Thursday, November 13, 2008

Is there a quote that describes Zeebo in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In Chapter 12, Calpurnia takes Jem and Scout to First Purchase African M.E. Church for Sunday service. After a short run-in with the ornery Lula, Zeebo appears from the crowd and kindly welcomes the children to the church. Scout recognizes Zeebo because he is their garbage man. After everyone is seated, Zeebo gets up from one of the pews and begins to lead the church in singing the hymn "There's a Land Beyond the River." Scout is astonished to find out that in the African American church they have no hymnals and use a technique called "lining." Lining is when the leader sings one line of the hymn, and the choir repeats the line back. Scout describes Zeebo by mentioning,



"Zeebo was Calpurnia's eldest son. If I had ever thought about it, I would have known that Calpurnia was of mature years---Zeebo had half grown children---but then I had never thought about it." (Lee 166)



Calpurnia taught Zeebo how to read using only the Bible and Blackstone's Commentaries, which is a very difficult book to read. Jem and Scout are impressed that Calpurnia taught him using those books, and begin to look at Cal in a new way. The children enjoy their time at First Purchase African M.E. and gain valuable perspective into the lives of the black members of their community.

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