To Kill A Mockingbird Calpurnia Character Analysis

Humans often adopt the behavior patterns and ideals of those around them. People living within a small town where most everyone knows, or at least knows of everyone else, are much more susceptible to developing similar mannerisms. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, however, this is not the case for the Finch family. The Finches are deviant and somewhat peculiar in regard to the typical family living in the town of Maycomb, Alabama. Perhaps one of the most prominent differences between the Finches and many of the other families in Maycomb, is how Calpurnia is treated and her role in the family. Calpurnia plays the role of a secondary parent in Jem and Scout’s lives; unlike merely the maid and cook that she would have solely functioned as in a different Maycomb home. A prominent example of this is her role as the home’s disciplinarian. “Calpurnia sent me through the swinging door to the dining room with a smack.” (Lee 24) is not something many families at the time would have found acceptable, as Calpurnia is African American and Scout is white. Scout’s narration, “Besides: she taught me how to read and write.” (Lee 25) demonstrates Calpurnia’s position as a teacher in her life, which also would have been uncommon. Calpurnia suggests “How’d you and Mister Jem like to come to …show more content…
She played rough games with her brother and Dill, dressed like a boy, was fairly aggressive and exuded traditionally masculine qualities. When Aunt Alexandra arrives, she tells Scout immediately, “We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence.” (Lee 127) Until that point this had been lightly touched upon by her brother and Dill as well as assorted others but hadn’t been seriously considered. With the installment of their aunt, however, this began to change. Scout would be scolded for coming home dirty or lacking some form of poise or manner, unlike Atticus and Calpurnia treated