Character Analysis Of Calpurnia In To Kill A Mockingbird
“Perhaps Calpurnia sensed that my day had been a grim one: she let me watch her fix supper... ‘I missed you today,’ she said.” To Kill a Mockingbird’s loveable Calpurnia lives her life switching between the different personalities society has forced upon her; Calpurnia is the motherly authoritative women in the Finch's’ home, the quiet maid when around privileged whites, and the native “nigger-talking” lady in the black community.
Even though Calpurnia is the African-American cook and housekeeper for the Finches, she acts as the mother figure and an authoritarian to Jem and Scout. For instance, when Scout and Jem invited Walter Cunningham to their home for dinner; Walter drowned his food in syrup and Scout asked him “what the sam hill he was
doing”(24). Calpurnia angrily requested Scout’s presence in the kitchen before giving her a lecture about how some people are not always going to do things the same as they do, but it doesn’t give them a reason to contradict what they do(24). Despite the fact that Calpurnia punishes the children for their wrongdoings, Scout seems to think as if she is the authority figure, not Calpurnia.
Although Calpurnia was the mother figure to Jem and Scout, Atticus and Aunt Alexandra decided that it was time that the two had a proper mother figure. With this, Calpurnia was back to being the African American housekeeper. For instance, when Aunt Alexandra had settled into the home she “did not permit Calpurnia to make the delicacies required to sustain the Society through long reports on Rice Christians,” (129). Thus, Calpurnia spends her days attending to Aunt Alexandria’s needs rather than helping the children develop their morals.
Even though Calpurnia is the African-American cook and housekeeper for the Finches, she acts as the mother figure and an authoritarian to Jem and Scout. For instance, when Scout and Jem invited Walter Cunningham to their home for dinner; Walter drowned his food in syrup and Scout asked him “what the sam hill he was
doing”(24). Calpurnia angrily requested Scout’s presence in the kitchen before giving her a lecture about how some people are not always going to do things the same as they do, but it doesn’t give them a reason to contradict what they do(24). Despite the fact that Calpurnia punishes the children for their wrongdoings, Scout seems to think as if she is the authority figure, not Calpurnia.
Although Calpurnia was the mother figure to Jem and Scout, Atticus and Aunt Alexandra decided that it was time that the two had a proper mother figure. With this, Calpurnia was back to being the African American housekeeper. For instance, when Aunt Alexandra had settled into the home she “did not permit Calpurnia to make the delicacies required to sustain the Society through long reports on Rice Christians,” (129). Thus, Calpurnia spends her days attending to Aunt Alexandria’s needs rather than helping the children develop their morals.