Chapter 12 how does jem change
Calpurnia, who is minding the children, takes Jem and Scout to her church one day. The members of First Purchase Church-an all black church-are generally very inviting to Scout and Jem. After the service, Reverend Syke's takes up a collection of money for Tom Robinson's wife, who has not been able to find work since her husband was brought up on charges of raping a white woman.
Scout also finds out that it was Bob Ewell who has made the accusations against Tom Robinson. Scout, knowing the community as she does and as innocent as she is, doesn't understand why anyone would believe Bob Ewell's word over anyone else's. This calls to mind the encounter with Burris Ewell earlier in the novel and his rude treatment of Miss Caroline. Scout is fairly oblivious to issues of race so, in her mind, the Ewells are incredibly low-class, so she can't understand how their word holds any merit.
She fails to recognize that issues of race are at play. Here, the reader gets its first look at the black community in Maycomb. Except for a lady name Lula, they are portrayed in a very positive manner.
The church is simple and very poor; however, the people are kind to Scout and Jem and, even though they have little, they rally to support Tom Robinson's wife. Scout has never seen anything like their church before, and marvels at how the Church doesn't even have hymns. Calpurnia explains that most people can't read anyway. Instead, her son, who can read, sings out a line of a hymn and the crowd repeats it.
The kindness of the congregation of First Purchase and their strong community helps to convey Harper Lees views on the unjust racism that is ever-present in Maycomb. When Scout returns home from church, she find Aunt Alexandra has come to visit their home. Alexandra seems to believe the children would benefit from a feminine influence, and so she has decided to stay for a time. Alexandra quickly becomes quite popular in Maycomb, thriving in its social life, especially among the women.
She attempts to instill in Jem and Scout a pride in their family legacy. Aunt Alexandra believes the Finch name to be a proud one, and she wants Jem and Scout to believe the same. After all, as we've seen in the novel so far, people are often defined by the attributes of their families. Good, Evil, and Human Dignity. Scout heads for the kitchen.
Calpurnia asks what to do about church this week. That night she bathes Scout roughly and supervises Jem. In the morning, Scout puts on her heavily starched dress. Calpurnia leads them to First Purchase, the black church, named because freed slaves bought it with their first earnings.
Most people part respectfully and let Calpurnia lead Scout and Jem to the steps, but one woman, Lula , asks why Calpurnia has white children. Especially going forward from this point, Scout will see just how discriminatory Maycomb is and just how terribly most white people think of and treat their black neighbors. Related Quotes with Explanations.
Reverend Sykes leads Calpurnia , Scout , and Jem to the front pew. Calpurnia gives dimes to Scout and Jem, telling them to keep theirs, and Scout asks where the hymnbooks are.
Calpurnia shushes her. Zeebo comes to the front of the church to lead the first hymn. The sermon is forthright and familiar to Scout, but she finds it odd that people go to the front to offer their collection.
This becomes an important moment in which Scout gets to see firsthand the way that other people in her town go about things, as it introduces her to the fact that not everyone in Maycomb lives like she does, or even the way that poor white families like the Cunninghams live.
Outside, Jem and Scout chat with Reverend Sykes. Scout peppers Calpurnia with questions and learns that Tom is in jail because Bob Ewell accused him of raping his daughter. Scout remembers how Atticus called the Ewells trash and asks what rape is. Jem is growing up. He is trying to make sense of the things that he sees happening and tries to be like Atticus.
He wants to put behind his childish games and activities. At the end of the novel he has a broken arm and concussion caused by his encounter with Bob Ewell. Literally, he is still very much alive. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout share a relatively typical brother and sister relationship. Jem, being four years older than Scout, considers himself more knowledgeable and has a tendency to boss his little sister around.
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