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Calpurnia
Atticus’s sister. She’s married, but Scout insists that her husband isn’t worth mentioning. Aunt Alexandra is a formidable lady and is the only Finch sibling who stayed at Finch’s Landing, the family’s old plantation. Scout dislikes her, as Aunt Alexandra takes great offense to Scout’s tomboyish nature and desperately wants Scout to wear dresses and act more feminine. In the months before Tom Robinson’s trial, Aunt Alexandra inexplicably decides to move in with Atticus in order to give Scout a feminine role model, though Scout suspects that there’s more to it than this. While in Atticus’s home, Aunt Alexandra proves to be somewhat racist and very classist—she detests Calpurnia’s presence and disapproves of Atticus’s choice to defend Robinson. She makes it very clear to Scout that the Finches are a good family and that Scout shouldn’t spend time with her poorer peers. For all these faults, Aunt Alexandra does rally around Atticus and try to comfort him when he loses the trial, and she remains concerned for Scout and Jem’s safety once Mr. Ewell begins harassing Atticus, Helen Robinson, and Judge Taylor.
Aunt Alexandra Quotes in To Kill a Mockingbird
The To Kill a Mockingbird quotes below are all either spoken by Aunt Alexandra or refer to Aunt Alexandra. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 13 Quotes
Somewhere, I had received the impression that Fine Folks were people who did the best they could with the sense they had, but Aunt Alexandra was of the opinion, obliquely expressed, that the longer a family had been squatting on one patch of land the finer it was.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Aunt Alexandra Character Timeline in To Kill a Mockingbird
The timeline below shows where the character Aunt Alexandra appears in To Kill a Mockingbird. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
...Uncle Jack visits for a week. On the downside, they have to spend time with Aunt Alexandra and her grandson Francis (Aunt Alexandra’s husband is, in Scout’s opinion, not worth mentioning). Atticus...
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...set. Scout finds Francis to be extremely boring and a tattletale. He relays everything to Aunt Alexandra , who passes everything onto Atticus. Atticus only ever got sharp with Aunt Alexandra once...
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...outside kitchen and waits for him to come out so she can jump him. When Aunt Alexandra appears, Francis whines that Scout cornered him. Francis kicks around the yard, gloating, and repeats...
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Chapter 12
...Scout’s attention to the porch. She looks first at the Radley porch, but then sees Aunt Alexandra on their porch.
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Chapter 13
Aunt Alexandra tells Calpurnia to take her suitcase upstairs. Jem takes it and Aunt Alexandra tells Scout...
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Maycomb welcomes Aunt Alexandra . She’s soon a fixture in the social circle and she begins hosting the missionary...
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Scout explains that, to a degree, Aunt Alexandra is right: Maycomb is an old town that became the county seat despite being an...
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Before bed, Atticus finds Scout and Jem. He awkwardly tells them that Aunt Alexandra wants them to know that they’re from a good family and should behave accordingly. Scout...
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Chapter 14
...he tells her, she ends up telling him all about her trip to Calpurnia’s church. Aunt Alexandra is shocked that Scout and Jem went to Calpurnia’s church. Scout asks Atticus if she...
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Upstairs, Jem gravely asks Scout to not annoy Aunt Alexandra . This angers Scout, but Jem insists that they need to think about how preoccupied...
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Dill eats and then survives Miss Rachel’s scolding. She allows him to stay. Aunt Alexandra sends the children to bed and since things seem okay, Scout and Dill decide to...
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Chapter 15
...the Klan. Scout walks Dill home and returns to find evidence of a fight between Aunt Alexandra and Atticus. She consults Jem, who shares that Aunt Alexandra thinks Atticus is disgracing the...
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Chapter 16
...preparing to shoot Tim Johnson and begins to sob. Jem comforts her. The next morning, Aunt Alexandra insists that children who sneak out are disgraces. Atticus notes that Mr. Underwood is a...
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...arrives and announces that a rumor is flying that they held off 100 people, but Aunt Alexandra gives him a withering stare. The children go outside to watch what seems like the...
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Chapter 20
...have a drink to settle his stomach. Scout knows he’s evil and that Atticus and Aunt Alexandra will be unhappy, but she follows Dill. Dill delightedly says that it’s just Coca-Cola in...
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Chapter 21
...if the jury is still out. Calpurnia is enraged and scolds Jem, which delights Scout. Aunt Alexandra looks faint when she learns where the children were and seems hurt that Atticus already...
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Chapter 22
...Scout find Atticus outside. He says that it’s not right and Atticus agrees. At home, Aunt Alexandra apologizes to Atticus and asks if Jem will be okay. Atticus insists he will be...
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...Miss Rachel, but Dill insists he did tell her—she just drinks too much and forgets. Aunt Alexandra deems this observation cynical and unbecoming, so Jem leads Dill and Scout outside. They see...
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Chapter 23
...if Mr. Ewell spitting in his face saved Mayella a beating, he’s fine with it. Aunt Alexandra isn’t so sure that they’re in the clear, but Jem and Scout feel better.
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...defending Walter at school and declares that she’s going to invite Walter for dinner sometime. Aunt Alexandra puts her foot down. Scout is confused and says that the Cunninghams are good people,...
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...his chest, which Scout can’t see but compliments anyway. He tells Scout to not let Aunt Alexandra get on her nerves and asks if Scout would start sewing. Scout insists that she’s...
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...on the radio, but somehow, they’re still different from the Cunninghams. Atticus once said that Aunt Alexandra is so concerned about the family because they have background but no money. Scout insists...
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Chapter 24
...in August, Jem and Dill swim naked at Barker’s Eddy, leaving Scout with Calpurnia and Aunt Alexandra ’s missionary circle. She sits in the kitchen and listens to Mrs. Grace Merriweather report...
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...up the black people. Scout isn’t paying attention, but Mrs. Merriweather’s comment angers Miss Maudie. Aunt Alexandra changes the subject and gives Miss Maudie a look of thanks. Scout doesn’t get it—she...
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...then, Atticus gets home early. His face is white, and he asks to speak to Aunt Alexandra in the kitchen. Scout and Miss Maudie follow, and he explains that Tom is dead:...
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Aunt Alexandra sits down, and Miss Maudie breathes heavily. Wearily, Aunt Alexandra says that she doesn’t always...
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Chapter 27
This makes Aunt Alexandra nervous, and she doesn’t understand why Mr. Ewell is behaving this way when he won...
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...something Scout can take on and off herself. She assumes that everyone will come, but Aunt Alexandra and Atticus refuse. Scout shows off her costume and Jem takes her to school.
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Chapter 28
...the road and sees a man carrying Jem to her house. Atticus ushers him in, Aunt Alexandra receives Scout, and they call for Dr. Reynolds and Mr. Tate. Scout asks if Jem...
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Chapter 29
...Mr. Tate asks to look at Jem’s injuries while Scout tells them what happened, and Aunt Alexandra excuses herself. Scout puts her head in Atticus’s lap and describes their walk, thinking it...
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