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Mrs Dubose - Courage

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Mrs Dubose - Courage
Mrs Dubose

In harper lee’s to kill a mockingbird, Mrs Dubose is a minor character but has a highly significant impact within the book as a whole; she embodies many themes such as integrity, injustice and growing up. And though she was a morphine addict, she did free herself from her addiction and in the process she embodied the theme of courage.
Mrs. Dubose displays integrity by standing up for her beliefs. She has self-appointed herself as the "manners police", according to the standards she was raised with. The way she was raised children were expected to respect their parents and other elders. Mrs. Dubose makes a point to call the kids on it whenever they are acting out of line according to her values. She yells at Scout telling her she should be “wearing a dress and camisoles!” Mrs. Dubose also believes that Atticus is wrong for defending a black man. She believes this because. In those days black people were considered bad. She has respect for Jem and Scout’s older relatives; she made a comment about Jem and Scouts mother, saying, "A lovelier lady never lived."
Mrs. Dubose sat silently on her porch-Occasionally making a comment- and watched the Children and Atticus throw away their lives "lawing for niggers" or "waiting on tables." These were all horrible things according to her values. She had enough integrity in her to try and influence other people. Whether she was right or not in doing so, she was true to her beliefs. Mrs Dubose embodies the theme of injustice as she reflects clearly the racism and prejudice in Maycomb: she becomes the voice of Maycomb by vocalising and stating things that many people believe, like when she says (… “One in the courthouse lawing for niggers”) it is clear that the people of Maycomb are thinking the same but are too afraid to say anything, but while the other residents to Maycomb are mute about the court case, Mrs Dubose openly voices her condemnation of Atticus to Jem scout and those around her.
When Jem

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