In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee tells the story of two children in the South during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Jeremy Atticus Finch (Jem) and Jean Louise Finch (Scout) are the children of Atticus Finch, the defense attorney and representative of Maycomb County. Over the course of three summers, the Finch children and Dill, their friend who spends his summers in Maycomb, learn about racism, tradition, and the meaning behind "killing a mockingbird" under the influence of Atticus and the Finches' family cook, Calpurnia. Through multiple events and situations, they learn that not everything is black and white as they previously thought. Through Aunt Alexandra, Mrs. Dubose, and Dolphus Raymond, Lee implies that as all things in the …show more content…
Henry Lafayette Dubose, considered to be the grouchiest and meanest old lady on the block, unexpectedly reveals her hidden courage towards the end of her life. Every day as Jem and Scout go to school, Mrs. Dubose graces them with her presence as she cashes out insults to them as if handing out candy. Atticus tells Jem not to mind her because "’she's an old lady and she's ill’" (133). One day, the siblings walk past her house to the store, and Mrs. Dubose spots them and accuses them of "playing hooky" which Jem politely denies (134). They try to ignore her remarks but eventually a scathing comment, "'Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!'" forces an explosive burst of anger from Jem (135). Before saying that, she puts her hand to her mouth and "a long silver thread of saliva" trails from her hand as she draws it away (135). Jem seethes silently on the way to and from the store, then proceeds to destroy Mrs. Dubose's garden with Scout's baton and breaking it afterward (137). Such a seemingly senile old woman nearing the end of her life could not possibly have any kindness left in her as shown by her strict and unpleasant personality. Mrs. Dubose never did show any nice side to her as she yelled at them and prompted them to despise her. Even though Atticus behaves gentlemanly towards her as he does towards other people, she still acts like a mean old woman. Yet, as Atticus points out, Mrs. Dubose is a sick person so she may not just be a nutty lady who lives alone in her house and torments children with her tongue. She may be physically sick due to her being reclined in her bed and wheelchair, but her mind seems quite clear when she is out and shouting. This hints that Mrs. Dubose's sickness includes an inner conflict. To compensate for the destruction of her plants, Jem has to read to Mrs. Dubose every afternoon for two hours for a month. On the day of their first session, Scout sees Mrs. Dubose and wonders "if Jem's activities had put
The novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, takes place in the 1930s in a small Alabama county called Maycomb. The novel is about the Finch family of three. Atticus, the father, Scout the older brother and Scout the younger sister, who acts like a tomboy. Scout may be a lady, but does not like to act like one, she likes to play and get dirty with her brother. Being young, both children learn lessons throughout the novel by many different residents, such as, Calpurnia, the maid, Miss Maudie, the neighbor, and their father, Atticus. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird various citizens in the town of Maycomb play an important role in the lives of Jem and Scout Finch
When Atticus discovered what Jem had done, he was furious and punished him by making him go read to Mrs. Dubose everyday. He knew, though, in his heart that she had it coming. Atticus had told Scout that "when summer comes you'll have to keep your head about far worse things it's not fair for you and Jem, but
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
Jem has become victim of this through Mrs. Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor, through a period of time. After destroying her flowers and her rocking chair from his anger over what she said about his father, Jem is sent to read to her as an apology made by Atticus. While doing this, she passes away, and Jem is confused. He asks why Atticus can still call her a lady, in which Atticus retorts with “...Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her view, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.”(Lee 93). What he means is that not everyone is all good or all bad, which Jem had yet to
Throughout the novel, many adults criticize Scout for acting and dressing like a boy. When Scout and Jem pass Mrs. Dubose’s house on the way to town, Mrs. Dubose shouts, “What are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!”
Atticus Finch is portrayed as an exemplary father that teaches Jem and Scout quality virtues through respect, equality, and empathy. When Jem sabotages Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes, he is punished to read to her everyday after-school for a month. Shortly after Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reveals the real meaning why they are reading to her everyday. The reason is so that she can quit her addiction of morphine and “die-free”. Through this situation, Atticus teaches his children without knowing who or what they are dealing with, they still need to deal with them with respect. Another incident where Atticus steps in as a role model, is when Scout is worried because Miss Caroline said that she is not allowed to read anymore at home. Instead of disagreeing with Miss Caroline or telling Scout that she has to go to school, Atticus allows Scout to complain and explain first. Later, he makes Scout see things from Miss Caroline’s side, “You never really understand a person...
Atticus’s primary role, as a father, displays integrity as the heart of his private, family life. For instance, when Scout has a rough first day of school with her new teacher, Miss Caroline, Scout complains to Atticus. He responds in a mutually consoling and instructive manner with Scout: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view” (Lee 39). In saying this, Atticus encourages Scout to consider what Miss Caroline goes through on a daily basis. In doing so, Atticus instills empathy in Scout in her maturation. Rather than allowing Scout to act from one’s self perspective, Atticus instructs Scout of the importance of patience and understanding among other people. Based on such evidence, Atticus represents an upstanding role model. Another example of Atticus’s role as “father” appears when Jem cuts Mrs. Dubose’s flowers. Jem cuts Mrs. Dubose’s flowers in defense of Atticus; Mrs. Dubose accuses Atticus of being a n-lover...
Scout and Jem are very close. They are very protective of each other and worry about each other often. When Jem, Scout , and Dill went to the Radley house at night Jem’s pants became stuck on the fence. Jem went to retrieve his pants and Scout wanted to come with to help and protect him, but Jem did not let her because he was protecting her making sure that she would not hurt herself. When Jem was gone Scout waiting for him to return because she was worried he would hurt himself. Another example is when Jem and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell. Before they were attacked Jem thought he heard someone following them so Jem walked with his hand on Scout’s head worried about her and trying to protect her. When Mr. Ewell attacked them, they were trying to help each other and protect each other. After the attack while Jem was unconscious Scout was even more worried about Jem then she was before. Scout learns from Jem as well. An example is that Jem taught Scout and Dill the history of the Radleys and the superstitions that the town has of Boo Radley. The actions of Jem and Scout reveal the close relationship that they have with each
Mrs. Lafayette Dubose is conniving because she knows how to hurt people with her words. Mostly everything that Mrs. Dubose says to Scout and Jem is very hurtful. She says exactly what she knows will hurt them the most. As she gets to know the kids better, she learns what they’re proud of or what they strive for, she does her very best to defeat their pride and make them feel ashamed or embarrassed. When Mrs. Dubose was first introduced she started yelling at the kids. Before she even knew them or could understand what amazing kids they were, she judged them and got mad and made them resent her. Jem and Scout were heading to town to buy Jems birthday present. As they walked past Mrs. Dubose’s house, she yells at them and thought they were skipping school and they were way too young to go to town alone. They disagreed and she yelled at them. “Don’t you lie to me!” she yelled. “Jeremy Finch, Maudie Atkinson told me you broke down her scuppernong arbor this morning. She’s going to tell your father and then you’ll wish you never saw the light of day! If you aren’t sent I reform school before next week, my name’s not Dubose!” (Lee, 135) Scout and Jem were doing absolutely nothing wrong. They were just walking to town and minding their own business. Mrs. Dubose on the other hand was sitting on her porch. She had nothing better to do then to pick on two little kids. She knew who they were and how badly they wanted to make their daddy proud. She knew that if she threated to tell their father, they would be so embarrassed and that they messed up. Due to this, Mrs. Lafayette Dubose is very conniving, even though it didn’t affect her at all; she just wanted to hurt the kids. How conniving and intelligent she is also shown when Mrs. Dubose te...
Nat Turner was an African American slave who influenced the slave culture to believe in the positives in order to improve their lifestyle. He influenced his fellow slaves by rebelling and fighting against slavery. The results for Nat Turner did not turn out how he wanted, until after his life was gone. His influences changed the future of the United States and the future of African Americans.
(133). Given the fact that Jem and Scout had to pass her house to get to town, it can be said their meetings with her were very frequent. When they passed her house one day, Mrs. Dubose made the mistake of ridiculing their father for defending Tom Robinson, which led to Jem destroyed her flowers. When Atticus later found out, he told him to go and apologize. Jem came back later with the news that she was making him read to her for two hours everyday after school.
Enraged, Jem took his anger out by destroying Mrs. Dubose’s camellia bushes. Hoonan 2 Third, Jem’s point of view towards Mrs. Dubose changes as the chapter progresses.
All Mrs. Dubose did in the movie was talk to the children, she never called Atticus names. Because of this, Jem never learned a lesson of compassion. In the novel, the time that Jem was reading to Mrs. Dubose was very important because he learned an important lesson about empathy and charity. Also Jem judged Mrs. Dubose before he knew her. If Jem knew she had a morphine addiction, he would not have disliked her as much.
Dubose insults Atticus in front of Scout and Jem. Mrs. Dubose, a grouchy elderly woman, has an illness and is being taken care of by an African American girl. Whenever, the children want to go to town, they have to pass Mrs. Dubose’s house first. When they walk by, Mrs. Dubose always throws insults their way. Mrs. Dubose yells, ‘“Your father’s no better than the niggers and trash he works for!”’
Jem said, “Don’t worry, Scout, it ain’t time to worry yet,” (94). He was sure that everyone would be alright and took great care of Scout to calm her down. Another time was when Mrs. Dubose was yelling at Jem and Scout for not having proper manners and fooling around. She also said that Atticus is no better than the negroes he is defending for but Jem told Scout “Come on Scout…. Don’t pay any attention, just hold your head high and be a gentleman,” (135).