To Kill a Mockingbird Calpurnia Quotes, With Chapter and Context

Calpurnia is the Finch family’s cook and housekeeper, and she is also the person who does most of the day-to-day raising of Scout and Jem. Her most quoted lines come in Chapter 3, when she scolds Scout over Walter Cunningham, and Chapter 12, when she takes the children to her church. The Calpurnia quotes below are grouped by what they show about her, with the speaker and chapter for each.

How Scout describes Calpurnia

Scout’s first description in Chapter 1 is not flattering, and it tells you as much about Scout at six as it does about Calpurnia.

“She was all angles and bones; she was nearsighted; she squinted; her hand was wide as a bed slat and twice as hard.” — Scout, Chapter 1.

“Our battles were epic and one-sided. Calpurnia always won, mainly because Atticus always took her side.” — Scout, Chapter 1. Early on, Scout sees Calpurnia mainly as someone who tells her off. The book gradually shows her something closer to a second parent.

Calpurnia quotes about manners and respect

The best-known Calpurnia scene is in Chapter 3. Walter Cunningham comes to lunch and pours syrup over his food, and Scout comments on it. Calpurnia calls her into the kitchen.

“There’s some folks who don’t eat like us, but you ain’t called on to contradict ’em at the table when they don’t. That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him, you hear?” — Calpurnia, Chapter 3.

“Yo’ folks might be better’n the Cunninghams but it don’t count for nothin’ the way you’re disgracin’ ’em.” — Calpurnia, Chapter 3.

This scene sets up one of the book’s main ideas. Calpurnia teaches Scout the same lesson Atticus gives her later that evening about seeing things from another person’s point of view. She teaches it through manners rather than a speech.

Calpurnia quotes about her two worlds

Chapter 12 is Calpurnia’s chapter. With Atticus away, she takes Scout and Jem to First Purchase African M.E. Church, and the children see her outside the Finch house for the first time.

When a member of the church, Lula, objects to white children being brought there, Calpurnia answers her directly.

“It’s the same God, ain’t it?” — Calpurnia, Chapter 12.

Scout notices that Calpurnia speaks differently at church, and it surprises her.

“That Calpurnia led a modest double life never dawned on me.” — Scout, Chapter 12. Scout goes on to say that the idea of Calpurnia having a separate existence, and command of two languages, was new to her.

When Jem asks why she talks the way her congregation does when she knows how to speak like the Finches, Calpurnia explains.

“Suppose you and Scout talked colored-folks’ talk at home — it’d be out of place, wouldn’t it?” — Calpurnia, Chapter 12.

“It’s not necessary to tell all you know.” — Calpurnia, Chapter 12. She goes on to say that people don’t like someone around who knows more than they do, and that you can’t change anyone by talking right. They have to want to learn.

These lines are usually used in essays about code-switching, prejudice and the limits of Scout’s understanding. Jem’s question in the original uses a racial slur. If you quote that part of the passage, check your teacher’s guidance on how to handle it.

Calpurnia and education

Calpurnia can read and write, which was rare for a Black woman of her age in 1930s Alabama. In Chapter 12 she explains that she learned from Miss Maudie Atkinson’s aunt, Miss Buford, and that she taught her son Zeebo to read using Blackstone’s Commentaries, a law book.

She also helped teach Scout. In Chapter 2 Scout tells us that Calpurnia used to set her writing tasks on rainy days, copying out the alphabet and a Bible chapter, which is part of why Scout arrives at school already literate. Our post on education quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird covers that contrast between school learning and home learning in more detail.

What others say about Calpurnia

In Chapter 14, Aunt Alexandra wants Atticus to let Calpurnia go. Atticus refuses.

“Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to.” — Atticus, Chapter 14.

“She’s a faithful member of this family and you’ll simply have to accept things the way they are.” — Atticus, Chapter 14.

This is Atticus’s strongest statement of Calpurnia’s place in the household, and it’s usually quoted in essays about family and about Alexandra’s views on class and race.

Calpurnia also appears at two of the book’s most serious moments. In Chapter 10 she is the one who spots the mad dog and phones the neighbors to warn them. In Chapter 24 she interrupts Aunt Alexandra’s missionary circle to fetch Atticus after Tom Robinson has been killed, and she goes with him to tell Tom’s wife, Helen.

How to use Calpurnia quotes in an essay

For a character analysis, pair a Chapter 1 quote (how Scout sees her at first) with a Chapter 12 quote (what Scout learns about her) to show how Scout’s view changes. For an essay on prejudice, use “It’s the same God, ain’t it?” alongside Lula’s objection to show that division runs both ways in Maycomb.

Give the speaker and chapter every time. Calpurnia’s dialogue is written in dialect, so copy the spelling exactly as printed. For formatting help, see how to quote dialogue in an essay and how to quote a book.

FAQ

What is Calpurnia’s most famous quote?

Her Chapter 3 line about Walter Cunningham, “That boy’s yo’ comp’ny and if he wants to eat up the tablecloth you let him,” is the most widely quoted. “It’s the same God, ain’t it?” from Chapter 12 is a close second.

Which chapter is about Calpurnia’s church?

Chapter 12. Calpurnia takes Scout and Jem to First Purchase African M.E. Church while Atticus is away at the state legislature.

What does Calpurnia teach Scout?

Manners and respect for others (Chapter 3), handwriting (mentioned in Chapter 2), and, through the church visit, that people have lives and identities Scout knows nothing about (Chapter 12).

Who played Calpurnia in the 1962 film?

Estelle Evans played Calpurnia in the 1962 film adaptation starring Gregory Peck.