Calpurnia and Miss Maudie Act

Calpurnia and Miss Maudie act as positive influence for Scout in 'To kill a Mocking Bird'

Calpurnia teaches Scout on the way to behave in front of guests. In chapter three, Scout courts trouble with Calpurnia during dinner with Walter (Harper, 32). Scout tells off Walter for drowning off his dinner in a huff. She, as a result, embarrasses the gentleman. Calpurnia takes responsibility to admonish Scout for her un-ladylike behavior towards Walter. Tersely, she informs Scout that Walters deserves respect.

The information that Scout gets puts her in a position to judge her words while addressing guests, more so, at meal times. Scout learns that, for a lady, there exist thresholds of expectations that need maintaining. This experience places her in a better position to gauge what to say and what not to say during meal times. Further, it awakens her to the realization that there exist better words to describe meal time occurrences and manners.

In chapter twenty four, while preparing Scout for church on Sundays, Calpurnia always dressed Scout and her children in their Sunday best (Harper, 33). As she could so often remark, she wanted nobody to say that her children looked haggard and uncared for. Calpurnia, therefore, went to great lengths to ensure that all the children, Scout included, looked neat on Sunday.

Through this, Scout realizes that apart from being a woman, ladylike characteristics got defined on the ability of the woman to care for her children. The better the children got looked after, the lesser the neighbors could find to fault the lady of the house. This could raise the standing of the lady in the neighborhood, thereby warding off wagging tongues.

Calpurnia played a vital role in the education of Scout. She always made Scout practice writing at an early age, even before joining school. Calpurnia held education in high regard, and, therefore, wanted the best for Scout (Harper, 166). On her part, Scout considered Calpurnia a thorn in her flesh. She never understood the need to know how to read and write. However, Calpurnia took it upon herself to see that Scout could read and write before joining school.

Scout comes to appreciate the efforts Calpurnia made in teaching her how to read and write when she attends school. Her teacher realizes her brightness, and at some point, she feels shortchanged in that she had to attend school only to learn the things she already knew. She appreciates Calpurnia's efforts and later claims that she gathered most of her later knowledge not from attending school, but from reading the Post and other literature.

Calpurnia teaches Scout that there comes a time to treat people good, hugging them and even kiss them. This arises in page twenty nine, where Calpurnia admits to missing Scout and Jem while at school (Harper, 167). The emotions flow freely culminating in hugs, kisses and even letting Scout watch her (Calpurnia) make supper. Since she previously treated Calpurnia at a distance, Scout wonders as to what had led to Calpurnia's change of heart. From this episode, Scout learns that, at some point in time, it pays to treat people with love and affection.

Scout introduces Miss Maudie by listing her good attributes. In chapter five, Scout proudly talks of the trust she had in Miss Maudie. She terms Miss Maudie as a person to trust, a good friend and as the best lady she knew (Milton, 10). This trust bred respect and the ability to talk and consult on anything from Miss Maudie. Miss Maudie gets singled out as the best friend and person Scout could have.

In this instance, Scout learns that the ability to gain trust, respect and friendship lay in the way a lady carried herself. She learns that not meddling in the affairs and live of other people formed the focal point towards gaining respect and trust. The ability to gain heroism, as Miss Maudie had, in other people's lives rose from the mere principle of not meddling in people's affairs and being a loudmouth. Miss Maudie did not bad mouth other people, and Scout learnt this attribute.

Miss Maudie represented Scout the perfect opportunity to learn to juggle the responsibilities of a wife and that of a woman intent on providing for the family. In chapter five, Scout observes that Miss Maudie could do the daily chores while dressed up appropriately in garden clothes (Milton, 25). At the end of the day, after work, Miss Maudie could dress up as a lady, sit on her porch and look dignified.