Do you agree or disagree? Why? Why do you think Alexandra is angry at the children, leaving without telling her or going to the trial and seeing examples of racism in the real world which is against her beliefs? Does she have the right to do so or should that responsibility be limited to Atticus?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Free Response: Why do you think Calpurnia was angry at the kids? Was it just to please Atticus or Alexandra or purely out of rage?
The fact that Calpurnia was angry allows the reader to learn more about her character because one would think she'd be glad the kids are learning about equality and race. After Atticus' closing statement, when the jury leaves to make a decision, Calpurnia comes into the courtroom with a message from Aunt Alexandra wondering where the children were. Mr. Underwood tells Atticus they've been watching the trial the whole time and Atticus tells the kids to go home and eat dinner, then come back for the verdict. On the way home, Calpurnia is furious and says "- skin every one of you alive, the very idea, you children listenin' to all that! Mister Jem don't you know better'n to take your little sister to that trial? Miss Alexandra'll absolutely have a stroke of paralysis when she finds out! Ain't fittin' for children to hear..." (207) The way Calpurnia mentions how Alexandra will "have a stroke" suggests that Cal is more worried about what Alexandra thinks than the actual fact the children were at the trial. She talks about how Jem shouldn't have let Scout come to the trial but I don't think she really means it. Yes, I think she's mad at Jem for leaving without telling anyone but I think she is fine with the fact that they learned about how racist people can be. The anger is an act to scare the children because Cal is trained to do what the Finch's need her to, which in this case is aid Alexandra. She is loyal to the Finch's and will go against what she truly believes to help Alexandra and the Finch's which shows how Harper Lee wanted her to be the perfectly obedient helper, adding to the depth of her character.
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I agree that Calpurnia was furious, only because the kids were missing for such a long period of time, and they were her responsibility. The reason Aunt Alexandra was angry with the children for leaving to go to the trial, was not because they didn't tell her. " I guess it hurt her when we told her Atticus said we could go back, because she didn't say a word during supper." (278) This shows that with or without telling, Aunt Alexandra disapproves of their attendance at the trial. I believe the real reason she didn't want the children to go, is because of the racism that is revealed, as you have said that is against her beliefs. She was never okay with the idea of when Scout and Jem joined Calpurnia in church. So, of course she would not be okay with the children going to the trial. I feel like she is a guest in the Finch household, and this responsibility should only be limited to Atticus and Calpurnia. Why do you think Atticus was fine with the children being at the trial?
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