you’ll simply have to accept things the way they

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a kind and brave man who treats everyone with respect. Throughout his life, Atticus Finch continually represents the values of respect, courage, and justice. In Maycomb, County Atticus lives with his two kids, Scout and Jem, and their housekeeper Calpurnia. He is a defense lawyer who believes segregation is wrong. First, Atticus shows respect by how he treats others. He Answers his children's questions truthfully, even if they're embarrassing. He does this because he thinks it is wrong to lie to a child. Also, he respects the Cunningham family. Atticus Treats Walter, Jr., as an honored guest at his dinner table. One time he even assisted Mr. Cunningham with an important legal problem.

One of the more “accepted” sorts of racism in the 1930’s was in the home. Many families had African American housekeepers, and the Finch’s were one of those families. When Aunt Alexandra moved in, she created some turbulence with Calpurnia. When Atticus was talking about how a man despised

Consequently, at one point in the novel, Atticus was forced to vouch for Calpurnia, as his sister, Alexandra, was entertaining the idea that Calpurnia must leave. Atticus firmly says “Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to.” Though Calpurnia was aware that Atticus and Alexandra were debating her departure from the job, She never threatened or disrespected Alexandra or the family. She kept on doing her duties and loving the children. Many would’ve quit or angered at how openly Alexandra was speaking of Calpurnia, But Calpurnia kept her head held high and showed all readers the importance of peace,

Atticus is the town’s most respected lawyer. He is not wealthy, but he is well off in the community and is very kind towards everyone. As a single parent, he faces the world, raising his two children with his maid, Calpurnia, who experiences better conditions and responsibilities than other African Americans of her time, due to Atticus’ beliefs. He has a reputation for being an open-minded, fair man, and a unique personality that is overflowing with honesty. He has been assigned a case of defending a black man who is apparently accused of rape. Now Atticus is both loved and unloved by the townspeople. Since they live in the South during the 1930’s, Atticus gives a lot of advice to his children, Scout and Jem. Atticus tells Scout and Jem that they should not say anything about a person especially when they do not know that person. Atticus describes what he means in a quote “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around it”(Lee 39). Atticus defends a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a girl. Atticus has the confidence and the courage to defend Tom and prove that he is innocent. Scout does not believe that her father is nice enough or has the courage to defend Tom. Atticus proves that