TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Scout gets a letter from Dill. He won’t be coming for the summer. Scout is sad. For Scout, Dill is the summer.
Atticus is out of town. Calpurnia is watching Scout and Jem. Jem is twelve years old now. Scout thinks he is difficult to live with. Jem keeps telling Scout that she needs to start acting like a girl! Scout is very sad. She talks to Calpurnia about it.
“Don’t you worry about what Mister Jem says,” Calpurnia says calmly. “Mister Jem?” says Scout, confused. “Yes, he’s almost a Mister Jem now. Why don’t you come to church with me? I think you’ll feel better if you come.”
Calpurnia takes them to her church. They dress in their best clothes. It is a black church. It is called First Purchase African Methodist Episcopal Church. It’s called that because it was the first church purchased by freed slaves. It's very different from Scout and Jem’s church. But the kids like it.
One of Calpurnia’s neighbors asks her why she is bringing white children to their church. “Whites aren’t welcome in our church,” the woman says. “White people have their own white church, and black people have their own black church.” But Calpurnia defends her decision. “They are my family,” Calpurnia says. “It’s the same God anyway, isn’t it?” she says. Other people at the church welcome Scout and Jem.
During the sermon, the children learn about her world. It is a different world than the one they are familiar with. “She has a life without us,” Scout whispers. This amazes Scout. Calpurnia gives them dimes. The dimes are for the offering. “The offering is for Tom Robinson’s wife,” the Reverend says. Scout thinks. Tom is the black man her father is representing.
Scout realizes there are different things about this church. There are no books for the churchgoers to read. Calpurnia says that’s because many of the churchgoers can’t read. The pastor sings the hymn, and the churchgoers repeat after him.
But there are also many things that are like her church. The pastor talks about sin. He talks about the evils of drinking alcohol and gambling. He also talks about love, and family. These things are familiar to Scout and Jem.
As they walk home, Scout asks Calpurnia about her life. Calpurnia talks about her family. She says she doesn't have much. But she is happy. They learn that Tom Robinson's trial is near. The black community is worried. Scout asks Calpurnia what Tom Robinson did.
“Old Mr. Bob Ewell accused Tom of raping his daughter,” she says. “Mr. Ewell told the police, and the police arrested him and put him in jail.” “Is Mr. Ewell from the Ewells that come to my school?” asks Scout. “Yes, those are the ones,” says Calpurnia. “What’s rape, Cal?” asks Scout. “That’s something you’ll have to talk to Mr. Finch about.”
