Calpurnia Character Analysis

During this time, Scout was able to see how unfairly some people were treated. She was able to see how a white persons word almost always was greater than a black persons word. I think being able to sit through the trial; Scout was able to see how racists some people were acting and how some adults were acting. Scout learns to deal with others and that some things aren’t always going to go the way she intends. Scout was always taught from her father, Atticus, that you should treat everyone with respect and you should tolerate everyone. Even though you may not like someone or they may not be your best friends you should still treat them just like anyone else and be fair towards

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

Calpurnia is pressured to meet the expectations set for both women and blacks in Maycomb society, and in many ways she does a good job at conforming to them. Calpurnia works as a nanny to Jem and Scout, which is a common job for black women. As the only adult woman in the household, Calpurnia,of course, keeps order on all things. She is an excellent cook and very strict towards Scout and Jem. Scout has a knack for getting in trouble, so she often complains about Calpurnia’s ‘tyrannical presence’. Despite this, readers often get a glance at Calpurnia’s maternal side. When Jem tells Scout to start acting like a girl, she flees to Cal for support. Although, she can’t give Scout much advice she is able to comfort her. “I just can’t help it if Mister Jem’s growin’ up. He’s gonna want to be off to himself a lot now, doin’ whatever boys do, so you just come right on in the

Calpurnia was the Finch’s African- american housekeeper. She played a huge role in the parenting of both Scout and Jem because Atticus was an only father. Calpurnia helped Scout become more ladylike at the end of the novel by teaching her proper manners and edict. Scout is a hardcore

Since Calpurnia is so caring and good to the kids, they look at her as more than just the cook, they look at her as if she was a second mother. One day while Atticus was away for the day Calpurnia decided to take the kids to the all-black church with her. When she showed up with Jem and Scout she was getting nasty looks and comments from some of the other church-goers. She just ignored then and led the kids into the church. When church was let out and they began their walk home. This shows that Cal is caring enough to take the kids to church, knowing ahead of time that the other church members were not going to be happy. On their way home Scout asked if she could go visit Calpurnia at her home one day. Calpurnia responded with, “Any time you want to. We’d be glad to have you” (Lee 168). This also shows that Cal is willing to open her house for them anytime they want to come. Due to Calpurnia’s strong opposition to race, the kids aren’t racist. They don’t care about skin color, they want justice for all. Another example of her caring is the time Tim Johnson, the rabid dog, came down the street and headed right towards their house (Lee 123). The kids ran to get Calpurnia and she took

After Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to church, she tells them, “You’re not gonna change? any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language,” (Lee, 1960, p. 167). This statement Calpurnia tells to Scout and Jem proves in Maycomb she has no right to having one life. She either has to act more smart and sophisticated, or she must act like her friends and family in the black community. Calpurnia having to go back and forth between lives shows the readers the way most African American woman had to act to be able to fit in without being discriminated or treated unequally by others.

Calpurnia does not force Scout to be feminine; she lets Scout observe and be who she wants to be. In a way, her teachings also mirrors Atticus- slowly nurturing the children’s morals, answering whatever questions they might have, and leading them in the right direction while letting them also try to discover things on their own. In addition, Calpurnia acts as a bridge between the two worlds (black and white & the Finch’s house and her black community). At the church, the Finch children are able to see the other world (the black community) and to their surprise, they face prejudice there by a woman named Lula. Lula wanted to know why Calpurnia was “bringing white nigguns to their church”. For possibly the first time, Scout and Jem is in a situation where they can see that as much as there is prejudice from white to black, there is just the same from black to white. They might not fully understand what prejudice is at the moment, but this experience definitely helps them understand later on in the story as they mature. In their trip to the black church, Harper Lee portrays the black community in a highly positive light to highlight the idea of racism and prejudice in the white

For example, when she takes Jem and Scout to her church Lula, who is seen equal to the Ewells, starts to question Calpurnia’s decision to bring colourless folks. “Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?’” (Lee 158). Instead of leaving and letting her be beat by Lula. Calpurnia decides to stand up for the Finch children to show strength and how they should treat the lowlifes who criticize and try to pull you down with

Bluntly put, Calpurnia is the Finches' housekeeper in the novel. However, she is so much more to the family. She conducts herself as a mother figure to Jem and Scout, as she practically raised them after their mother's death. Along with Miss Maudie, Calpurnia is a strong, positive female influence in Jem and Scout's lives. She is a parallel to Atticus in her lessons of politeness and compassion and contrasts with Aunt Alexandra's harsh discipline and strict gender roles. In my perception, she is a very significant character that teaches the children how to cope up with challenging situations regarding race and class that arise in the book. This is also my reasons for why I chose her as a character worthy of discussion.

The narrator states, “...She was always ordering me out the kitchen, asking me why I couldn’t behave as well as Jem when she knew he was older, and calling me home when I wasn’t ready to come...She had been with us since Jem was born. ”(Pg). Calpurnia has been there for the kids since scout was a baby and never left their side.

Another character that helps Scout to become accepting is Tom Robinson. He teaches Scout how pervasive racism is and the importance of fighting it. When Tom Robinson gets shot by trying to escape, Scout begins to experience for the first time, how strong racism and prejudice is between whites and blacks. After reading Mr. Underwood’s article, she realizes that Tom Robinson is a “dead man” once Mayella Ewell “open[s] her mouth and scream[s]” (Lee 241). Society is so unjust; Tom is stuck in a situation, where it is impossible for him to win the case, since a black man’s word will never be more respected than a white woman’s. After the trial, Scout is more aware of the need to treat all races equally. One day after Scout and Jem visits Calpurnia’s church, Scout asks if she can “‘come see [Calpurnia] sometime’” (Lee

Calpurnia helps Scout become more lady like by using manners and teaching her how to treat others. For example “ Yo folks might be better than the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothing the way you're disgracing them” (Lee 33) Calpurnia teaches Scout proper manners when she corrects scout for thinking that she is better than Walter Cunningham. Calpurnia Also teaches scout to be respectful. For example “ There’s some folks who don't eat like us, she whispered fiercely, ‘ but you ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don't. That boy’s yo’ comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him, you hear?” (Lee 31). Calpurnia is like a mother figure to Scout and Jem. She taught scout proper manners and how to treat others with respect. Without Calpurnia Scout wouldn't act very lady like. In the example this is scout’s first lesson on being respectful to others who are different. Therefore without Calpurnia Scout wouldn’t learn how to respect and sympathize with others who are

When they were standing at a distance just observing the situation, Scout decides to go up, but because she’s a child she’s completely oblivious of how serious this situation is. When she’s standing in the centre of the mob of people, looking up at the adults she notices a familiar face, Mr. Cunningham. “Don’t you remember me, Mr. Cunningham?”, “I go to school with Walter, he’s your boy ain’t he, sir?” (Lee, 205) This not only scares him because he realizes the fact that someone knows his identity, but knowing that a presence of innocence is in a situation with such danger, and darkness. Seeing Scout made him remember that he was too a father, and even though it would probably never be revealed, to kill a man solely based on the color of his skin, would be something he’d never want his children to know exists in the world. Before this situation occurred, Walter Cunningham was completely onboard with lynching Tom Robinson, his hatred towards African-Americans was so great because it was encouraged in town, it’s what he was told to believe growing up. Because of this he never really payed attention to what his authentic feelings

One of the first characters we are introduced to in the book is Calpurnia, the Finches' Negro “cook”, as Scout says (Lee 3). However, she is clearly more than that; she fills the role of a mother for Jem and Scout. She is strict when needs to be and caring when she doesn't. Particularly, she teaches the children not to be prejudice to any person, regardless of race. This is in direct contrast of the beliefs of Lula, a fellow Negro female that attends the African-American First Purchase Church, along with Calpurnia. In Lula's opinion, “white chillun...got their church, we got our’n”; she doesn't want the white and black races to be treated equally (Lee 63). Since they're often treated as second-class in a group of white people, she believes

Though Calpurnia and the people involved in Calpurnia’s life are greatly impacted, Jean Louise Finch, a.k.a. Scout, deals with more confusion and frustration brought on by racial discrimination. During a day at school, Scout encountered Cecil Jacobs and his ignorant mind. “Atticus had promised me he would wear me out if he ever heard of me fighting any more… I soon forgot. Cecil Jacobs made me forget. He had announced in the schoolyard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defends niggers”(Lee 99). Scout did not realize what this meant, but she was hurt by it any way. Scout is affected by a copious amount of racism, she just has no clue what is zipping around her. When she confronted Atticus about him defending Negroes, he said of course he does, and to not use