Mrs. Dubose's Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout Finch, the narrator of the novel, is introduced as a curious girl who questions the everyday decisions being made around her. Atticus, the father of Scout and her brother Jem, is given the task of defending Tom Robinson in his trial. Tom Robinson is a black man, who is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. She is the daughter of a vulgar father, Bob Ewell. Mr. Ewell has a loud and abrasive personality, causing many of the citizens of Maycomb to dub him as “the disgrace of Maycomb for three generations” (40). Although, Mrs. Dubose, a neighbor of the Finches, yields the same opinions that Mr. Ewell initially had, she is cast throughout the novel as a bitter old lady, but she preaches an important
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Dubose’s courage specifically impacted Jem, forever changing his personality and actions throughout the novel and beyond. Jem undoubtedly did not like Mrs. Dubose. Her words often set Jem aflame, leading him into some type of attack, such as destroying Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. This is simply remedied after Atticus explains to Jem that Mrs. Dubose was indeed a “lady.” Jem, not being able to mentally process what his father is saying, incinerated the small candy box that held the camellia, given to Jem from Mrs. Dubose(in her will) via Atticus. He destroyed the box, but he held onto the flower, with its pearl white petals shining in the warm light of the fire. This action illustrates Jem’s final understanding for Mrs. Dubose and her positive characteristics. This is when Jem’s life had changed. Later in the novel, Atticus waited at his doorstep, facing a mob of white men. This mob has come for Atticus and Tom Robinson. Taking this action will hopefully influence Tom’s court case, caused by his death. Among Atticus was his son, Jem, standing with his brave father. Atticus respectfully attempts to remove Jem from the situation, ordering, “Go home, son. Take Scout and Dill with you.” He begs him to go, but Jem “refused to budge” and “shook his head” (203). Jem’s sense of morality, acquired from Mrs. Dubose and her death, led him to defend his father and his ethics. Jem knows that courage is not “a man with a gun in his hand,” but it is something more valuable. Courage is
Dubose’s courage specifically impacted Jem, forever changing his personality and actions throughout the novel and beyond. Jem undoubtedly did not like Mrs. Dubose. Her words often set Jem aflame, leading him into some type of attack, such as destroying Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. This is simply remedied after Atticus explains to Jem that Mrs. Dubose was indeed a “lady.” Jem, not being able to mentally process what his father is saying, incinerated the small candy box that held the camellia, given to Jem from Mrs. Dubose(in her will) via Atticus. He destroyed the box, but he held onto the flower, with its pearl white petals shining in the warm light of the fire. This action illustrates Jem’s final understanding for Mrs. Dubose and her positive characteristics. This is when Jem’s life had changed. Later in the novel, Atticus waited at his doorstep, facing a mob of white men. This mob has come for Atticus and Tom Robinson. Taking this action will hopefully influence Tom’s court case, caused by his death. Among Atticus was his son, Jem, standing with his brave father. Atticus respectfully attempts to remove Jem from the situation, ordering, “Go home, son. Take Scout and Dill with you.” He begs him to go, but Jem “refused to budge” and “shook his head” (203). Jem’s sense of morality, acquired from Mrs. Dubose and her death, led him to defend his father and his ethics. Jem knows that courage is not “a man with a gun in his hand,” but it is something more valuable. Courage is