Thursday 10 April 2014

What are some examples of minor conflicts in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

One example of a minor conflict in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the conflict between Scout and Calpurnia, which we can call a character vs. character conflict.In the first chapter of the novel, Scout expresses adamant dislikefor their cook Calpurnia. Calpurnia began working for the Finches shortly after Jem was born, and their mother passed away when Scout was only two; therefore, Calpurnia has been in Scout's life since she...

One example of a minor conflict in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the conflict between Scout and Calpurnia, which we can call a character vs. character conflict.

In the first chapter of the novel, Scout expresses adamant dislike for their cook Calpurnia. Calpurnia began working for the Finches shortly after Jem was born, and their mother passed away when Scout was only two; therefore, Calpurnia has been in Scout's life since she was born and has served as a surrogate mother for Scout, not just as a cook. Since Scout is young, she feels that every mothering remark from Calpurnia is antagonistic. As a result, Scout and Calpurnia fight a lot. Scout describes that their "battles were epic and one-sided" because Atticus always took Calpurnia's side. Scout further describes that she had "felt [Calpurnia's] tyrannical presence as long as she could remember," showing us just how much Scout dislikes Calpurnia at first.

However, this minor character vs. character conflict begins to be resolved as the novel progresses. As Scout begins to mature, Calpurnia is able to treat her differently. Calpurnia even invites Scout into the kitchen anytime Scout feels lonely as a result of Jem growing up. Scout particularly begins to see Calpurnia differently in Chapter 12 when Calpurnia brings Scout and Jem to her church. While walking home from church with Calpurnia, the children enter a conversation with Cal about why she talks grammatically with the Finches but ungrammatically when talking with members of her own race at church. Through Calpurnia's response, the children learn a lesson in humility that particularly influences Scout. It's at this moment that Scout decides she wants to spend more time with Cal to get to know her better and asks, "Cal, can I come to see you sometimes?" Cal responds by saying that Scout would be welcome at her home anytime she wishes, putting an end to the character vs. character conflict.

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