Topic > Calpurnia: A Character Discussion in To Kill a Mockingbird

In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Calpurnia is the guardian of Atticus Finch's children, Scout and Jem, as well as a cook and housekeeper. Cal makes a great effort to teach children his morals and values. Cal shows kindness to many people in the novel. When the contagious dog arrives in the neighborhood, he makes sure to notify everyone. Cal's kindness causes Atticus to keep her as their housekeeper, and Atticus chooses to take Cal to tell Helen, Tom Robinson's wife, the news of his death after the trial accusing him of raping Mayella Ewell. Calpurnia's ability to care for other characters and help them influenced Atticus' decisions. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the novel Calpurnia is often kind to everyone. He is a character you can always rely on. About halfway through the novel, Calpurnia watches Scout and Jem while Atticus is at work. Jem and Scout tell Cal that there is a dog on the street and he needs their help. When Cal further examines the dog from a distance, he realizes that the dog doesn't need their help. He was angry. Calpurnia tries to warn all the neighbors about the rabid dog. During the chaos, Scout says, “Calpurnia's message had been received by the neighborhood. Every wooden door in our field of vision was closed tightly” (124). In this way, Cal wanted to make sure that everyone in the neighborhood was protected from the dog. Even though Atticus was at work, Cal still wanted to let him know that Jem and Scout were safe. Calpurnia didn't know some of the neighbors but still wanted to help them. Atticus had been particularly touched by Calpurnia's kindness. Atticus has come to understand Calpurnia and has become quite close to her. Tom Robinson was just shot 17 times while trying to escape from the police station. Since Atticus was Tom's defense attorney, he felt the need to inform Helen Robinson, Tom's wife, of Tom's death. Before going to tell Helen, Atticus returns home to tell Scout, Miss Madi, Calpurnia, and Aunt Alexandra about the death. Add to kiss takes the cow into another room and says, “Cal, I want you to come out with me and help me tell Helen” (315). Add a Kiss could have chosen whoever went with him to break the bad news to Helen, but he chose Calpurnia. Atticus trusts and knows how Cal is doing. He wanted Helen Robinson to be comforted. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayCal has a positive impact on Atticus throughout the book due to his kindness. Cal shows kindness when he warns everyone about the dog, even people who don't like him. Atticus realizes that Cal is highly respected in the eyes of both whites and blacks. Cal's role in the novel helped Atticus understand the importance of kindness.