Science

         A lot of things are available in our modern world that we take for granted. In 1899, when "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly is set, people didn't have the conveniences and rights that we have now. The story is set in the summer, and Calpurnia and her family had a really hard time staying cool because there was no air conditioning. A "wind machine" (which I'm assuming is similar to a fan) seemed like a novelty to Calpurnia, and her family was only able to afford it because they were very wealthy. Calpurnia was expected to be very polite and proper, and did not have the same freedom as her brothers because of her gender. Calpurnia also wanted to be a naturalist and learn about science, but at that time and place, science was not taught in school and was often regarded as lies.

           I think that a lot of people don't take the time to think about how much science has to offer. This book is really unique because you get to see science through the eyes of a girl living in a world that scoffs at science. The book is about a time period when theories about evolution and natural selection were forming in people's minds. Now, evolution is an old theory that has been proven to be true, but back when this book was set, the theory was new and a huge controversy. In a part of this book, Calpurnia goes to a public library and tries to check out "The Origin of Species", Charles Darwin's book on evolution, but she is told that the library does not have that book, and she will have to pay lots of postage to get it from a library far away, as well as give in a letter from her parents saying that it is all right to check out that book. This shows just how controversial "The Origin of Species" and its ideas were. Also, the only person that Calpurnia knows that shares her love of the natural world is her grandfather. The rest of her family believes that Calpurnia should be working on her posture, needlepoint, and cooking. It's hard to imagine that there was ever a time when people valued sewing over science. I think that Calpurnia's life and story is so interesting, and shows just how much we take science and the freedom to observe our natural world for granted.