The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate - Historical Fiction

Bibliography

Kelly, Jacqueline. 2009. THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE. New York: Henry Holt.
ISBN 0-8050-8841-5.

Plot Summary

            Calpurnia Tate is an eleven year old girl living in Texas in 1899 who prefers to spend time with her grandfather Walter, a passionate naturalist, who imparts his knowledge and values to her, and her story is told in THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE by Jacqueline Kelly. The knowledge her grandfather conveys changes Calpurnia and she begins to have a dream of attending the University and becoming a scientist, a goal unheard of for a girl in Victorian America. One day, they discover what they think may be a new species of vetch and they submit their findings to the Smithsonian in Washington, DC and after half a year, the Smithsonian responds that they have in fact discovered a new species which will be named after them. Calpurnia’s dream is reinforced and she realizes that through study, determination and hard work it might be possible to make her future whatever she wishes it to be.

Critical Analysis

            Setting is a very important aspect of historical fiction. It must be established early and clearly in the story, and Jacqueline Kelly creates a clear picture of late nineteenth century, small town Texas life. Fentress is a small, out of the way little town known for its cotton farms and its cotton gin. Calpurnia’s own little world, her house, the river, and town are vividly described. Other elements of the story help define the setting as well. For example  Calpurnia discusses the subjects she is studying in school with her grandfather and she tells him, “We’re studying Reading, Spelling, Arithmetic and Penmanship. Oh, and Deportment.” This description depicts what is deemed appropriate for children to study in the 1890’s. The issue of slavery also creates a feeling of the time period. The Civil War has ended but Calpurnia’s family still has African American workers and at several points in the novel the hardships of slavery are discussed. Finally, there are the new technologies that are mentioned, the telephone and automobile. The reader gets a real sense that these are new and exciting inventions and no one quite knows how they will revolutionize life.

          The novel is told from a first person point of view, Calpurnia’s, and the writing style is an effective representation of the era. For example, the family must all sit down to dinner together, no one is allowed to be late, they must be washed and dressed presentably and display proper manners at all times.  As Calpurnia states, “We were expected to be on time for dinner, washed and brushed, or else.”

          The characters are well depicted for the time period as well. Calpurnia’s mother, for example, wants her daughter to excel at being a housewife and stop spending time with her grandfather learning about science; something she views as nonessential. Calpurnia, in contrast, is not your typical girl for the time. She dreams of a life beyond the home, and is more concerned with keeping a caterpillar alive long enough for it to turn into a butterfly than she is about learning how to bake apple pie. Young girls will identify with Calpurnia on several levels. She has big dreams and aspirations. She knows she wants to go to the University to be a scientist, but she also knows that society would shun her for that. She is on the cusp of finding out just how far her dreams can take her, and many girls who don’t quite know what they want to be will see a kindred spirit in her.

          Each chapter opens with an excerpt from Charles Darwin’s book THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. This addition to the text has multiple meanings. First, the excerpts relate to what the chapter will be about. Second, Calpurnia is trying to read the book, which was given to her by her grandfather, and understand the naturalist world with the guidance of her grandfather who knew Charles Darwin. Third, like the evolution of the natural world, Calpurnia is experiencing a personal evolution. She grows and changes as a person over the course of a year just like the caterpillar evolves into a butterfly.

Review Excerpts and Awards

Newberry Medal Honor Book 2010

Josette Frank Award Winner 2010

BOOKLIST Starred review 2009: "...though really the main story here is Callie’s gradual self-discovery as revealed in her vivid first-person narrative. By the end, she is equally aware of her growing desire to become a scientist and of societal expectations that make her dream seem nearly impossible. Interwoven with the scientific theme are threads of daily life in a large family—the bonds with siblings, the conversations overheard, the unspoken understandings and misunderstandings—all told with wry humor and a sharp eye for details that bring the characters and the setting to life.”

KIRKUS review 2009 “Calpurnia is not a boilerplate folksy Southern heroine who spouts wise-beyond-her-years maxims that seem destined for needlepoint—her character is authentically childlike and complex, her struggles believable. Readers will finish this witty, deftly crafted debut novel rooting for "Callie Vee" and wishing they knew what kind of adult she would become.”

Connections
 

·       Teachers could use this book to introduce scientific concepts to their class. Darwin’s ideas, and the flora and fauna mentioned would make excellent topics for lessons.

·       A discussion with children who have read the book about what technological advances have changed their lives and how those changes have affected not only them, but also the world.

·       You Tube has a book trailer for THE EVOLUTION OF CALPURNIA TATE at this URL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqTm0D0huBw  

·       The website DARWIN ONLINE has a wealth of information on Charles Darwin in the form of letters he both wrote and received, manuscripts and other writings. Both students and educators would benefit from this site and its wide array of information not only on, and written by, Darwin, but also concerning his voyage on the Beagle.The website can be found at this URL http://darwin-online.org.uk/ .
·        THE DARWIN CORRESPONDENCE PROJECT has the full text of over 7,000 of Darwin’s letters, with additional information for over 7,000 more. The letters are categorized by theme. There are also lesson plans available for educators on how Darwin’s writings can be used in conjunction with a variety of subjects from history to science. This is the URL: http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/