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Question: What does the visit to Calpurnias church teach Scout and Jem about black
people in Maycomb? How is their culture different from the culture of the white people
they know? How are the two connected?
Scout and Jems visit to Calpurnias church illustrated a clearer image of the AfricanAmericans community as well as how they cope with racism as together despite most of them
being uneducated and live in poverty. Calpurnias church taught Scout and Jem that prejudice
can work both ways and is not confined to one particular group. Born and raised in a in the white
community, being able to witness the life of the discriminated Black people was an eye opening
experience to Scout and Jem about true poverty and how it was different from the White
community of Maycomb.
Scout and Jem learnt that prejudice and stereotypes can work both ways can be found
anywhere. In Maycomb, Black and White people were separated, they went to different churches
depend on their skin color, and when two white kids from the Finches enter visit Calpurnias
church for Black people was odd. The moment they entered the church with Calpurnia, there
were immediately two polarized kinds of reactions coming from the colored church members.
Most of the church members welcomed them except Lula as she says I wants to know why you
bringin white chillun to a nigger church. (158). While being a part of a racial group which has
been discriminated by the white society, Lula gave the same unfair intolerance back to the
innocent kids Scout and Jem solely because of their racial identity. Calpurnia replied by saying
its the same God aint it? (158). Lula is a realistic representation of the frustration towards
social injustice in Maycomb against black people.
Harper Lees description of Capurnias church was an indicator of the Blacks low social
status community within Maycombs society. Even to a holy place like the church, there was still
a difference of rights between Negroes and white people, as quoted from the book: Negroes
worshiped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on week days (157). A religious place
of the whole Negro community can also just be another place gambling place for white men
while black people were most likely not even welcomed to be in White churches, there were not
any respects given towards the Black Church. Scout discovers linin which is a way of singing
when one person sings a line of hymn and the rest follows, this was put in use because most of

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the church members were illiterate and that is another portrayal of the class difference since even
a poor, low class like Mr. Ewell can read, given the fact that he is white.
Not only having a low social status, but most of Negroes of Maycomb were poor, and the
church was a clear reflection of their poverty. It was an old broke down building that was bought
by the first earnings of freed slaves. According to descriptions from the book, The First
Purchase was unceiled and unpainted inside (159), there were not a lot of decorations and no
signs of pianos/organs, and seats were coated by cheap cardboards that still has companies
labels on them, these were visual illustrations of the poor living condition Negroes live in.
Despite their poverty, they still had pride in their humble church because it is their church.
With racism toward them, the Negroes formed a close community and supported each
other in the time of need. This was demonstrated when they all contributed to help Tom
Robinsons family when his wife can no longer work and Tom was imprisoned waiting for an
upcoming trial against him. As Reverend Sykes said: I want all of you with no children to make
a sacrifice and give one more dime apiece. (163) although there were some hesitance and a
minor force factor, Scout and Jem witnessed every one giving at least a dime to Reverend Sykes.
In contrast, the White community did the opposite, they peer pressured and discriminated an
individual if his believes is different from theirs. Atticus Finch is a victim to the angry mob of
white men who threatens him due because he defends a Negro. Boo Radley is another example,
even though he did not commit crime, he suffered from discrimination from many white folks in
town as they made up myths and stories to scare little children and made them stay away from
him. These cases showed a difference on the behavior of two communities, all for one and all
against one.
Scout and Jems visit to Calpurnias church was and eye opening experience. They learnt
that prejudice exists anywhere, black or white. The Finch kids witnessed how Negro community
adapted their way of living to their social status and income disparity when compared to the
white community that Scout and Jem lives in. Despite all that, black people came together closer
as a community to help one another while white people always find themselves a target, a victim.
Calpurnias colored church showed Scout and Jem a vivid image of the social inequality based
on ethnicity that black people went through, and how they are different that the white society in
Maycomb.

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