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Examples Of Motherly Figures In To Kill A Mockingbird

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A motherly figure is defined as a person embodying the qualities of an idealized conception of the female parent. The female parent is stereotyped to focus mainly on the lives of her children, putting them before herself, and teaching them the way of life. She provides nurture and care to make sure that her kids thrive in life. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, revolves around the life of Scout. The story begins with Scout as a six year old girl making her way through childhood. It is mentioned to the reader that her mother had died due to a sudden heart attack, leaving Atticus, Scout’s father, to care for them, along with the help of Calpurnia, their African American housekeeper. Throughout the story, Calpurnia and Atticus …show more content…

Although Atticus is not as harsh as Calpurnia, he uses his sternness to get his point across, in addition to his disappointment. These actions are taken by Atticus multiple times in the story. Both actions taken by Calpurnia and Atticus prove that they appear as motherly figures towards Scout because they care about her appearance towards others and take time to make sure she learns right from wrong; one of the main responsibilities of mothers. Despite Atticus and Calpurnia’s disciplinary actions, providing support helps to balance their relationship with Scout. The most simplest thing a mother can do for her kids is offer nurture. They use nurture to allow their kids to feel loved and cared for. By providing nurture for Scout, Calpurnia and Atticus balance out the discipline that they put upon Scout. For instance, Scout mentions, “Calpurnia bent down and kissed me” (29). In this scene, Calpurnia is showing Scout affection and apologizing for scolding her so harshly for making fun of Walter Cunningham. By giving her a kiss, Scout realized Calpurnia was sorry, which made her feel better. The main goal of mothers is to ensure that their children feel content. In addition, Calpurnia had also stated to Scout, “I missed you today” (29). Calpurnia uses her words to nurture Scout and show her affection.

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