The relationship between Aunty and Atticus is changing because Atticus is realizing that he needs stand up for himself and his children and not just obey everything that Alexandra tells him to do. This is important to our understanding to the novel because although Atticus is easily controlled by his sister, he knows that at a certain point, it has to stop when she is saying untrue and hurtful things about loved ones. The family was eating breakfast and discussing how Braxton Underwood does not like black people, and Alexandra gets angry with Atticus when he keeps talking as Calpurnia enters the room. Scout notes that she was beginning to “notice a subtle change in my father these days, that came out when he talked with Aunt Alexandra” (Lee 209). What Scout is observing is that her father isn’t agreeing and/or doing as Alexandra says all the time. Atticus then goes on to tell Alexandra “‘Anything fit to say at the table’s fit to say in front of Calpurnia. She knows what she means to this family’” (Lee 209). Alexandra has held a grudge against Cal since she arrived at the Finches home, starting when she refused to let Calpurnia make the refreshments for Alexandra’s Missionary Society meeting. The same applies to this scene, when she isn’t willing to let Calpurnia hear Atticus and Alexandra discussing others’ views on black people. This connects with topics previously discussed because this instant also shows that even though Scout used to think that her father was a boring, old man, he is changing and he is realizing things that he didn’t know before, and is acting upon those realizations and fixing what he is doing wrong. Atticus is starting to realize that he can’t keep bowing down to his sister, and he decides to start by standing up for those whom he loves, including beloved Cal.
Do you think that Alexandra will take the message and not continue to boss around the Finches, or will she ignore it and try harder to be the head of the household?
I think that this also means that Atticus has started voicing his true courage. While before he was the quiet one about it, much unlike Mrs. Dubose, now he's starting to see he needs to be assertive about things, especially protecting his family, like Fiona said. This is shown by the way he speaks especially, though he’s still very polite to a certain extent. This comes out during the conversation with Alexandra. “There was a faint starchiness in his voice when he said, “Anything fit to say at the table’s fit to say in front of Calpurnia’” (209). Before, Atticus was known to be the one that spoke very calmly no matter what. Now, however, though it isn’t extremely outright, he’s lost a bit of that calmness with Aunt Alexandra. But still, he’d never completely lose his temper in front of anybody; that would go against everything he stands for.
ReplyDeleteWhen Aunt Alexandra entered the Finch household, she considered herself the person who could fix everything Atticus didn't. At the beginning of Alexandra's stay, Atticus wanted to prove to Scout and Jem that you have to respect other's opinions and even let them take control a little. As time went by, Atticus started to realize his lesson was backfiring and Aunt Alexandra was starting to become the leader of the household. Now that Atticus is starting to object to many things Alexandra says, Scout and Jem are getting back their kind father that they know and love. Alexandra's stay taught Scout, Jem and Atticus about the respect you should give others, not so much they take control, but at the same time not so little they feel ignored.
ReplyDeleteI did a similar response to the question and I really think this is a good response. I do not think that Aunty Alexandra will get the message because she is very ignorant and kind of mean. I don't necessarily think that she will try much harder to be the head of the household because I think she has just enough dignity to hold her ground but I think that she wont stop bossing everyone around until she gets what she wants. Maybe if she doesn't see that people are doing what she wants and that she is getting stood up too, she will then try to become the head of the house because she is so fed up with no one listening to her.
ReplyDeleteI think that Aunt Alexandra will still voice her own opinion no matter who is around. Her personality traits revolve around her, and she is really bossy, mean, and ignorant. She is always telling Scout and Jem what to do, but at the beginning of chapter sixteen, she says, "Don't talk like that" (Lee 209) to Atticus. Aunt Alexandra still does not understand the relationship with Calpurnia to the family. We know she still dislikes her because she has tried to get her fired. If she stands in Cal's shoes, maybe she can begin to understand her position to the family and in life. I think that she will still be the same throughout the rest of the book.
ReplyDelete