Today Jem and I went with Calpurnia to her church. I thought I was going to have a lot of fun there, but things were very different. A woman came up to Calpurnia as soon as we walked in and started questioning her about bringing us. We weren't that bad were we? Why did everybody look at us weird? Her church was very different than our usual church. Instead of everybody singing, one person sang a line then everybody else repeated it. I asked Calpurnia they did this and she said that many of them didn’t know how to read. If they couldn’t read, why could Calpurnia? I also found out that Calpurnia could be very different outside of our house. She started talking that nigger-talk ‘round the church. Well, overall today was a good day. I think I may even visit Calpurnia at her house soon!
Sincerely,
Scout
This diary entry is essentially a summary of Scout's experience at Calpurnia's church. Through this event, we learn alot about Calpurnia and the black population of Maycomb. Scout is surprised to hear Calpurnia talk like other black people. She observes that the idea of Calpurnia having a separate life outside of the Finches is comical. It is significant that she truly recognizes the two dialogues as separate languages. This really shows the divide between the two races during the time period. If Scout had been raised in a racist family, it is probable that she would find the other "language" inferior to her own. It also amazes Jem and Scout that a large majority of the people at the church cannot read. It helps them to understand the types of privileges, like education, denied to the black people of Maycomb. Scout and Jem's innocence and realizations during this chapter help us understand the unfairness of the racism going on in small town Alabama in the '60s.