To Kill a Mockingbird--Calpurnia

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Permalink Reply by Half Empty 9A on April 6, 2017 at 11:35pm

Cal reinforces one of the main themes of the novel - to crawl inside someone else's skin before you judge them. This is early in the novel when Scout has Walter Cunningham Jr.- a friend of Scouts- over for lunch.  He pours syrup all over his lunch. Scout is shocked and makes Walter feel foolish.  Cal calls her into the kitchen and tells her that she has no right to shame a guest.  Here Scout begins to see that her view of the world is not the only one because Walter never has syrup to put on any of his meals, so when he is offered the chance, he takes it. For example, when Atticus- Scout's father- was explaining to her how" You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view" (Lee 30). This quote helps support the idea of how Cal reacted similarly to Atticus when Scout questioned his guest's actions.This links in how judgement can lead one to many places in their mind, which can later be used as an advantage towards on'es life.  Cal also serves to represent another key theme - race.This is evident when Cal takes Jem and Scout to her church. Here too Scout sees that Cal resides in two different worlds. In the 'white' world, Cal is their educated mother-figure.  In the 'black' world, Cal is a mother to her own children and a member of the church.This world is one Jem and Scout really never knew existed.

Permalink Reply by SmugOne 9D on April 7, 2017 at 9:35am

In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" Calpurnia is a very important character to the book. She is a strong individual and always gets her way. I think so far of what I have read that Cal is mean to Scout. In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", Scout, the main character and narrator states, "She was all angles and bones; she was nearsighted; she squinted; her hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard. She was always ordering me out of 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" (Lee 12). This evidence shows that Cal wants Scout to never get her way and be miserable. But I think later on in the book I will find that there is a purpose to what she does to scout has a purpose.

Permalink Reply by Smilie 9C on April 7, 2017 at 12:30pm

In the book Calpurnia's purpose is to take care of Jem and Scout because their mother died and they need her. Without Calpurnia in the text Jem and Scout wouldn't have somebody to take care of them besides Miss Maudie. I personally don't like Calpurnia because she is very harsh with scout. But I can stand her because Calpurnia is just trying to be a motherly figure for Scout and Jem. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird Calpurnia states there's some folks who don't eat like us, but you ain't called on to contradict em at the table when they and if he wants to eat you let him eat" (Lee24). This evidence shows that Calpurnia is trying to show scout that she is wrong. And that she needs to stop doing that. To wrap up without Calpurnia Scout and Jem would have nobody to give them motherly advice.

Permalink Reply by Cake 9A on April 7, 2017 at 4:16pm

I agree with you that Cal is harsh with Scout, and it makes me think would Scouts real mother be harsh to her as Cal is? I feel like Scouts real mother wouldn't but that's only because Cal's character is more tough then gentle, even though I know that Cal cares for both Jem and Scout.

Permalink Reply by Reader 9A on April 7, 2017 at 2:43pm

 Calpurnia greatly influences and shapes the lives of Jem and Scout by acting as a motherly figure to them; while she may seem to possess an austere and uncaring attitude, Calpurnia genuinely cares and loves the children behind all the stern chastisements. She also enforces Atticus' teaching of walking around in others skins; when Walter Cunningham Jr. came over for lunch and poured syrup all over his food, Scout is thoroughly weirded out by this and makes Walter feel silly and embarrassed. Calpurnia quickly ushers her into the kitchen and severely chides her,

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 table cloth you let him, you hear?"

"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' on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo' folks might be better'n the Cunninghams but it don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin' 'em—if you can't act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!"

Calpurnia sent me through the swinging door to the diningroom with a stinging smack.

-(3.26-29)

 Other than table manners, Calpurnia teaches Jem and Scout some precious ideals-- ideals the author implicitly related to race. She taught Scout to never judge someone on their appearances or materialistic belongings (in this case money).

 Calpurnia is the Finch's African-American cook, and although Scout did not think highly of her in the beginning, she is very much in Atticus' graces as he holds her to very high standards. This is because he knows her morals and values and knows she is a good influence on his children. It's obvious that her relatives or Calpurnia herself struggles or once struggled with money or discrimination because of her black background, which is why, in my opinion, there is no better candidate to act as a model to the kids and teach them not just tolerance, but acceptance toward the African-American community. Calpurnia taught a thing or two to Jem and Scout, things that shaped them and will continue to shape them throughout their lives.

 Calpurnia has grown to become my favorite character in the book thus far due to her intense attitude and fearlessness to speak what's on her mind. Although she is tough on the children, it's evident when we she a glean of her real personality, the chips in her armor, the flashes of tenderness, that she loves Scout and Jem like her own children and only wishes them to be different than every other child in Maycomb, to grow to be good. 

Permalink Reply by Sekaakwa 9c on April 7, 2017 at 4:23pm

         Calpurnia is a caring women, especially when speaking of the children, but nowhere near a mother. The biggest reason being is because she hides her opinions, and refuses to express. Though she has negative opinions towards the white race, I believe she should still allow the children to form their own ideas towards them. Cal doesn't do must to stop their ideas, but if her herself has only negative to speak, them don't speak. Its like what a MOTHER always tells you, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all. She went against JUST THAT, though it happened not too many times, but as Verna Myers - women who deals with racial biases and how to solve them- said, which was a solution to stop these biases , were that  we must wait what we say at the dinner table, around the kids. This can be seen in part one of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, when Calpurnia encounters a white, and comments negatively. She is not one to express her, but that case where she did, she was in the wrong. Only exposing the negative to children, like how Scout said "never forget", this makes her less mother-like in my opinion (Lee).              

Permalink Reply by Star Who? 9D on April 7, 2017 at 7:01pm

In my opinion, the purpose of Calpurnia in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird, is a mother figure to Jem and Scout, she teaches them right from wrong (what to do and what not to do), she supports and protects them with all her ability and keeps them in comfort when they are upset. She might be a little harsh sometimes with her advice's to Scout but she does it to keep him in good shape and not turn out to be a "bad" kid. She's in the text because Scout and Jem's mother passed away from a heart attack so she is essentially the mother of the two and Atticus trusts her to protect and support them. In chapter three, Cal corrects Scout when she tries to offend Cunningham, "Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house yo company, and don't you let me catch you remarkin on their ways like you was so high and mighty! Yo folks might be better'n the Cunningham's but it don't count for nothin the way you're disgracin em if you cant act fit to eat at the table you can just set here and eat in the kitchen!" (Lee 24-25), Cal is teaching/showing Scout that what she is doing is wrong by yelling at her harshly so she can understand and not repeat the same mistake.Shes a loving and caring mother to both Jem and Scout teaching them things about life like race and in the book she takes her role as a mother seriously because she wants nothing but the best for her kids.I believe this is Cal's purpose in the book To Kill A Mocking Bird so far...

Permalink Reply by Star Who? 9D on April 7, 2017 at 7:46pm

In the book To Kill A Mocking Bird, I love Cal in the book thus far because even though she's not there actual mother and blood one, but she still raises Jem and Scout like an actual mother.She teaches them to be respectful to everyone and she is a loving and wiseful mother to both of them. She teaches Jem and Scout the good from the bad and all aspects of life and what they need to learn for the real world. Shes supports them with all the strength and will that she has-to make them the best versions of themselves. To further illuminate this idea, in chapter three of To Kill A Mocking Bird, Scout states "Calpurnia bent down and kissed me. I ran along, wondering what had come over her. She had wanted to make up with me, that was it. She had always been too hard on me, she had at last seen the error of her fractious ways, she was sorry and too stubborn to say so" (Lee 29), this piece of evidence shows that Cal maybe rough sometimes to Scout but she is the most loving/caring mother ever and no matter what Scout does she will support him through it (only if its good) because that's who she is. She might be a little hard on her sometimes but its for her safety and for her to learn from the mistakes that she would do. I feel like if Cal wasn't to be included in the book then Scout and Jem wouldn't have the advice's that she would give to them and being harsh on them to make them feel guilty of what they've done.I also feel they would lose a wiseful mother and supportive one to tell them what to do and what not to do.Without Calpurnia in the book, I believe thinks would get out of hand for Scout and Jem even though they would have Atticus and Miss Maudie.

Permalink Reply by Reader 9A on April 8, 2017 at 10:20am

It's wise not wiseful. Sorry, I had to.

Permalink Reply by The Wind 9A on April 7, 2017 at 8:15pm

Culpurnia is very key part of the story as she is a authority figure for Jem and Scout. She seems like a mean and bossy person who just hates Jem and Scout, but it is actually quite the opposite. She portrayed by Scout, one of the main characters from Harper Lee's, To Kill a Mocking Bird, as a sort of tyrannical ruler who just tells them what to do, as shown when Scout describes Culpurnia, " She was always ordering me out of the kitchen... calling me home when I wasn't ready to come... Our battles were epic and one-sided," (Lee 6). Culpurnia would be quite bossy but it is mainly because she cares. If she truly hated Jem and Scout, she wouldn't even try to bother with them. As a matter of fact, she wouldn't even work as their cook if that truly was the case. Culpurnia may seem to hate them but she only cares for them, and that is why she seems do tyrannical. If Culpurnia were not in the story l, Jem and Scout would have missed out on someone who was meant to help them, and their father may have had a harder time without Culpurnia's help. That is why Culpurnia is an essential part of the story.

Permalink Reply by righteous core 9D on April 9, 2017 at 9:35pm

You're right that Calpurnia may seem like she hates them because shes harsh, but she only does that because she cares. She wants them to be the best versions of themselves so she pushes them to work very hard. Calpurnia also told scout "I missed you today, the house got so lonesome 'long about two o'clock i had to turn on the radio"(Lee 29). Calpurnia said this to scout after she had returned from school for the first time. This goes to show that although Calpurnia maybe rough and bossy she still cares and loves scout and Jem. Without her the story would really lose an important part to developing scout and Jems character.

Permalink Reply by Cloud 9A on April 7, 2017 at 8:48pm

Calpurnia is in the story to support Scout and Jem after their mother died. I feel like she is a wonderful character and knows how to handle being a mother. Though, she is very harsh but doesnt mean she doesnt care about them as much as she should. In the novel To Kill a Mocking Bird, by Harper Lee, where Scout says, "Calpurnia bent down and kissed me. I ran along, wondering what had come over her. She had wanted to make up with me, that was it. She had always been too hard on me, she had at last seen the error of her fractious ways, she was sorry and too stubborn to say so." Underneath that harsh and bossy mother, she is doing everything that she is to actually be that parent towards them. She is loyal to the family and Scout can clearly see it too. I think her ways of being a mother is better than what it sound. To wrap up, Calpurnia is a good mother and is truly part of the Finch family.

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