Character Analysis Of Calpurnia In To Kill A Mockingbird '

Words: 309

Pages: 2

Open Document

Before you can fully understand someone, it is crucial to first gain insight into their lifestyle, and the adversities they have had to overcome. Calpurnia is a character who lives strongly by this virtue, and she strives to be a good influence for the Finch children.
When Walter Cunningham is invited to come to the Finch’s house for dinner, Calpurnia scolds Scout for judging Walter on his eating habits. “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!” She uses irony in this quote, describing Scout as acting ‘high and mighty’. Scout is quite the opposite; a young girl with little power. Scout learns that Walter has come from an unprivileged background, thanks to Calpurnia’s explanation of his behaviour. Without Calpurnia there to teach Scout, she would have continued to manipulate Walter in the schoolyard. …show more content…
When they question her as to why she speaks like a white person at home, but a black person in public, she says, “Now what if I talked white-folks' talk at church, and with my neighbours? They'd think I was puttin' on airs to beat Moses." This is an allusion to Moses, a figure from the Bible. Moses was said to have liberated enslaved Hebrews from Egypt. In Maycomb, the black society was the Hebrews, enslaved by the whites. Calpurnia explains that if she spoke like a white person around other blacks, they would think she was out of place, trying to act better than

Character Analysis Of Calpurnia In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Calpurnia is considered to be an essential asset to the Finch family’s household. Besides being a maid and doing all the cooking, cleaning, and caring of the house, she has many other responsibilities. She acts as a maternal figure and a disciplinarian in the lives of Scout and Jem. When Scout and Jem both leave to go to school, Calpurnia feels their absence and had to turn on the radio to distract herself. Calpurnia has always told Scout what to do and how to behave properly, to the extent that…

Words 309 - Pages 2

Black People and African Americans Essay

Despite its long standing as one of the greatest American novels, To Kill a Mockingbird is often criticized for its two-dimensional portrayal of African Americans. Critics point out that the novel's black characters are passive, eager-to-please, and ever grateful for the intervention of whites on their behalf, sitting on the sidelines of the story until forced unwittingly into the main plot. Calpurnia, Scout and Jem Finch's nanny, has been criticized as fitting the "mammy" stereotype of a matronly…

Words 520 - Pages 3

To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes And Analysis Essay

Claim, Background, Quote, Analysis, Background, Quote, Analysis You can kill a bluejay, you can kill a hummingbird but it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Throughout the story, the mockingbirds, the mad dog, and the Radley House represent the symbols found in the book. In the middle of the story the mockingbird is the symbol of innocence but, as the story went on the mockingbirds symbolized the characters in the story. During the Great Depression, when the books time period was written in, the finches…

Words 743 - Pages 3

how to kill Essay

shame by accusing him of rape after being caught. Atticus begs the jury to avoid the state’s assumption that all black people are criminals and to deliver justice by freeing Tom Robinson. As soon as Atticus finishes, Calpurnia comes into the courtroom. Summary: Chapter 21 Calpurnia hands Atticus a note telling him that his children have not been home since noon. Mr. Underwood says that Jem and Scout are in the colored balcony and have been there since just after one in the afternoon. Atticus tells…

Words 1168 - Pages 5

TKam vs LOf Essay

David Atri! Honors Literature! Mr. Moseley ! October 13, 2014! ! To Kill a Mockingbird Vs. Lord of The Flies! ! ! ! Thousands of years of human history, and we still know next to nothing about the nature of human behavior. People have attempted to describe their own views on the subject, deeply affected by their own experiences in life, through a myriad of mediums including art, music, and literature; the latter being the most prominent and widely employed. Spanning from the…

Words 2593 - Pages 11

TKAM contextual research Essay

To Kill A Mockingbird Notes Main Research American Civil War The American Civil War was a civil war between 1861 and 1865, and was the war that determined what nation America would be. The war was fought between several southern slave states who called themselves the Confederate slaves, and the rest of the states, called the United States. The first hostilities were on April 12, 1861, when Confederate States fired on Fort Sumter, A Union fort in South Carolina held by United State Generals…

Words 5276 - Pages 22

Great Gatsby Review

a gun and go in search of Gatsby. He kills both Gatsby and himself towards the end of the novel, all while Daisy makes plans with Tom to go away on a vacation. Only two people apart from Nick attend Gatsby’s funeral, and Nick’s loss of his friend causes him to move back West. 3) Major Conflicts: - Tom getting angry with Gatsby for having an affair with his wife - Daisy having to choose between Gatsby and Tom - Wilson killing Gatsby 4) Major Characters: Tom: Tom is Daisy’s husband as well…

Words 9628 - Pages 39