The novel to Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is the story of an unfortunate society, where people are greatly affected by poverty due to the Great Depression. The story is based on a narration by Scout Finch, who describes her family and her town, Maycomb. Scout and her brother, Jem, are also introduced to other children, and they share stories and fantasies regarding a mystery man, Boo Radley, who lives in their neighborhood. Scout has a blunt nature, due to which she is an ill-mannered person who does not have any control over her anger and also shows no patience. When Calpurnia gets to know about Scout’s attitude problem, she makes sure that Scout learns the right manners about controlling her anger and showing an enormous patience in her upcoming life. Calpurnia is a black woman in to kill a mocking bird. She is the cook for the Finch family. Calpurnia is a stern, disciplinarian woman. She creates a bridge between the white and the black community to let the Finch kids, Scout and Jem, know that the blacks and whites deserve the same equality and respect. In the society Calpurnia is one of the few characters in the novel who is able to read and write. Calpurnia acts like a mother figure towards Scout, because she has been a member of the finch family for many years and she is extremely reliable and trustworthy. She wants the best for Scout as any other mother would do. When Scout behaves poorly or gets into a fight with anyone, Calpurnia is always there to teach her to behave appropriately and she should not lose her patience. Since Calpurnia is the only black woman who knows how to read and write, she teaches Scout how to read and write too. Calpurnia is a woman who believes in equality and fair chances, she takes... ... middle of paper ... ...of all Atticus, who gave her advice that, you should not judge people, also that all human beings are equal. After winning the case with hard work Atticus proved to her that if you are an open and fair minded person you will always be successful. Secondly, Calpurnia with being a cook she also taught her things in her society by taking them to the church. Calpurnia showed Jem and Scout the differences between the white and the black people’s church. Lastly Aunt Alexandra, who did not approve Scout’s qualities and her behavior, at first but as time went by Aunt Alexandra, did several things which made Scout realize that she should become a normal girl. For example the “missionary circle” that helped Scout and she realized what she had been doing wrong. Scout altered her personality with the supportive comments and activities from Atticus, Aunt Alexandra and Calpurnia.
Throughout all those years as the kids were growing up, Calpurnia has shown and given an immense amount of love and support towards the children, just as a mother or a motherly figure should. Atticus sees her as a faithful member of the family, and he refused of letting her go when Aunt Alexandra suggested firing her. In addition, Atticus trusts Calpurnia with the children; he trusts that she will look after them and cook them food when he is not able to. Calpurnia and Scout have grown closer as Scout grew up because often times Jem would exclude her. For instance, when Jem became close to his teenage years, he would act out often and tell Scout what to do. Scout burst into tears after one argument where Jem told her that she ought to start acting more like a girl. As a result, she fled to Calpurnia, where she offered to keep Scout company whenever she needed: “...so you just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome” (131). Also, Scout stated how Calpurnia seemed glad when she appeared in the kitchen. This shows how Calpurnia is always loving and supportive when Scout needs a shoulder to cry on, and how Calpurnia cheers Scout up when she’s not having the best of days. Besides from making Scout and Jem meals everyday, Calpurnia demonstrates exceptional mothering towards Scout on a daily
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout Finch tries to please her father, but living with no mother it’s hard to know how to act. It’s natural to follow Jem, her brother, when that is her only friend through out the years. Imagine hearing gossip about your father from friends, neighbors, and even your own cousin. Scout had to push through all of the gossip and believe in her father. Throughout the novel Scout shows how social she can be. To Kill a Mockingbird is a great novel that keeps you reading. Scout has a positive effect on events such as at the jail, she was the reason that the mob left. She also always curious so she is more mature than most kids her age. Through the journey of the trial she shows how hot-tempered, tomboyish, and mature she can be.
By utilizing character foil between Aunt Alexandra and Atticus, Lee was able to illustrate a contrast within the white society. In order to show how a typical white person would behave during that time, Lee introduces Aunt Alexandra to portray how most white people would act in Maycomb. “You all were coming back from Calpurnia’s church that Sunday? (Lee, 1960, p. 222)” This quote exemplifies how Aunt Alexandra is always discriminated against black people. She was shocked to hear about Jem and Scout going to black church with Calpurnia. While Calpurnia is portrayed as a well-mannered person who acts like a mother to Scout and Jem in this novel, Aunt Alexandra looks down on Calpurnia, because she was born with different skin color. In response to Calpurnia’s action, she told Atticus, “...you’ve got to do something about her... (Lee, 1960, p.224)” to discrete herself and to prevent Calpurnia from being in the same social class as her. While Aunt Alexandra symbolizes as a racial prejudice in this novel, Atticus is one of the characters that represents both a...
She talks about how her father Atticus thought that "entailments are bad "(154 ) " and that his boy Walter is a real nice boy and tell him I said hey"(154). Upon hearing this, the mob realized that Atticus cannot be all bad if he has such a nice daughter as Scout. Atticus, with some unexpected help from his children, faces down the mob and cause them to break up the potential lynching of the man behind bars. Having gone to a black church earlier, the children found out that Tom is actually a kind person, church-going and a good husband and father to his
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
Scout’s Aunt Alexandra helped develop Scout from tomboy to lady. For the most part confound Scout as she desires and wants to be a tomboy and wants to be free of Aunt Alexandra would like her to be more conservative and be bound by the traditions of the southern culture which she feels is incredibly important. The one moment where Scout really appears to be influenced by Aunt Alexandra is when Scout notices with some small amount of pride that in the midst of all the furor over the trial and other events in the town, Aunt Alexandra maintains her composure and her "lady-like" demeanor which Scout admires and feels she can learn from. Also Scout learns many negative aspects from Aunt Alexandra during
Harper Lee takes inspiration for her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, from her own life experiences. The story tells about the lives of Jean Louise Finch and Jem Finch, the two children of a talented lawyer, who introduces them to racism and bigotry at a very young age. The Tom Robinson trial, similar to the Scottsboro trial, causes Jem and Scout to recognize the distinctly different types of people living in Maycomb. Man’s inhumanity to man compels Harper Lee to uncover the shameful acts of society; these injustices, especially those of the Tom Robinson trial, open Scout and Jem’s eyes to the defective perspectives held by society; reading To Kill A Mockingbird, leads me to wonder how far our society has truly come.
The main section of Scout’s heroic acts is when she walks Arthur Radley home. This is a major part in the novel because prior to this Maycomb thought Arthur was a freak and a Murderer. For Scout to have the courage to befriend Radley is a massive step in the right direction. In this scene Scout risked a couple of things which proves her heroism. She risked her reputation which is the big one. Because she walked ‘Boo’ home, there was no doubt that she was being judged by the people of Maycomb. Throughout the novel we see Scout’s character change from a feisty, aggressive and judgy girl to a kind, open minded, less aggressive girl. There are numerous people and some experiences that took part in Scout’s change. But there is one lady that did Scout a whole lot of good, her name is Calpurnia. Calpurnia is a coloured woman and she is the Finch’s housekeeper. Throughout the novel there are different examples where Calpurnia has picked up on Scout’s behaviour at school or just in the town. This i first brought to the reader's attention when Calpurnia lectures Scout on the way she treats Mr. Cunningham jr. Scout would pick on his eating habits and she even got in a fight with him at school. Swiftly afterwards Calpurnia pulls Scout into the kitchen and gives her a stern talking to. During the narrative through
The way in which humans come to be understanding, compassionate individuals is a process demonstrated constantly throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, a famous novel written by Harper Lee, taking place in the 1930’s during the Great Depression in Maycomb County, Alabama. The story is told from the young Jean Louise “Scout” Finch’s perspective, and tracks the development of her and her older brother Jeremy Atticus “Jem” Finch, from innocent to understanding. The negative influences which Jem and Scout experience, including the racially charged case of Tom Robinson, lead the children to have a new, more experienced perspective on human nature. People like Atticus Finch, Jem and Scout’s father, help the children to make sense of this part of human
As previously mentioned, the point of view in this narrative is from Scout. Her upbringing has been respectful to the African-Americans in her society and she shows this with her relationship with her maid, Calpurnia. Other children her age have adopted their parents' racially prejudice views, causing her of many problems. Atticus's lawsuit seems to isolate his children and Scout is taunted with remarks in the playground. Her only retort is violence and Atticus, as an virtuous father, does not condone this behaviour either: "My fists were clenched I was ready to make fly. Cecil Jacobs had announced the day before that Scout Finch's daddy defended niggers."
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is an exquisite example of the impact of prejudice and discrimination on a small Southern town post-Depression. On Harper Lee's novel, Telgen states, "Comprising the main portion of the book's examination of racism and its effects are the underlying themes of prejudice vs. tolerance: how people feel about and respond to differences in others" (292). The motif of discrimination in this story is strongly supported by numerous examples, events, and seemingly unimportant anecdotes described throughout the novel. To Kill a Mockingbird expounds upon the ideas, thoughts, and interpretations of Jean Louise Finch (also known as Scout) and her older brother Jeremy "Jem" Finch. As the siblings live out many adventures and mature, both in years and in experience, they start to learn and recognize the prejudices occurring in their town. While they were brought up by Atticus Finch, their father- a man who strongly believes in the equality of all- others in the town of Maycomb do not have these same views. These differences lead to many problems throughout Scout's narration. This best-seller greatly expresses the repercussions of discrimination and prejudice of gender, race, and class.
Aunt Alexandra is a negative influence on Jem and Scout. She is a refined lady with great knowledge about good conduct, and tries to impose this especially on Scout in ways that are unsuccessful and even hazardous to her growth and self esteem. She is strongly opposed to Scout’s attire which consists of overalls and pants, and demands that she act lady-like by changing into a skirt or dress. She is making Scout conform to the ideal vision of a stereotypical girl in the Nineteen-Thirties, which gives Scout a message that her individuality is unacceptable.
Jem and Scout are going to Calpurnia’s First Purchase church for the first time. Jem and Scout are the children of Atticus, a prominent white lawyer in Maycomb, and Calpurnia is their African American cook and nanny. Scout, the narrator, is describing her less-than-flattering view
Scout does not heed Atticus’ advice in Chapter 4 of To Kill a Mockingbird, as she continues to express her biased hatred for Calpurnia, and also openly contradicts Jem, without considering the perspectives to which they are taking. As stated by Harper Lee, “...Calpurnia’s tyranny, unfairness, and meddling in my business had faded to gentle grumbling of general disapproval (45)”. This quote expresses the many ways Scout thinks of Calpurnia, a great many of which as terrible and controlling. This biased description of Calpurnia shows how Scout is still unable to understand why Calpurnia consistently disciplines her, and from what standpoint she is doing so. Also stated by Lee, “Jem stamped his foot. “Don’t you know you’re not suppose to even
One subtle example of discrimination the reader sees is the treatment of Calpurnia, a black woman, the housekeeper/nanny for the Finch family. Although she is treated fairly, it is obvious that she is considered to be on a lower social level than the Finches. She calls Scout ma'am and Jem sir, although these are titles usually reserved for elders.