Parental Roles in to Kill a Mockingbird Calpurnia Essay

Every child must have a parental figure or figures. To most, biological parents usually play these roles. That’s why it is always a tragedy when a child looses a mother at such a young age as Jem and Scout did. However, even harder is being left a single father balancing both work, and parental duties. Luckily for Atticus, Calpurnia is around to pick up some of the slack. Without Calpurnia, Jem and Scout would not be nearly as well behaved as they gradually become. Atticus’s career would also take a dive, with no one to watch Scout and Jem while he works. Finally, Calpurnia also takes care of exposing Jem and Scout to new things, something every parent should gradually do for their child. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee,†¦show more content†¦All children need gradual life experience, and Calpurnia makes sure Jem and Scout get it by taking them to her African – American church. Like any mother, Calpurnia makes sure Jem and Scout are dress ed sharp and clean. She takes them to her church to open them to other cultures, and to let the, into her world just for a little bit. This could be interpreted as a way for her to get even closer to the children, and to let them into her world. It isn’t often that adults take other people’s children to church, so Calpurnia taking Jem and Scout to church with her indicates she has just as much authority over them as their mother once had. Calpurnia stays loyal to the Finch family, taking care of the children as though they were her own. She takes them to church with her. She teaches them manners. She even supports them and loves them as a mother would her own children. Jem and Scout are lucky to have such a suited substitute for the mother they never knew and to be taken care of in the loving way most of us are used to. Everyone deserves a parent. Calpurnia is Jem and Scout’sShow MoreRelatedGood Parenting Style in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird 1203 Words   |  5 Pagesparenting style. It is not discipline or respect, but the characteristics that stand out for a good parent are trust, love, listening and understanding. Love gives confidence and makes people what they want to be. In Harper Lee’s book â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, these key attributes are used to define the parenting style of Atticus, the father of the 2 children, Jem and Scout. I believe that the author has defined a good parent as someone who loves his/her children unconditionally, communicates openly