Calpurnia Heroic Traits

652 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Southern golthic elements in to kill a mockingbird

Heroes can be seen in unusual ways. Southern literature is one of them. In To Kill Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the use of Southern Literature brings out the heroic traits of Calpurnia. Living and keeping up with the Finches is a difficult task but Calpurnia excels in it as their loyal housekeeper. Her heroic traits shine through loyalty, family, and race relationships in Southern Literature. Loyalty and honor are key to building good relationships. Calpurnia is a prime example of that. Ever since she took over the job of being the housekeeper for the Finches, she has provided nothing but her services, care and, devotion. Calpurnia has taken care of and protected the Finches for a long time. As shown here, she sticks up for Jem and Scout,”I agreed: they did not want us here....but when I looked up at Calpurnia there was amusement in her eyes...Lula was gone” (Lee 159). Calpurnia stood up to Lula when she said that white people were not allowed in First Purchase Church. A part of her loyalty is showing how proud she is of them, having them as her own. Before going to church, she made sure people were going to be aware of that, “‘I don’t want …show more content…

Tension was high and so were the stereotypes. Calpurnia proves some of those stereotypes wrong, such as having a good education. African Americans to white people were considered dumber than rocks and dirty like them too. Calpurnia contradicts that, “Atticus said Calpurnia had more education than most colored folks” (32). Not all colored people have a poor education. Calpurnia shows that. She also presents the differences of culture between the races. At First Purchase Church, she shows Scout and Jem a whole different world,”’They’s my comp’ny,’said Calpurnia. Again I thought her voice strange: she was talking like the rest of them” (158). Scout and Jem are seeing Calpurnia’s world for the first time, probably not realizing it was even

Show More
Related

  • Hypothetical Sountrack for To Kill A Mockingbird

    830 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Calpurnia was confronted by Lula about bringing Scout and Jem to a black church, Jem says, "‘Let's go home, Cal, they don't want us here.'" Zeebo, a black man who attends the church, says, "‘We're mighty glad to have you all here. Don't pay no ‘tention to Lula... she's a troublemaker from way back, got fancy ideas and haughty ways.'" Even though it is a black church, most of the congregation welcomes the white children. This identifies with line 10 of "Two Worlds."

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Calpurnia Quotes Analysis

    220 Words  | 1 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Tom Robinson Stereotypes

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Accused of raping a poor white girl, innocent Tom Robinson is now faced with a desperate trial. “The evil assumption-that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are basically immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber.” (Lee 273). Atticus delivers a powerful speech to the courthouse audience highlighting the disturbing truth of the unfair society. Although there was substantial evidence proving Tom’s innocence against Mayella Ewell, Tom was convicted for the rape the Ewell’s made up to disguise their guilty faults. The stereotypical accusation of the unjustifiable verdict costed Tom his life, when he grew “tired of white men’s chances and preferred to take his own.” (Lee 315). There are always two sides to a story and specifically someone from the black community had their strong opinion on those of the white community. When Calpurnia brought Jem and Scout to her church, they were interrogated by an angered Lula. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n.” (Lee 158). Lula makes a stereotypical judgement, after seeing Jem and Scout she immediately labels them white, and we can infer her thoughts are pulled from her prior knowledge of the stereotypical racist white community. She has never met Jem and Scout yet is quick to group

    Read More

  • Human Inequalities of To Kill a Mockinbird by Harper Lee

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    During these times people weren't treated fairly. This novel teaches us not judge one another at all, let alone about their physical or social appearances. God created us all the same, he just made each of us special individuals with special differences, including the color of our skin, the amount of money we have, the people we talk to, or the way our minds imagine. We fail to accept who we are and the choices we can make. Our human rights should not be defined by our race like in To Kill a Mockingbird; race, economic status, and social standings were the only factors of justice.

    Read More

  • How Is Miss Maudie A Hero

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    All underdogs are heroes but not all heroes are underdogs. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a story full of underdogs and heroes. She is a maternal figure to Jem and Scout, she calms down prejudices, and she is always there for you. Miss Maudie is a hero of this story, Miss Maudie is a hero. an underdog.

    Read More

  • Atticus the Hero in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    928 Words  | 2 Pages

    First instant Lula, a black woman, asks Cal why did you bring white kids to a black people church? Cal answered,” They’s my comp’ny. it’s the same God ain’t it?”(119). Clearly Calpurina is known as a leader in this society for bringing white kids to black people church. So the society should learn from this.

    Read More

  • Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird

    1461 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Many characters in To Kill A Mockingbird are isolated from mainstream

    3095 Words  | 7 Pages

    He lets Calpurnia, a black woman, take care and act as a mother to his. children. They are all children. This, though, is not really seen by the people of Maycomb. To the people of Maycomb, Calpurnia is merely a housekeeper; but she's.

    Read More

  • Free Essays - To Kill a Mockingbird - What is a Classic?

    808 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the book Scout and Jem are at an age were people around them greatly affect their thoughts, views and ideas about the world.  Although Atticus tried to raise them to treat Negroes as equals, people around them affected their views on them.  A good example is when Dill questioned the seemingly rude way which Mr. Gilmer treated Tom Robinson.  Scout replied by saying, "…after all he's just a Negro."  (Lee 201).  She believes it to be acceptable.  This is not something her father put in her head but people in her town.  The same also happens in the black community.  When Atticus asks Calpurnia to watch his children for him while he is out, Calpurnia accepts and takes the children with her to church, a church for black people.  When she arrives with the children, they are greeted kindly except by a few people.  These people use the same reason as in the last example as to why they should not be there, because they are white.

    Read More

  • Housing Inequality In To Kill A Mockingbird

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Epiphany In To Kill A Mockingbird

    1572 Words  | 4 Pages

    Little by little Jem, Scout, and Dill get exposed to the real world; changing their perspective and their attitude towards people and subjects. This event focuses on Scout and Jem, Atticus is away and Calpurnia decides to take them to her church. While they are at the church Jem and Scout notice, Calpurnia talks a different way to negros than to whites. “‘Cal,’ I asked, “why do you talk niggertalk to the—to your folks when you know it’s not right?” ‘Well, in the first place I’m black—’ ‘That doesn’t mean you hafta talk that way when you know better,’ said Jem. Calpurnia tilted her hat and scratched her head, then pressed her hat down carefully over her ears. ‘It’s right hard to say,’ she said. ‘Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks’ talk at home it’d be out of place, wouldn’t it? Now what if I talked white-folks’ talk at church, and with my neighbors? They’d think I was puttin‘ on airs to beat Moses.’ ‘But Cal, you know better,’ I said. ‘It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike—in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin‘ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin‘ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.’” (167) Calpurnia

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Essays: Discrimination and Prejudice

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Atticus takes Calpurnia to Tom Robinson's home, she has to sit in the back seat so as not to appear as Atticus's equal. She does not eat at the same table with the Finch family, although she has been a part of it since Jem was two. She is clearly loved by the family, but by no means is she their equal. " I said come here, nigger, and bust up this chiffarobe for me, I got a nickel for you."

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Calpurnia's Childhood

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    She’s a faithful member of this family”(Lee 137). Atticus goes to point out that she is member of the family. This shows the impact Calpurnia has had on the children. Jem would not have been the boy he is without Calpurnia; because he would not have anyone to discipline him or watch over him while Atticus is at work. There are various examples within the novel when Calpurnia is teaching a lesson to Jem.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Film Analysis

    1050 Words  | 3 Pages

    These two clash throughout the film because of Calpurnia’s expectations of being a “lady” and how Scout takes “being a girl” as an insult. In one brief scene that is not included in the film, Jem, the brother, is angry about the court conviction and asks Atticus why “there are no good people like us and Miss Maudie”, the Finches’ neighbor that is on the jury instead.

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Pride And Prejudice Analysis

    1605 Words  | 4 Pages

    Women and blacks, on the other hand, were deemed subordinate in status, role, and temperament; a woman’s status depended upon her father or husband… a black woman’s ideal temperament was passive, docile, ignorant, and virtuous” (Seidel 147). In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is evident how women of color are viewed as being substandard, and this section of Southern Belles supports this unfortunate concept entirely. Knowing this, Harper Lee created the head-strong, black mother-figure, Calpurnia, in an effort to contradict the stereotypes held to black women in the 1930’s. Rather than being submissive, Calpurnia is strong-willed and vocal. Rather than being ignorant, Calpurnia is overwhelmingly present.

    Read More

More about Calpurnia Heroic Traits

Open Document