How is mrs dubose courageous in to kill a mockingbird

He wants them to understand that being courageous sometimes means doing difficult things that other people will never understand or will criticise you for. Atticus knows he must defend Tom Robinson.

He feels he could never be proud of himself again or expect Jem and Scout to trust him again if he did not. Atticus to Scout. Here Atticus is telling Scout that if he lacked the courage to defend Tom Robinson in his trial then he would not be a very good lawyer or a very good father.

He is being courageous in defending Tom and he wants Jem and Scout to understand how important it is that he does the right thing. Scout and Jem are amazed that their father is so talented when using a gun but they are shocked that he has chosen to keep this skill away from them. Atticus is also reluctant to allow them to have guns. When he eventually gives in and allows them to have a gun each at Christmas he reminds both Scout and Jem that he would prefer them to shoot at tin cans.

He does not think it is courageous to use a gun as this automatically gives a person an advantage over a defenceless animal. I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand.

Atticus to Jem. Atticus wants Scout and Jem to understand the value of real courage. In, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee expresses the theme that taking a stand requires bravery through the dialogue and actions of the characters. Dubose fight against adversity once again reflects her significance in the novel. When Atticus explains Mrs. Dubose has her own views on her Morphine addiction. Although she knew drug rehabilitation is a painful process, nevertheless she was not afraid and fought for what she truly believe in.

As a result, she was able to die in peace, without the addiction. This once again demonstrates the theme of bravery, as Mrs. Dubose showed courage and insisted her belief.

Tom Robinson was a black man accused of rape. Atticus, being a lawyer, took on the role of defending him. It was known that Tom had a mangled left arm and had no purpose in doing the accused crime, but in the end racism won, over and the court 's decision was guilty purely based on skin color. It was not because he thought he could win, but it was the result of many years of respect Tom Robinson gave to the town. He felt it was his duty to fight for change in Maycomb. Cords of saliva would collect on her lips; she would draw them in, then open her mouth again.

Her mouth seemed to have a private existence of its own. It worked separate and apart from the rest of her, out and in, like a clam hole at low tide. Occasionally it would say, "Pt," like some viscous substance coming to a boil. For Scout, Mrs. Dubose is a distressing, barely human force that takes over their afternoons after Jem goes crazy on her camellias.

It's not until after she dies that Scout and Jem get a sense of what's going on behind the drool and venom : Mrs. Dubose is a morphine addict who had vowed to go clean before she died, and enlisted Jem and Scout without their knowledge to keep her off the stuff for longer and longer periods of time.

Atticus tells the kids the lesson he hopes they've learned from her. What does Mrs. Dubose teach Scout and Jem? Why does Dolphus Raymond hide Coca-Cola in a brown paper bag? Why does Mayella Ewell lie on the witness stand? What qualities make Atticus a good father? Why does Aunt Alexandra move into the Finch household?