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Social differences in to kill a mockingbird
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Social differences in to kill a mockingbird
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Harper Lee’s timeless classic To Kill A Mockingbird follows protagonist Scout Finch as she recollects several years of her childhood in the south during the 1930s. Set in the racially charged depression era town of Maycomb, Alabama, Scout tells of the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, in which Scout’s father Atticus is the defence attorney. As the story opens, Scout mirrors the racist views of her community. However as time progresses, Scout is exposed to a plethora of characters from whom she gains wisdom. By the end of the story, Scouts views have evolved, and she has gained a widen view of the world and the injustices within it. One of the most prominent teachers in Scout’s life is Calpurnia, a black woman …show more content…
One of the first lessons Scout gains from Calpurnia is when Walter Cunningham, Scout’s poor classmate, comes over for lunch. Scout makes fun of Walter for dousing his food in syrup and Calpurnia quietly brings Scout to the kitchen to reprimand her: “ ‘Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and 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 but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin‘ ’em’” (25). Though this scolding, Calpurnia enlightens Scout on the fact that no matter what she has, she will never be better than anyone if she is not courteous and respectful to them, no matter who they are. This lesson remains with Scout as she grows older and is seen to have a positive effect on the way she acts and thinks about race and class. Another important lesson Scout learns from Calpurnia was taught less formally but was nonetheless significant. While their father was away on business, Calpurnia took Jem and Scout to her black church, it is outside that Lula, a member of the congregation confronts Calpurnia on bringing white children with her. Scout believes Lula speaks for the church but is proven wrong when Calpurnia’s son along with
Similar to Atticus, Calpurnia takes a stand against racism and believes everyone is equal. Due to Atticus’ and Calpurnia’s morals toward racism, Jem and Scout are heavily influenced by their views, and will most likely take after them. Calpurnia seeks every opportunity possible to educate Jem and Scout that racism is unacceptable. For example, Calpurnia takes the children with her to her black church called First Purchase, and because of this, the children are able to better understand the vast separation of race. Scout learns that not only are white people prejudice, but black people are also prejudice. Most of the negroes at First Purchase were very welcoming as the three entered except for Lula who made them feel unwelcome. "You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n” (136). Clearly, Lula is prejudice towards white people, similar to how white people are prejudice towards black people. In addition to these prejudice ways, Scout realizes how differently Calpurnia acts around her folks. Calpurnia stated that talking white folks in her church would be “out of place”, and how “folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do” (143). As a result, Calpurnia talks colored-folks’ at her church so she fits in with everyone else, rather than speaking more advanced, which ultimately shows
Calpurnia is the Finch housekeeper. However, she is much more to the family. She acts as a mother figure to Jem and Scout as she practically raised them after their mother’s death when Scout was two years old. Along with Miss Maudie, Calpurnia is a strong, positive female influence in Jem and in Scout’s life. She is corresponding to Atticus in her lessons of politeness and compassion. For example, when Walter came home for dinner, and proceeded to pour maple syrup all over his meal, Scout made fun of him to the point of total embarrassment. Calpurnia told Scout, “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us,” she whispered fiercely,” but you ain’t called on to contradict’em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, you hear?” “He ain’t company, Cal, he’s a Cunningham- ““Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo’ comp’ny and 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 Cunningham’s 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 set here and eat in the kitchen!” Calpurnia sent me through the swinging door to the dining room with a stinging smack.” (Lee, page 26-29). Calpurnia’s moral lesson here is to respect
“Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (119). [1]Mockingbirds are the most innocent type of bird and cannot defend themselves. [3] Occasionally people tried to mess with Boo Radly, who was a mockingbird because he was in his house defenseless. [5] While Tom Robertson was being tried and in prison he was an undeniably mockingbird. [4] Hurting Jem, Bob Ewell was punishing an innocient kid, who was defenseless. [2] Despite being a man, Bob Ewell, who is showed to be a blue jay, blue jays are birds that no one likes. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.”(119)[6] Mockingbirds don’t hurt anyone. [1] Boo Radly and Tom Robertson are mockingbirds
The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is a simplistic view of life in the Deep South of America in the 1930s. An innocent but humorous stance in the story is through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch. Scout is a young adolescent who is growing up with the controversy that surrounds her fathers lawsuit. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, with the charge of raping a white girl. The lives of the characters are changed by racism and this is the force that develops during the course of the narrative.
Her dad explains to her that it is okay to be called a African-American lover. Her dad tells her that it is not a bad thing to love everyone. Despite all the racial discrimination around her she still loves everyone equally. Scout’s father explains to her that he tries his best to love everyone equally. He was trying to imply that she should love everyone equally as well. He states, “I do my best to love everyone...I’m hard put, sometimes-baby, it’s never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you” (Lee, 109). Scout understands that loving everyone no matter their skin color is right. This shows the reader that her moral beliefs are humane and intact and that they mostly come from her father's advice. Another example of discrimination is when Scout and Jem were at an all black church with Calpurnia and Calpurnia's friend Lula expresses herself to Calpurnia saying, You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n. It is our church, ain't it, Miss Cal?" (Lee, 48) Lula explains that she feels that Scout and Jem have no right to be at the church. This is where Scout finally experiences racism first-hand. She does not know what racism is yet because is so young, but she does realize that she should not be there. She feels as if she needs to leave and that shows what her morals really are. She truly cares about people and what they have to
When Jem and Scout invited Walter Cunningham, a boy from school, over to dinner one day, Scout made a comment about the way he eats and embarrasses him. Calpurnia then lectures Scout about the importance of always being kind and accepting. Later in the novel, Jem and Scout sneak out of their house and into town to spy on their father, Atticus. When they arrived, they found a group of men talking aggressively to Atticus because they wanted to retrieve Tom Robinson, a man accused of rape, so they could injure him. One of the men is Mr. Cunningham, who happens to be the father of Walter Cunningham, whom the Finches recently had over for dinner. Scout realizes her kindness towards Mr. Cunningham's son may compel him show mercy and leave her father and Tom Robinson alone. Scout says to Mr. Cunningham, "'He's in my grade,' I said, 'and he does right well. He's a good boy,' I added, 'a real nice boy. We brought him home for dinner one time. Maybe he told you about me, I beat him up one time but he was real nice about it. Tell him hey for me, won't you’” (205). When Calpurnia displays kindness toward Scout, she also lectures Scout on how important it is to always be kind and accepting. Consequently, Scout realizes how important that is and applies it to a situation where she has to get her family
In the opening chapters of “To Kill A Mockingbird,” Harper Lee introduces several subtle instances of racism. However, when Jem and Scout are welcomed into Cal’s Church in chapter 12, the reader really gets to travel behind the false disguise of Maycomb County’s white society to see the harsh realities of the injustices suffered by the blacks. The black community is completely separate from the whites -- in fact, Cal lives in a totally different part of town!
She loves Scout as her own and commits to teaching her manners and morals. When Scout complains about Calpurnia, Atticus responds “We couldn’t operate a single day without Cal,” (Lee 33). When Jem presses Scout to start “being a girl and actin’ right,”(Lee 53) Scout looks to Calpurnia for comfort and guidance. Spending time with Calpurnia in the kitchen, “[Scout begins] to think there was some skill involved in being a girl” (Lee 154). When Calpurnia takes Scout to church she fusses over her appearance, explaining, “I don’t want anyone sayin’ I don’t look after my children.”( Lee 157). Watching Calpurnia at her church, Scout learns there are different social codes for different settings. Calpurnia is intelligent enough to teach herself to read and write, but humble enough not to boast. She told Scout “It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike,”(Lee 167). She respects others, and will not tolerate the children mocking Boo, or embarrassing guests. Calpurnia courageously stands up for her beliefs, as evidenced by her firm stance with Lulu at church. Calpurnia shows Scout that females can be principled, nurturing, efficient, firm, and trustworthy. Like the Mruna tribe, Calpurnia parents Scout as her own child, but steps back when others such as Aunt Alexandra, Atticus, or Miss Maudie step in to support
The author George Elliot once said “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Appearance can be very misleading, and you shouldn't prejudge the worth or value of something by its outward appearance alone. This philosophical idea has been included in many works of literature, including the timeless classic To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. The novel takes place in the town of Maycomb, Alabama during the 1930s. Many citizens of Maycomb tend to make judgements based on outward appearances alone. In the novel, Lee uses minor characters such as Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Tom Robinson to convey the book’s theme of prejudice.
According to Scout “[Calpurnia’s] hands was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard”(Lee 6). Calpurnia is good at getting her point across. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee challenges the readers to see the different sides of Calpurnia. Through direct and indirect characterization, Calpurnia is depicted as a female authoritarian that provides love and life-lessons to Jem and Scout while acting as their mother figure.
Although most discrimination appears as white people against African American people, there is one case where the discrimination appears as African American people against white people. On a Sunday when Jem and Scout’s father, Atticus, is not home, Calpurnia, their cook, takes the two children to her church. Once there they were confronted by a woman named Lula. She is racist against white people, and shows it by saying, “‘I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to n***er church’” (Lee 158).
At church, a lady named Lula tells Calpurnia, “‘I wants to know why you bringin’ white chillun to nigger church.’ ” (158) when Scout came in to the church, she hears Lula talking to Calpurnia and all of the sudden Scout feels unwelcomed. This matures Scout because she sees the racism and it is the reality in the world around her. At the end of church, Scout talks to Reverend Sykes about the Robinson family and asks “‘why were you takin’ up collection for Tom Robinson’s wife?’ ” (162) Scout has understood that the church was helping Helen and her three children, but Scout never really thought about money, she just enjoyed being outdoors every single day and this was one of the first days Scout really started thinking about money and real life.
Society is capricious and rewards the bad as often as the good but, it will never reward the quiet. To one’s mind, it is easier not to understand the truth only because the truth lies deeper than the lie. Treating others unfairly due to their skin color or financial status shall not be acceptable. As individuals, we must only separate laundry by color and nothing else. In the novel To kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses Scout as a character as an important to tell the story of her father defends a black man by the name of Tom Robinson in Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s. In the novel, Scout explores the existence of her reclusive neighbor as well as learning valuable lessons from her father. In the novel, Atticus
Scout’s comprehension of racism is radically improved when Lula, a woman from First Purchase Church, confronts Calpurnia for bringing Jem and Scout to the church. The children feel segregated and believe they are unwanted due to Lula’s actions, however, the rest of the congregation stands behind them. The churchgoers are empathetic to what Jem and Scout are experiencing, in accordance with them coping with segregation daily, and they therefore eliminate the source. Through Scout experiencing racism firsthand, she realizes how diminishing it is and gains more empathy towards the black community by reason that she can now discern the disdain they undergo. Nevertheless, Scout is not fully sensitive to all of the issues that the black community deals with, which is proven when she asks Calpurnia why she talks differently around black people: “‘Why do you nigger-talk to the- to your folks when you know it’s not right?’” (167). Scout struggles to understand that speaking in two different mannerisms is Calpurnia’s way of fitting into both of the distinct cultures created by segregation. Scout is afforded the luxury of only being exposed to one culture and this makes it difficult for her to empathize with Calpurnia’s position or even grasp
In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the author shows that Calpurnia and Miss Caroline play a big part in Scout’s early education. Calpurnia and Miss Caroline both differ in their methods and aim. Calpurnia is an African American maid for the Finch family. She had more education then most people and she is like a mother towards Scout. Scout never liked Calpurnia very much because Calpurnia always complained about her behavior. Calpurnia aim and method of teaching is to be disciplined and humble. Calpurnia wants Scout to know the right and the wrong. For example, when Walter Cunningham was comes over for dinner, he drowns all of his meal in syrup, and Scout was angry. However, Calpurnia called her to the kitchen and said, “He ain’t company, Cal, he’s just a Cunningham-” “Hush your mouth! Don’t matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house’s yo‘ comp’ny, and don’t you let me catch you remarkin’ on their ways like you was so high and mighty!”