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In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, can Tom Robinson be Calpurnia's long forgotten brother since the reader never learns her last name?

There are a few reasons why it is highly unlikely that Tom Robinson is Calpurnia’s long forgotten brother. The first reason is that when Tom Robinson becomes a minor celebrity during the trial, his face becomes well known in Maycomb, Alabama. A large percentage of Maycomb’s white and African American population attends the trial. At no point does anyone mention a resemblance between him and Calpurnia.


Another reason is that Tom Robinson has a home and family in the African American part of Maycomb. It is reasonable to believe that he and Calpurnia live close to one another. If they were long-lost siblings, it is hard to think that they or their families have never crossed paths.


Finally, in the recently published “Go Set a Watchmen,” an adult Scout visits the elderly Calpurnia. At no point does Calpurnia or any member of her family suggest that they are related to Tom Robinson.

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