Tristan Young: Chapters 12-13 Pages 153- 179. What do you learn about Calpurnia in chapter 12? What does Scout realize about her?
We learn that Calpurnia is filling the role of the
motherly figure in the Finch family. Jem begins to turn into a teenager in this
chapter as evidenced on page 153, “Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live
with, inconsistent, moody.”(Lee 153) These new developed characteristics cause
Scout and Jem to separate even more, and make Scout feel alone. Scout runs to
Calpurnia for comfort and receives the attention a young woman needs from their
mother. Calpurnia fully understands what both Scout and Jem are going through
and does the best she can to help, as she calms Scout on page 154, “Jem’s
growin’ up. He’s gonna want to be off to himself a lot now, so you just come
right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome. We’ll find lots of things to do
in here.” (Lee 154) After Atticus was called away for two weeks for an
emergency session for work, Calpurnia was left to take care of the kids all by
her lonesome. Scout learns about Calpurnia’s love and dedication for her and
her brother when she takes them to her all black church and stands up to Lula,
an attendant to the church, “I wants to know why you bringin’ while chillun to
nigger church. They’s my comp’ny said Calpurnia. You ain’t got no business
bringing white chillun here, they got their church and we got ourn.” “It’s the
same god ain’t it,” Calpurnia said. (Lee 158) Calpurnia is very religious and
it is a big deal that she is taking Scout and Jem to church. Calpurnia has a
huge role to fulfill in the Finch family and her passion for the children
clearly shows.
Jem and Scout definitely do realize the love that Cal has for them because Scout feels that whenever she is lonely, she can go to Cal for help. For example, when Scout is feeling lonely and like Jem is abandoning her because he is older this is Cal's response, "He's gonna want to be off to himself a lot now, doin' whatever boys do, so you just come right out in the kitchen when you feel lonesome. We'll find lots of things to do in here" (Lee, 154). Cal is saying that whenever Scout feels lonely, that she is always there to help her. A majority of Scout's summer is spent in the kitchen with Cal and Scout learns a lot of things having to do with being a woman and most importantly that Cal will always be there for Scout when she needs her most.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Calpurnia is filling the motherly role in the Finches household. I also think that Scout not only realized how much Calpurnia loves them, but how she acts different when she's with black people and white people. For example, when they were in the black church, she was talking like the rest of he black people. Yet when she's at the Finches house she acts very sophisticated. I think this is because Calpurnia doesn't want to feel bad by having the other black people think that she's showing off because of her educational background.
ReplyDeleteScout and Jem are beginning to realize more and more how much love Calpurnia really gives them and how much sacrifice she is willing to make for their sake. Calpurnia makes a special effort to talk in a more sophisticated manner around the Finch children in order to teach them how to speak respectably. She does not seem to be very good at speaking in this manner, as shown when Scout says that her grammar is bad when she's flustered, but in order to educate the children she makes a special effort. Aunt Alexandra also realizes that Calpurnia is becoming their mother, but because of racism, she thinks that Calpurnia is a bad influence. I think, though, that Calpurnia does a good job of teaching the children and being their mother and I think she should stay.
ReplyDeleteTo add on to what has been stated above, I think that Scout thinks of Calpurnia as a mother who loves her very much. Calpurnia is also someone who can give her advice and comfort her. Scout shows this by saying, "I know now what he was trying to do, but Atticus was only a man. It takes a woman to do that kind of work," (Lee 179) Scout thought this when Atticus was trying to comfort her after she burst into tears. Scout might have been referencing Calpurnia in this quote, and she might wish that Calpurnia was her mother.
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