Calpurnia: A Second Mother in To Kill a Mockingbird
by Barry Wright
Essay: Calpurnia: A Second Mother in To Kill a Mockingbird
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
Download Links:
• Calpurnia: A Second Mother in To Kill a Mockingbird.pdf
• Calpurnia: A Second Mother in To Kill a Mockingbird.doc
“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 sit here and eat in the kitchen!” This is just one of the many examples
Calpurnia sets for the children. Calpurnia is the Finch’s cook but she takes her role in the children’s life more
seriously. She acts as parent, constantly teaching the kids lessons about life and race. She serves as a bridge for
Jem and Scout between the white and black communities. Calpurnia could be the mother Jem and Scout never
had because she is wise, caring, and patient with the kids.
Wise is just one of the many characteristics that describe Calpurnia. Calpurnia explains the difficult parts of life and
the complications in the racist county of Maycomb, Alabama. She puts real-life situations that the kids experience
into easier context for them to understand. Calpurnia is wise when it comes to how you should treat people. When
Scout and Jem brought Walter Cunningham, a boy who suffers from financial issues, home for dinner and Scout
made fun of him for putting syrup on his dinner, Cal dragged her in the kitchen and said, “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 shows that Cal knows how to treat everyone fairly and equally.
Scout went back into the kitchen, sat quietly, and finished her dinner. Another example of her wisdom is when
Calpurnia was telling the kids that she taught Zeebo, her son, how to read. She said, “Yeah, Mister Jem. There
wasn’t a school even when he was a boy. I made him learn though” (Lee 166). This shows that Cal...
calpurnia essay, calpurnia essay to kill a mockingbird, calpurnia essay plan, calpurnia essay titles