Mrs. Dubose is a mean old woman. She insults Atticus one day, and Jem destroys her flowers. Atticus has Scout and Jem go to read to her every day for a while. Later, he tells them that she has died.
Atticus explains to his children that he wanted them to get to know Mrs. Dubose because she was engaged in a great struggle. She had become addicted to morphine, and she was dying. Mrs. Dubose wanted to wean herself off of the drug before she died. Atticus thought this was very brave of her, to do something she felt was worthwhile, even though it was hard.
According to Atticus, Mrs. Dubose is an example of “real courage” because she stood up to something.
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. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. (Ch. 11)
Atticus goes even farther, to say that Mrs. Dubose was the bravest person he knew. He wants his children to understand that even though he himself stood up to the mad dog and shot it, which his children were very impressed by, he himself is more impressed with Mrs. Dubose’s actions.
Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew. (Ch. 11)
Atticus wants his children to understand about moral courage because they are going to need it. Atticus himself is an example of this kind of courage because he is defending Tom Robinson, even though it is unpopular since he is a black man. Atticus knows that he probably will not win the case, but he is willing to try anyway because he feels that he is doing what is right.
Scout and Jem will be affected by this case too, he knows. They will have to learn to stand up for themselves and see the value of what Atticus is doing. This is why he wanted them to understand what happened with Mrs. Dubose.
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