Friday, June 5, 2015

What evidence from chapter 12 of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee highlights that the town has become "anti-Finch"?

In chapter 12, Atticus heads out of town to conduct his legislative duties and Calpurnia decides to take Jem and Scout with her to First Purchase African M.E. Church for Sunday service. Jem and Scout are excited about their first visit to a black church but are immediately introduced to an ornery, prejudiced woman named Lula. The only example in this chapter that could possibly be identified as the town expressing their "anti-Finch" sentiments is Jem and Scout's hostile interaction with Lula, who criticizes Calpurnia for bringing "white chillun to nigger church."
While Lula's negative words are directed toward Calpurnia for bringing Jem and Scout to their black church, her prejudiced views seem to be overarching and are not specifically directed at the Finch family. One could infer that Lula would be upset at any white person who decided to attend their black church. Lula has strong feelings about living in a segregated society, where she suffers from racial discrimination. She proceeds to tell Calpurnia,

"You ain’t got no business bringin‘ white chillun here—they got their church, we got our’n" (Lee,120).

After meeting Lula, Jem feels embarrassed and upset. He petitions Calpurnia to leave but Zeebo comes over and graciously welcomes them to First Purchase. The Finch children proceed to have a wonderful, enlightening visit at Calpurnia's church and the rest of the congregation treats them with kindness.


In Chapter 12, Atticus is called away on state legislature business. This means that Calpurnia's left behind to take care of Scout and Jem and make sure they go to church on Sunday. Calpurnia decides to take the children to her church, the First Purchase African M.E. Church, which has an all-black congregation. Scout and Jem initially feel kind of strange in this unusual new environment. It's the first time in their whole lives that they've found themselves in a racial minority. But the congregation turns out to be most welcoming, and gives the children a warm reception. All except Lula, that is. Lula doesn't think that Calpurnia should be bringing white children into an African-American church. Her reaction is presented as an example of prejudice, essentially no different from that of white people towards African-Americans. Yet at the same time, Lula looks upon the church's congregation as a source of safety and solidarity in a hostile world. So perhaps it's not surprising that she gets so upset when she sees Scout and Jem at the service that Sunday morning.

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