Calpurnia Mother Figure

I am reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and I am on page 207. So far this book is about how Atticus is doing a case for a Negro named Tom Robinson. Also, Scout and Jem are back in school. Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to church with her one Sunday morning. Also, Aunt Alexandra is staying with Atticus, Scout, and Jem. The kids aren’t particularly enjoying Aunt Alexandra’s company. In this journal I will be evaluating.

G- Calpurnia is a better mother figure than Aunt Alexandra. Y- Calpurnia is a good mother figure. R- She gets the kids inside when there is a wild dog. R- Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her church. Y- Aunt Alexandria is not a good mother figure. R- Doesn’t greet Jem and Scout. R- Aunt Alexandra …show more content…
I will be evaluating the reasons why I think Calpurnia is a good mother figure. In February, Jem and Scout see a dog that can’t seem to walk straight, and is moving slowly. They inform Calpurnia of this, and she inspects the situation and then rushes the kids inside. Calpurnia immediately called Atticus and the Sheriff and told them that the dog Tim Johnson had gone wild. Not only did Calpurnia rush Jem and Scout to safety, she also ran from house to house, to inform the neighbors to stay inside. This shows that Calpurnia is selfless, and cares about others safety. Another reason I believe that Calpurnia is a good mother figure is when she brought Scout and Jem to her church. Calpurnia wants Scout and Jem to look in tip-top-shape when they went to her church since they will be the only white people there. At the church, a woman named Lula seems to be aggravated that Scout and Jem are at their church. Calpurnia immediately becomes protective of Jem and Scout, and puts her arms around them. Calpurnia defends the kids, and consoles them when they feel unwelcome to the church. This shows that Calpurnia wants to keep them protected, and takes pride in being able to care for Jem and Scout. I do not think that Aunt Alexandra is a good mother figure for Scout and Jem. Aunt Alexandra didn’t even greet Jem and Scout the first time she saw them. Aunt Alexandra simply ordered Calpurnia to put her bags in the front …show more content…
I will be evaluating the two different sides to Calpurnia. One side of Calpurnia is how she acts around the Finch Family. Calpurnia is the mother figure to Jem and Scout. For example, when Scout is confused as to why Jem doesn’t want to play with Scout anymore, Calpurnia explains to her that Mr. Jem is growing up. Calpurnia tells Scout that if she ever needs anyone to hangout with, Scout can join her in the kitchen any time. This shows that Calpurnia respects Jem more now that he is getting older, and will be a friend to Scout. Another reason is how at one point in the book, Aunt Alexandra is trying to convince Atticus that they need a better caretaker than Calpurnia. Atticus explains that Calpurnia has been an outstanding caretaker for their family since Scout and Jem were young. This shows that Atticus really trusts and supports Calpurnia. Another side to Calpurnia is how she acts around black people. For example, when Calpurnia took Jem and Scout to her church for the first time, on of the first things that stuck out to the kids was how Calpurnia talked. Calpurnia’s speech became more slang, and she wasn’t as articulate as she usually is around the Finch family. Another detail that stuck out to me was how she treated other blacks. Calpurnia did not seem to treat them with as much respect as she did for the Finch Family. An example is when another black woman named Lula wasn’t thrilled to see Jem and Scout there. Calpurnia