Chapter 12 Part 2

Time Leap Jem is now 12 ▫He is going through puberty ▫Scout says he is turning into an alien Scout is now 8 ▫Cal tries to keep her company ▫She is missing Dill, her fiancé Dill is now 9 ▫Says he isn’t coming to town this summer because his mother has gotten remarried, and he and his new dad are going to build a fishing boat.

Bias and Slander “Maycomb’s Finch” ▫Atticus is shown barefooted in short pants writing on slate while girls yelled “yoo hoo” at him. ▫It is showing that Atticus is not a man; he is just a boy who doesn’t understand the ways of Maycomb County. ▫It also pokes fun at his diligence to his studies rather than paying attention to pretty girls around him. The message is that he is not "one of us." He is far too absorbed in things no one else cares about.

The Mother Figure Takes Over: Cal decides that since Atticus has to go to Birmingham, Alabama for the weekend, she is going to take Scout and Jem to her church. First Purchase African M. E. Church ▫The whites use the building as a gambling hall during the week. ▫The blacks use it as a church on Sundays.

CONFLICT When the kids walk into the church, they are immediately attacked by Lula, a strong, black woman who believes each race should not intermingle with the other. She tells Cal that she shouldn’t have brought the children there. Calpurnia instantly changes her tone from proper speech that she uses in the Finch home to a slang southern accent that allows her to gain authority over Lula. She tells her to shut her mouth. The children are staying.

A brief explanation… Jim Crow Laws

The Jim Crow Laws would appear ridiculous today. You Can't Sit With Us!

The Congregation: Zeebo, Cal’s son, leads worship since he is one of the only church members who can read. Then Reverend Sykes welcomes everyone to the church, including Jem and Scout. He talks about the sick in the community, and then he asks that everyone please donate to the Robinson family. Helen can’t get a job due to the accusations, and she has 3 small children at home to feed. They are hoping Link Deas will hire her.

Reverend Sykes Takes a Stand: Everyone gives a little, but Reverend Sykes knows Helen will need at least $10 to survive. He locks the doors of the church and won’t let anyone leave until the congregation gives enough. Scout doesn’t understand two things: ▫Why would anyone believe the Ewells? ▫What is rape?

Cal Cal says Scout will have to ask Atticus what rape is. She expresses that Miss Maudie, and she were friends when they were young, and Maudie’s Aunt Buford taught her to read. She doesn’t remember her birthday so she just celebrates it on Christmas She changes the way she talks based on her audience.

What does Cal think? Calpurnia says, “Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks’ talk at home it’d be out of place, wouldn’t it? Now what if I talked white- folks’ talk at church, and with my neighbors? They’d think I was puttin’ on airs to beat Moses… It’s not necessary to tell all you know. It’s not ladylike- in the second place, folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ‘em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’ right, they’ve got to want to learn themselves, and when they don’t want to learn there’s nothing you can do but keep our mouth shut or talk their language” (Lee 126).

Finishing Up: At the end of the chapter, Scout asks if she can visit Cal’s house. Cal says she can come whenever she’d like to visit. As the chapter closes, they head back home to find Aunt Alexandra sitting on the porch.

New Characters: Helen Robinson: Tom’s wife and mother of 3. She is trying to find work and support her family. She is “Clean Living Folk.” Reverend Sykes: The unofficial leader of the black community. He welcomes Scout and Jem to the church. He forces the community to help the Robinson’s survive. Zeebo: Cal’s son. The garbage collector in town. He leads worship at church because he can read and write.

New Characters Continued: Lula: A strong African American woman who believes that races shouldn’t mix. She is angry that Cal brings the white children to the black church. She backs down after Cal yells at her for her behavior. Link Deas: Tom’s employer. The church is attempting to get him to hire Helen.

Chapter’s Purpose A Master of Disguise We find out in chapter 12 that Calpurnia lives two different lives. She is a master of disguising herself to fit her surroundings. She isn’t being fake though; she is just conforming to her surroundings so that she can make a difference and fit in wherever she is.

Questions: 1.Is Lula’s behavior surprising in this chapter? 2.Why doesn’t Reverend Sykes react similarly? 3.What do we learn about Calpurnia that we didn’t know before this chapter? 4.Why do Scout and Jem look at her differently now?

What’s Your Opinion? 1.What point do you think Scout is trying to make by showing the two sides of Calpurnia? 2.Is there a side you like better? 3.Do all people have more than one side to themselves?