To Kill a Mockingbird--Calpurnia

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Permalink Reply by Mavireck Apples 9c on April 5, 2017 at 3:02pm

I think of calpurnia as Dr. Martin Luther king Jr because they are both peace makers. As calpurnia said to scout in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird "there's some folks who don't eat like us, but you ain't called on to contradict'em at the table when they don't and if he wants to eat you let him eat" (Lee 24). This shows that she is trying to show scout that what she is doing is wrong and to stop her from doing that thing. Martin Luther King Jr did a march to stop segregation and did it peacefully. It ended segregation and he became one of best people in history.

Permalink Reply by Undecided 9B on April 5, 2017 at 8:10pm

Savage Apples, great observation but a little too much. Dr. MLK was a peacemaker indeed. All his protests and everything he stood for was hand and hand with peace and equality. Cal on the other hand makes peace but she does it in a harsh way. Too harsh to compare to MLK. She does solve problems but she does it in her way, a way that MLK probably wouldn't agree with. I don't know the guy personally or anything but I feel he would speak to Scout with a gentle voice and tell her why she is wrong while Cal on the other hand makes it very clear that she is wrong in a rough toned voice.

Permalink Reply by Imagine 9A on April 5, 2017 at 10:20pm

I wouldn't say she is too harsh but just harsh because she may act and speak tough but inside she is just a scared mother figure that is trying to put an effort for her children to grow up in a healthy environment. I agree with you that MLK would probably have a more gentle attitude with Scout. But I don't believe MLK would disagree with Cal because then again she is like a scared angered mother trying to protect her children and I feel like MLK would understand in a way because its not like Cal is violent to a certain extent and unfair. In Chapter 10 Cal seemed very worried "Calpurnia stared, then grabbed us by the shoulders and ran us home. she shut the wood door behind us" (Lee 93). this provides evidence that she maybe rough but she is the softest most caring person that is worried about scout and Jem which are just like her children from the wild dog.

Permalink Reply by Bro. Teacher on April 6, 2017 at 9:49am

Ugh.  I really cannot stand what I'm about to say--but you both seem right.  I too feel that Cal is a little harsh with Scout and really does not explain to Scout why--at least not in a way she understands--she should not make fun of Walter Cunningham and the way he eats.  But when the rabid dog is loose, she grabs her children/babies and protects them from harm.  Seems like a mother to me.  :)

Permalink Reply by The Best 9B on April 7, 2017 at 5:29am

Yes I definitely agree with Teacher Brother where he says she is like a mother. I thinks so because of her actions when she saw the dog. "when Atticus raised his glasses Calpurnia murmured ,sweet Jesus help him, and put her hands to he cheeks"(lee,96). The evidence shows that she is worried. Even though the reason she is worried for is not clear. She also must have been with the Finch's for a long time so she got a relationship with them. Even though her role right now is not so huge I believe as the story progresses she will become a bigger character. 

Permalink Reply by The Best 9B on April 7, 2017 at 5:31am

Put a little ICE-E in yo ICE-T There Brother.  :)

Permalink Reply by Blossom9A on April 9, 2017 at 1:38pm

  I do agree with Brother Batell she does seem like a mother to me too.Cal is a little harsh on Scout but i think all Cal is trying to do is help her in life and help her become a strong independent women.But i feel like Cal is trying to give the children a person that they can go to and talk to about their problems, so i feel like Cal is trying to act the way a mother would act because i think she wants them to have a mother since their mother past away when they were at a young age.In the book "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee Cal is their cook but she teaches them to be good and respectful to others."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 don't count for nothin' the way you're disgracin"(Lee.24).This shows evidence shows that Cal is only doing this to help Scout out in the future.This also shows that a cooker would not really care or say anything to the children if they said anything like that but it shows that Cal cares a lot like a mother would.So to end this i say that Cal is a little harsh on Scout but only cause she cares about Scout and she wants them to have a mother that cares about them. :) 

Permalink Reply by Half Empty 9A on April 7, 2017 at 5:12pm

Calpurnia doesn't really play a big movement in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird". But i see your perspective as to how u think they relate. She's not really a peace maker, she was just doing what was right and teaching Scout right from wrong in my opinion. I agree on some circumstances that she has small similarities between herself and Martin Luther King Jr. She is strong and loyal but the way that she sees discipline id different from MLK. She uses physical actions to teach a lesson. Whereas Martin Luther King turned to peaceful actions and simply protested by participating in marches and risking his life. And MLK didn't end segregation in general, but instead in buses and it is strongly true that he is remembered for his actions. 

Permalink Reply by The Authentic Socializer 9B on April 5, 2017 at 5:57pm

            Calpurnia in my opinion is similar to Miss Maudie because they both have the motherly figure. Since Jem and Scout when all they have is their father, Calpurnia takes care of them as if they are her own children. Calpurnia is a special character who seems like Scout and Jem would always need on their side. Calpurnia also seems like a protective person to mostly Scout. The author Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird writes “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” (Lee 38). This shows that Calpurnia was hard on Scout because she cares about her just like a mother would. The way Calpurnia treats Scout sometimes can be harsh. But its only for the reason of protecting her like a genuine mother would.

Permalink Reply by Bro. Teacher on April 6, 2017 at 9:51am

Hmmmmm.  You bring up a VERY interesting point: If the kids have Cal, then why do they need Miss Maudie?  Or you can look at it from the other point of view: if the kids have Miss Maudie, then why do they need Cal?

How are Cal and Miss Maudie different.  It's clear that they are similar, but why would Harper Lee feel the need to create two different character who are so very much alike?  (Great thoughts, TAS.)

Please respond people!  :)

Permalink Reply by Heartfelt Overanalyzer Osman 9B on April 6, 2017 at 1:38pm

           Harper Lee created two different characters that are very much alike because they have different roles in the story that effect the characters in similar yet different ways. Calpurnia and Miss Maudie both teach the children - Scout specifically - that judging others and not being empathetic is not a good characteristic to have and they are both asking the characters to look deeper into the situations they are in just like when Cal yells at Scout for disgracing the way Walter ate " 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 remarking' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!" ( Lee 24 ). Cal is telling Scout to be empathetic towards Walter because he is the company and she cannot judge him before looking into why he may eat like that and the circumstances he is in that makes him unknown to the proper way to eat. Miss Maudie also does the same thing which is allowing them to open up their minds when it comes to assuming things about people like, when she's talking to Scout about how we cant assume things about people without knowing what happens behind the " closed doors" specifically about Boo(Arthur Radley) ,"I remember Arthur Radley when he was a boy. He always spoke nicely to me, no matter what folks said he did. Spoke as nicely as he knew how" (Lee 46). Miss Maudie is showing Scout that the stories you hear about other people that didn't come from that person, you should not always believe because people always say Boo is this crazy being that will kill you if you interact with him, but Miss Maduie acted normal with him because he was as kind as he could be to her. She is trying to tell Scout that we may not know why he is isn't as kind as everyone else because we don't know " What happens in houses behind closed doors, what secrets..." (Lee 46).

           If we didn't have Cal in the story i think that Scout and Jem would be more "racist" and less empathetic because they were not used to having a person of color so involved in their life helping them become more open-minded understanding people. If there was no Miss Maudie in the story then Scout would not be more open-minded towards the idea of Boo Radley and the reasons behind his actions. Harper Lee put both similar characters in the story because they both open up the children's minds to be empathetic and understanding , but they teach the children different areas of concern to open up to and these areas slowly come together like pieces to a puzzle to help the children not judge quickly and look deeper into the reasons behind the actions of people.

Permalink Reply by Fairy Dust 9A on April 6, 2017 at 2:00pm

I feel like many are stating the obvious-- that Cal and Miss Maudie are motherly figures to all, but not many are making the observation that Miss Maudie is white, and Cal is black. I feel like this is SUCH an important aspect to the story!! Having a white motherly figure and a black one can be a kind of interesting process. Relating back to biases: racial, gender specific-- whatever. It's important to acknowledge that we think them, and that they are THERE. As Harper Lee, I may have created these two similar-- yet different-- characters to erase these biases. Cal and Miss Maudie are really great people (so far), and they have only given the best of advice to Scout. They both show no harm in their body, only the best. I think Harper Lee created Miss Maudie and Cal to possibly eliminate the alien thoughts about black roles in a community-- such as a black mother in a white household. Cal does anything a "normal" mother would do-- even though she biologically isn't their mother. In the first few chapters Scout tells, "Calpurnia was to blame for this [me knowing how to write]...She would set me a writing task by scrawling the alphabet firmly across the top of a tablet, then copying out of a chapter of the Bible beneath" (Lee 24). This shows how Cal can do the same motherly things as Miss Maudie would be able to do, as well as cook, and clean, and provide love and advice for the family. Miss Maudie might as well only be there to help realize truly who Cal is to the family, and help build on the character that Cal has helped Atticus raise since they were young.

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