A true gift is, in one sense, an unexpected blessing bestowed by a person –or even, perhaps, by fate. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee gifts are used as symbols of the people’s character and also help the reader understand the book better as it unfolds.…
The late Mrs. Henry Dubose was the definition of a courageous soul, from the way she spoke her mind proudly, being a role model for future generations to her bravery in quitting her addiction. In a world where opinions are hidden, Mrs. Dubose was unlike any other. She shared her opinion, no matter who it harmed or helped, because she wanted to be heard. As Jem and Scout were passing Mrs. Dubose shared her opinion about their lives, exclaiming: “‘what are you doing in those overalls? You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady!’” (Lee 135). Mrs. Dubose was an experienced lady, so her knowledge of young ladies attire was vast, and it took a brave woman to give advice that could be heard as an insult. Because of Mrs. Dubose’s disconcern of social niceties, she was courageously going against a stream of people who disliked her.…
Mrs. Dubose’s judgmental and bitter nature gives insight to Lee’s theme that the follies of one’s human nature can lead people to only see the worst in them. As Jem and Scout Finch simply walk past the house of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, she starts persecuting them on their appearance, actions, and the “wrongs” of their father. She automatically expects the worst of them, speculating that they must be up to no good. Mrs. Dubose even insults their father saying, “Your father is no better than the niggers and trash he works for!”(Lee 102). The spiteful behavior of Mrs. Dubose only offends those who encounter her. Her thoughts are unfiltered; letting her harsh judgements be known whenever she pleases. Mrs. Dubose fails to see the damage her…
Another character from To Kill A Mockingbird who shows courage is Mrs. Dubose. Mrs. Dubose is a grumpy neighbor of the Finch’s who forces Jem and Scout to read to her after Jem destroys her bushes. Later we find out that Mrs. Dubose was trying to wean off of morphine before she died and was using the kids as a distraction from the pain. In fact, that’s one of the ways Mrs. Dubose shows courage, she knew that the weaning process would be extremely painful and unpleasant and yet she was determined to go through with it and rid herself from the addiction. Another reason that this was courageous is because she knew that in the end she was going to die, she knew that she wasn’t helping herself live longer by breaking her addiction yet, she went…
To Kill a Mockingbird was written to show the Great Depression in the southern United States and what life was like during these times. Maycomb, Alabama is a little town where each person knows who you are, your class, and race. In Maycomb, race was a huge issue. Tom Robinson, a black man, was accused of raping and beating Mayella Ewell, a poor white girl. However, Atticus Finch, a white man, who was representing Tom proved to the court and town Tom did not rape or beat Mayella, but Tom did not win the case due to his race. Mayella was one of the poorest people in Maycomb and part of the lower class. For this reason, I do believe that Mayella is powerful due to her class, race, and gender.…
In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, she includes Miss Maudie’s azaleas as a emblem for Maycomb and those living there. The azaleas are bright colored and can grow in adverse conditions. In the winter, Miss Maudie puts her azaleas in burlap bags to conserve them. Miss Maudie believes her flowers are beautiful, so she’s concerned about them freezing and dying. The azaleas are the “racist folks” of Maycomb County and my “putting them in the burlap bag” Miss Maudie can keep them from becoming racist. “Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch. Gives me more yard. Just think I'll have more room for my azaleas now,” said Miss Maudie. She means that she wishes the world was smaller so the county was larger and the racist folks could gain a little…
When Mrs. Dubose, the mean old woman who lives down the street from the Finch family yells insults at Jem and Scout on her way to town, Jem reacts by returning and cutting up all the flowers in her front yard. His punishment is to read to Mrs. Dubose for a specified time period every day. He complains to Atticus that she is an awful woman, but Atticus tells Jem and Scout to try to understand Mrs. Dubose's point of view. She is an old woman, very set her in ways, and she is entirely alone in the world. Jem and Scout agree to visit her. After Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reveals that by reading to her each day, the children were helping her break her morphine addiction. Atticus explains that Mrs. Dubose was fighting to regain sobriety, even as she stood on the brink of death. Because of this, to Atticus, she is the bravest person he has ever known. He explains this to the children to try to make them understand the terrible pain she was experiencing, and how their presence helped her through the process. Although she might have said some…
He wanted Jem to get to know Mrs. Dubose not as an angry old lady but as a human being who has had a very tough life. Atticus is always polite to Mrs. Dubose, despite her rudeness. He is polite to everyone. The encounter Jem has with Mrs. Dubose’s flowers gives Atticus an opportunity to teach his children responsibility, but after her death he also lets them know why he considers her such a courageous person. After Jem destroys her flowers, Atticus has him go to read to her. He later explains that he wanted his children to see what real courage is. Sometimes courage is mental as well as physical. Mrs. Dubose was addicted to painkillers, and she wanted to wean herself off of them before she died. She was having Jem read to her so that she could have a distraction. Jem did not know any of this until later, but Atticus knew that he could explain it and Jem would understand. “You rarely win, but sometimes you do. 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.” (112). Mrs. Dubose was an underdog. She was addicted to morphine, but she kicked the habit. What she did took immense courage. Atticus wanted his children to see that sometimes you can win an unwinnable fight, and sometimes just trying to win when it seems impossible is courageous. Atticus himself was facing an uphill battle that would require courage…
In Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many different characters who symbolize a mockingbird. These characters have been hurt in some way despite their innocence. Some characters have different enemies and some characters have mutual enemies. The novel emphasizes on the way that each character handles their trials.…
Now that Bob Ewell is out the picture Mayella is very lonely. She has no one to talk to because no one likes her now cause she lied on Tom Robinson. Mayella deserves it though because she lied on an innocent man. He got his life taken away because she couldn’t own up to her actions. Now Tom’s Wife is going to be lonely, as well as his kids too, just because of Mayella and Bob Ewell. Everyone in To Kill Mockingbird was lonely it might be a symbol of loneliness spread throughout the book.…
n Harper Lee, “To Kill a MockingBird”, Mayella is a powerful character. Due to her Class, Gender, Race. In a small town of Maycomb, Alabama, a young white girl named Mayella Ewell who sets the town into a courtroom case of accusing a color man for rape. Harper lee’s, “To kill a MockingBird” will show Mayella power by using class, gender, race.…
Mrs. Dubose is not as brave as Atticus says. While Jem and Scout are walking into town, Mrs. Dubose says, “Your father’s no better than the n****** and the trash he works for!” Mrs. Dubose says this to hurt the children's feelings. Later Atticus refers to Mrs. Dubose as brave, but I would consider this anything but brave. She is going out of her way to hurt the feelings of defenseless children.…
| Morphine addiction * Resilience * Fight against the odds and circumstances * “She could have spent the rest of her life on it and died without so much agony, nut she was too contrary…” * “She said she wanted to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody.” * “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.”Eventual death * Even though she knew that she was going to die soon, she still faced her life with immense courage.May seem judgmental and mean on the surface but may harbour kind intentions inside (Interaction with Scout and Jem softened her)Symbol: White camellia -> white (symbolises purity of race; Mrs Duboes’s biasness towards the whites) , delicate flower that can withstand harsh elements (represents Mrs Dubose’s courage; she may look weak but she is a fighter inside)…
In the past years women have been fighting for equal rights, but in the year 1933 it was pushed on to young girls to be a “proper lady” meaning to serve the husband and have a woman’s first interest in the well being of men. The novel To Kill a Mockingbird is about childhood and growing up with Scout. The narrator, Scout has been taught like an adult by her father for her whole life and gender was never a problem with Atticus, he taught her and her brother Jem the same way, but as she grows up she is pressured to become a proper lady by her peers. We can gather that gender roles are a major part in Scout’s life by the several symbols of women, such as flowers, that show, the theme of gender roles that Harper Lee weaves into To Kill a Mockingbird.…
Flowers have all sorts of meanings. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, there are several different flowers that different people grow. These flowers have meanings that describe their character. Miss Maudie Atkinson has her azaleas. Mayella Ewell grows geraniums, and camellias represent Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose.…