To Kill A Mockingbird Calpurnia Quotes

Towards Jem, we see instances in Calpurnia in which she almost seems soft. For example, after Jem wrecks Mrs. Dubose’s camellia, and the kids were skulking around, Calpurnia knew Jem was upset, and gave him a hot biscuit-and-butter. One may argue this is the beginning of a change in Calpurnia, but we may look at it as Cal just being a mom. One can refute the argument of change that Scout is just beginning to see the good side of her and why Cal does what she does. She has already gone through the phases with her own children, and know how it is herself growing up. In the middle of To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem is starting to grow up and is becoming a teenager. This is evident by Scout’s overwhelming frustration with Jem in the quote, “His maddening superiority was unbearable these days. He didn’t want to do anything but read and go off by himself.” (Lee 184) Calpurnia, being the experienced mother/caregiver she is, had seen that, and started giving Jem his space, and started calling him “Mister Jem”. Scout realizes Calpurnia is not as bad as she once thought. Scout realizes Calpurnia can be nice when given the chance.

Scout empathizes with Walter Cunningham during school at the beginning of the novel. Her teacher Miss Caroline offers Walter a quarter because he has no lunch. Walter’s family can’t afford lunch so he says he has forgotten his lunch money. He declines her offer, Miss Caroline can’t see why so she continues

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

"It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike -in the second place, folks don't like to have someone around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates 'em. 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 126) It is clear that Calipurnia has an understanding of different kinds of people. The fact that she talks proper in the Finch home proves that she has class and respect for them. In addition, she also shows respect for the people at her church by talking like they do. She also sets an example for Scout by telling her what is ladylike.

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

As the story begins and we start to analyze the characters, Scout comes off as an being unable to grasp the realities of life due to her childlike innocence. We see this through her thoughts and actions. Walter Cunningham has a misfit with Scout in the beginning of the novel that can be an example of both her innocence and intolerance. It starts when Scout's teacher, Miss Caroline, tells Walter to take her money for lunch and suggests paying her back later. Walter refuses and Miss Caroline gets irritated. In attempt to explain why Walter doesn't take the money, Scout tells Miss Caroline the stigma of the Cunninghams. Scout says that Walter can't pay her back because he doesn't have the money; No Cunningham would ever take anything they couldn't pay back. When Scout gets in trouble for talking back, she blames it on Walter and reacted as follows, "Catching Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard gave me some pleasure, but when I was rubbing his nose in the dirt..." (Lee 30). This quote

To begin with, Calpurnia is a coloured housekeeper and a cook for the Finch family which are Atticus (father), Scout (daughter) and Jem (son). She is a confident lady and has "more education than most colored folks" (32). According to the Finch family, they accept her as a part of the family due to Atticus allowing Calpurnia to lecture Scout on her behavior because some white families do not accept the teachings morals from a coloured woman. For instance, when Scout judged on how Walter ate, Calpurnia at that very moment taught her that was not acceptable and is always correcting her manners as well with Jem. Calpurnia is a caring mother who personally treats Jem and Scout as her very own children. Moving on, the Finch family does not judge her due to her skin colour, instead, they trust her.

For the first time, Scout realizes that Calpurnia “led a modest double life”, “had a separate existence outside her household”, and had “command of two languages” (167). She learns from Calpurnia that people have to act differently based on certain situations or based on the people who she interacts with. Scout starts wanting to know more about Calpurnia, to see what her life is like outside of her home. She wants to step Calpurnia’s shoes and see what her other life is like. However, Aunt Alexandra does not want her to visit Calpurnia’s house; Scout doesn’t understand why, however, since she lacks the prejudice that most other kids would have. Had Scout been living in a different home, she probably would have seen Calpurnia’s other life is inferior to the one that Calpurnia has with them. In later scene, Scout demonstrates his lack of prejudice again at the court scene. When Reverend Sykes asked Jem and Scout if they wanted to go up “to the balcony with [him]” (219), they bolted towards the balcony without a second thought. Other white citizens would probably rather be squished against the walls or stay outside than going up to the colored balcony. However, Jem, Scout, and Dill ran full speed ahead towards the balcony. The kids didn’t care that it was the colored balcony;

She gives the children helpful lessons in life that will benefit them, alongside Atticus’ lessons too. “Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you so high and mighty,” (Lee 33). This was a quote by Calpurnia after Scout started to make fun of Walter Cunningham, who was a boy that had issues with money, when he poured syrup over his food. This quote shows that Calpurnia is equal and fair when she treats people and wants the children to grasp these values in their lives when they interact with

Calpurnia has taught the children how to contend with issues of race and class that exist in the segregated society. In Chapter 3, Walter Cunningham Jr. has dinner with the Finch family, and Scout is disgusted when he pours syrup all over his meal. Scout embarrasses Walter at the dinner table by rudely asking him “what the sam hill is he doing”. Calpurnia then requests Scout's presence in the kitchen and proceeds to reprimand Scout for her rude behavior. “Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it doesn’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just sit here and eat in the kitchen!”. This quote supports that Calpurnia commanded Scout that she has no right to contradict Walter for his eating habits and teaches Scout a lesson of social equality and conscience. Calpurnia tells Scout that it doesn't matter if her family is considered "better" than the Cunninghams; Scout needs to treat Walter courteously and equally. Calpurnia also warns Scout not to act "high and mighty" around her guests by disgracing them, or she might punish her since she would have to eat in the kitchen. Calpurnia essentially teaches Scout how to handle and treat people that the prejudiced society considers “not their kind of folks”. She encourages Scout to view Walter impartially and treat him the same way she would want to be treated. It is significant how this lesson comes from Calpurnia, because, as a black woman

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.

Scout(Jean Louise) is an adventurous young girl who narrates the story To Kill A Mockingbird. She stands as an unreliable narrator because of her actions while eating dinner with a past friend. Mr. Caroline offered Wallter a penny for lunch but he refused to take it. In response to other students telling Scout to talk, she stepped in and tried to explain why the Cunninghams don’t borrow from others. The planned backfired as Ms. Caroline thought it was an insult to the Cunninghams. Scout showcased being an unreliable narrator when she had a conversation with Calpurnia, “‘He ain’t company, Cal he’s just a cunningham.’ ‘Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’

Calpurnia explains her understanding of different kinds of people. Calpurnia also sets an example for Scout by telling her what it means to be ladylike.

In To Kill a Mockingbird Jem and Scout initially feel like they know everything there is to know about those closest to them, like Atticus and Calpurnia. As the story progresses they discover additional information the reveals more about who Atticus and Calpurnia really are. Scout and Jem spend a great deal of time with Calpurnia, and they see her as another adult figure, similar to Aunt Alexandra or Miss Maudie. When they spend more time with Calpurnia throughout the story they see that her life outside of the Finch household is very different from anything they are used to. When Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to church she starts talking differently. At home she talks as if she is educated; more like a white person. However, at church with

Calpurnia often acts as a mother to Jem and Scout. She displays strength, sympathy, and above all, sincerity. The first noticeable quality of Calpurnia is her strength. Scout, the main character, describes her as a “tyrannical presence” (6).