Essay Database

Calpurnia acts as a mother to the children since Scout was only 2 years old. She is disciplined and firm towards the children. Scout describes her as a “tyrannical presence” with a “hand as wide as a bed slat and twice as hard” – we see her use this hand to deliver scout a “stinging smack” when she comments on Walter Cunningham Jr’s eating habits. She is indispensible to the finch household and is always supported …

…older. She does not carry the racism and double standards that the rest of the town carries. Rather, she forms a code of conduct very similar to Atticus; a code of understanding and acceptance of all human beings. Scout is not nearly as mellow as Atticus, though. She can be very outspoken and isn't afraid to challenge others whenever she sees fit, sometimes with her fists. But Scout is the true heroine of the novel.