Calpurnia's Perspective Analysis
Calpurnia consistently demonstrates her belief in the importance of perspective as she teaches Jem and Scout of it and interacts between the black and white community of Maycomb County. Calpurnia shows the significance of perspective to both Scout and Jem through her actions with both a young child and an adult. One afternoon, Walter Cunningham comes over for dinner and Scout makes fun of him for pouring syrup on his food. Calpurnia takes Scout aside and scolds her for being rude. Calpurnia says, “There’s some folks who don’t eat like us, but you are ain’t called on to contradict ‘em at the table when they don’t” (Lee 24). Calpurnia tells Scout not to make fun of people who behave differently. Calpurnia knows that Scout has a higher standard
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Calpurnia is attending her church with Jem and Scout one Sunday morning and as she interacts with her friends, she speaks differently. Calpurnia says, “They’s my comp’ny” (Lee 125). When Calpurnia addresses her friends, she changes the way she speaks. Calpurnia has more education than the black community, but she is not an arrogant woman and chooses to speak their way to make them comfortable. Because Calpurnia believes in the power of perspective, she speaks both black and white English depending on the circumstances since she does not want to insult anyone by acting pretentiously. As they are leaving the church Calpurnia tells Jem and Scout that only four people in her congregation can read and Jem asks if she taught her son Zeebo to read. Calpurnia replies, “Yeah, Mister Jem. There wasn’t a school even when he was a boy. I made him learn, though” (Lee 119). Calpurnia explains to Jem that since there were no schools for Zeebo to attend as a child, she taught him to read. Calpurnia was taught to read by Miss Maudie Atkinson’s aunt, old Miss Buford, and understanding the value of reading, no matter what color or race one is, she teaches her son Zeebo. From Calpurnia’s perspective, even though black people are not given the opportunity to go to school, Calpurnia takes it upon herself to teach Zeebo to read
Calpurnia is attending her church with Jem and Scout one Sunday morning and as she interacts with her friends, she speaks differently. Calpurnia says, “They’s my comp’ny” (Lee 125). When Calpurnia addresses her friends, she changes the way she speaks. Calpurnia has more education than the black community, but she is not an arrogant woman and chooses to speak their way to make them comfortable. Because Calpurnia believes in the power of perspective, she speaks both black and white English depending on the circumstances since she does not want to insult anyone by acting pretentiously. As they are leaving the church Calpurnia tells Jem and Scout that only four people in her congregation can read and Jem asks if she taught her son Zeebo to read. Calpurnia replies, “Yeah, Mister Jem. There wasn’t a school even when he was a boy. I made him learn, though” (Lee 119). Calpurnia explains to Jem that since there were no schools for Zeebo to attend as a child, she taught him to read. Calpurnia was taught to read by Miss Maudie Atkinson’s aunt, old Miss Buford, and understanding the value of reading, no matter what color or race one is, she teaches her son Zeebo. From Calpurnia’s perspective, even though black people are not given the opportunity to go to school, Calpurnia takes it upon herself to teach Zeebo to read