To Kill A Mockingbird Calpurnia Quotes

The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in the 1930s in a small Alabama county called Maycomb. The novel is about the Finch family of three. Atticus, the father, Scout the older brother and Scout the younger sister, who acts like a tomboy. Scout may be a lady, but does not like to act like one, she likes to play and get dirty with her brother. Being young, both children learn lessons throughout the novel by many different residents, such as, Calpurnia, the maid, Miss Maudie, the neighbor, and their father, Atticus. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird various citizens in the town of Maycomb play an important role in the lives of Jem and Scout Finch

Calpurnia is an African American maid who works for the Finches. Calpurnia has been

with the Finches ever since Jem was born. Scout and Jem’s mother died when Scout was two years old, so Scout never really knew her mother. Calpurnia was the motherly figure Scout and Jem needed to help them grow into mature adults. Calpurnia taught multiple lessons to Scout and Jem throughout their whole lives, one thing she taught Scout in the first grade. Scout’s teacher, Miss Caroline, told Scout, “You won’t learn to write until you’re in the third grade” (25). Calpurnia wanted what was best for Scout, which was to succeed, but wanting the best for Scout got Scout in trouble.
An additional time Calpurnia helped Scout was when Scout and Jem were having a hard time agreeing with each other.

Jem has grown up and has become more mature and Scout does not realize why he does not want to be around her anymore. Calpurnia tells Scout, “He’s gonna want to be off to himself a lot doin’ whatever boys do, so you just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome” (154). Cal was trying to explain why Jem wanted Scout to leave him alone even if Scout does not want to. Calpurnia gave Scout an alternative to come into the kitchen if she ever felt lonely. Calpurnia taught Scout and Jem many things, but one of the main lesson was that all people are

company.
Walter Cunningham is a boy in Scout’s class who is poor and does not take things from others because he cannot pay them back.

Scout tried to explain this to her teacher, Miss Caroline, but got in trouble. Scout was so angry she rubbed Walter’s nose in dirt. Jem invited Walter over for dinner and Scout made a remark that made Calpurnia furious. She told Scout, “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat the table cloth you let him, you hear?” (32). Scout went on to say how just because he is a Cunningham he was not company. Calpurnia became even more furious and raised her voice and said, “Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ‘em” (33). This lesson was important because Scout learned just because you might be better than someone or have more does not mean you should act like it. Calpurnia gives the talks and is there for both children just like a real mother would be. Miss Maudie is another Maycomb citizen who is an important role model for Jem and

Scout.
Miss Maudie Atkinson is one of the Finches neighbors. Scout sat with Miss Maudie on her porch during the summer, where Miss Maudie taught Scout a valuable lesson. Boo Radley also lives in the same neighborhood as Scout and Jem. No one dares to go near his house because of the stories that were told. All of the stories Jem and Scout heard made Boo out to be a horrible, scary person. Scout asked Miss Maudie if she believes Boo is still alive, Miss Maudie corrects her and says, “His name’s Arthur and he’s alive” (57). Instead of calling him Boo like everyone else Miss Maudie uses his real name which shows the respect she has towards him no matter what she has heard and that Scout should too.
Later in that day Scout asked Miss Maudie why Boo doesn’t come out of his house, she responded, “Arthur Radley just stays in the house, that’s all” (58). Miss Maudie does not call him Boo, but by his real name, Arthur and she does not buy into the stories because Stephanie Crawford, a gossipy neighbor, is the one who tells them. As Miss Maudie repeatedly says Arthur instead of Boo Scout starts calling him by his real name. Scout calling Boo by his real name shows that what Miss Maudie told her got through to her and stuck with her, which also shows the amount of respect Scout has for Miss Maudie.
Later in the novel Miss Maudie’s house catches on fire. Atticus goes to her house to help get as many items, as possible, out before her house completely burns down. Jem and Scout follow Atticus out of the house and stand in front of Boo Radley’s home watching the fire. The children try to apologize to her when she says to them, “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch” (97). Even though her house is completely burned down by this point and most of her belongings are destroyed she never once gets upset. Instead of getting upset, she was fine and told everyone, “Why, I’ll build me a little house and take me a couple of roomers and—gracious, I’ll have the finest yard in Alabama” (97). Miss Maudie shows the children how something bad may not always be bad. She turned a horrible mishap into something good and something to look forward to. Miss Maudie was a wonderful neighbor to the Finches and good role model for Scout and Jem. An even bigger role model for Scout and Jem is their father, Atticus.
Atticus Finch was a lawyer, father, and teacher. Throughout the novel Atticus teaches both Jem and Scout what it means to be a true person. Atticus Finch takes the case of Tom Robinson, an African American man accused of rape by Mayella Ewell. Everyone in town knew Atticus took this case, but some liked to remind Scout and Jem that he did. Jem had enough and acted upon the person who said something to them. After a time of acting out Atticus sat Scout down and told her, “They’re certainly entitled to think that, and they’re entitled to full respect for their opinions” (139). All citizens of Maycomb have different opinions, whether they are reasonable or not Scout does not realize this until her father told her.
The biggest, most important lesson Atticus could teach the children was about the racism in their town of Maycomb. After the trial of Tom Robinson was over and he was found guilty Jem did not understand why and got angry. Atticus told him, “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins” (295). The lesson Atticus was trying to teach Jem was very difficult to talk about, since racism was a major topic to discuss, especially with someone as young as Scout or Jem. Even though the topic of racism and white supremacy is challenging Atticus, makes the lessons easy for Jem to understand, which he does and sees that it is not fair.
One of the biggest lessons Atticus teaches the children is a lesson about courage, but he is not the only one involved in this particular lesson. Mrs. Dubose, a very old lady who happens to be the Finches neighbor, was sitting on her porch one day and she yelled to the children, “Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for?” (135). By that point Jem had enough and cut the tops off of every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose had in her front yard. As a service to her Jem had to read to her every day after school and on Saturdays for one month.
After the month was over and Jem had completed reading to Mrs. Dubose, he did not understand why Mrs. Dubose would not leave him alone. Atticus calls her a great lady, but Jem does not know why. All Jem thinks of Mrs. Dubose is a mean old lady. Atticus then tells Jem, “I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand” (149). Atticus knew he could teach Jem a lesson about courage coming in all shapes and sizes and people stereotype how courage is supposed to be, but really it’s everywhere and in everyone.
The various citizen of Maycomb play an important role of how Scout and Jem grow up in the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Calpurnia played the role of a mother figure and influence to Jem and Scout by teaching Scout to read. Also when Calpurnia taught Scout that all people are company no matter who they are. Miss Maudie also played somewhat of a motherly figure and influential person by teaching the children to not always believe something unless you know the truth, when Scout was asking about Boo Radley. Another time Miss Maudie influenced Scout and Jem was when her house burned down, she was not upset, instead she made a positive out of a negative by saying she wanted a smaller house anyway. The last citizen who played a significant role in the lives of Jem and Scout was their father, Atticus. Atticus taught the children how life is not fair, but you have to move on with the Tom Robinson case. A different time Atticus taught the children what real courage is with Mrs. Dubose. All of these citizens impacted Jem and Scout’s lives differently, but the lesson they continuously taught remained constant.