I was sitting in the living room doing my embroidery when I heard Scout ask Atticus what rape is. She said she had asked Calpurnia who had told her to ask her father while on a trip to church with her. I put down my sewing to listen. I was surprised as to how Atticus had let these kids be brought up by Calpurnia. When Scout asked if she could go to Calpurnia’s house I just had to interrupt. I told her in no uncertain words that she certainly could not! I was not about to let my niece get too involved with Negros.
“I didn’t ask you!” the rude little girl replied.
Fortunately, Atticus took my side and made her apologize. He made it quite clear to her that she had to do whatever I told her to do for as long as I was in the house. But to my surprise he added that she also had to do whatever Calpurnia told her to do. That was a bit much in my view.
She apologized and stormed off into the bathroom. I took the opportunity to give Atticus a piece of my mind. I told him he had to get rid of Calpurnia.
“You’ve let things go on too long, Atticus, too long.”
“I don’t see any harm in letting her go out there. Cal’d look after her there as well as she does here.”
“Atticus, its all right to be soft-hearted, you’re an easy man, but you have a daughter to think of. A daughter who’s growing up.”
He claimed that’s who he was thinking about but how could he possibly be when he still insisted on keeping Calpurnia in the house.
“Don’t try to get around it. You’ve got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don’t need her now.”
Unfortunately, Atticus refused point blank. He said Calpurnia was part of their family and that I must accept things the way they are. What’s wrong with the man? Can’t he see that blacks and whites shouldn’t mix? Can’t he see that she could be a bad influence on the kids? This is what happens when your wife dies and you have no one and you don’t have a woman’s wisdom to guide you. He claimed that Calpurnia was like a mother to them but that’s ridiculous.
No comments:
Post a Comment