The Relationship Between Atticus and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird

Mrs. Dubose is an old lady who lives two doors up the street from the Finch's house. Atticus' son, Jem destroyed Mrs. Dubose's flowers because she had said disrespectful things about Atticus which brought out Jem's anger. Even though Atticus was very upset, he does not believe violence is the appropriate way to approach any situation considering it does not teach you valuable lessons. Instead, Jem's punishment was to read to Mrs. Dubose every day for the month and in the end taught him the true meaning of courage. Atticus demonstrates that holding your head up and fists down will save you from more complicated situations. Another example would be when disrespectful Bob Ewell spat on Atticus' face because Atticus made Bob look like a fool during his testimony. Atticus stayed calm during the whole situation. He held his head high and walked away during the scene. Following this further, Atticus sets honorable examples for his children. He believes all people have goodness in their hearts no matter how cruel or heartless they act, even if their status was low, they would have generosity and kindness inside. The first impression of Mrs. Dubose was described as a rude lady. She says to Scout, “Don't you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose!” (Lee 133). However, Mrs. Dubose is really a kind lady who causes no harm once you get the kindness out of her. In addition, Atticus compliments her and treats her as he would treat any

Jem learns from visiting Mrs. Dubose that not everything is how it seems at first glance. He also learns the value of courage and how it will later affect him as he matures into an adult. From what is described, the readers can draw a conclusion that Mrs. Dubose is impolite and bitter towards the children and is not afraid to speak her thoughts about Atticus defending Tom Robinson. As a result, Jem carries out his anger by destroying her flowers. He is later punished by Atticus by having to read to Mrs. Dubose certain days of the week for a period of time and work on her flowers. Through this process Jem is able to control his impulses and show kindness to those around him even if he does necessarily want to. This shows that Jem is becoming more of a young adult rather than a child. He also realizes that Mrs. Dubose is actually a woman of

Atticus' wise and understanding attitude is because he is quite aware of the fact that each human being has positive and negative sides. He always focuses on the good part of the people around him and in each situation he finds excuses for their aggressive or bad deeds. For instance, he forgives Mrs. Dubose's for the bad words she said to his children about him and he almost forces Jem to read to her during her last days. After she dies, he speaks to Jem and Scout about his admiration for her courage in resisting morphine addiction. Atticus once tells Scout that "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view", and at the very end of the novel states that she is grateful to her father for letting her know that "you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them"(33). This attitude also makes Atticus tolerate Mr. Walter Cunningham and Bob Ewell aggressiveness towards him. Atticus is able to see beyond other people's deeds and thoughts and thus he is highly respected for the wisdom with which he deals with difficult situations.

Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem, plays an immensely important role in the children’s maturing by teaching them valuable life lessons that benefit their character and knowledge of how to live in the world. When telling Jem and Scout why Mrs. Dubose acts the way she does, and how he thinks she is one of the most courageous women he knows, he says, “Courage is when you know your licked before you begin but you begin anyway”(128). The children learn that Mrs. Dubose was not a mean, old, wicked lady; she was a person trying to get rid of an addiction, even though it would cause her pain to do so. This entire conversation shows Scout and Jem that people are not always what one perceives them to be, and that one needs to understand why someone does the things they do before they judge

Lee uses the character of Atticus to teach his kids the importance of empathy with Mrs.Dubose.. Dubose is a character who is mean to everyone. But Atticus treats her with respect. Jem,Scout and Dill all hate Mrs.Dubose because of the comments she makes about Atticus. “She’s an old lady and she’s ill. You just hold your head high and be a gentleman. Whatever she says to you, it’s your job not to let her make you mad” (Lee 132). Mrs. Dubose is addicted to morphine, which makes her say weird things and be very mean.Atticus is trying to tell them that no matter what happens or what Mrs.Dubose says leave it to yourself, don't take it out on others. Jem rages about what Mrs.Dubose says about Atticus. Atticus is trying to tell them not to let words hurt you. Every afternoon after Atticus comes home work he makes a complaint like “good evening, Mrs. Dubose! You look like a picture this evening” (Lee 132). Atticus is being very nice to Mrs. Dubose even though she is not nice to others. Atticus does not

Atticus demonstrates the virtue of empathy by fearlessly allowing Bob Ewell’s anger to be taken out on himself, without any retaliation. Scout learns from her father’s actions, and now when she receives the urge to start a fight in school, she will keep her fists down and make an effort to be

In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee talks about the small sleepy town of Maycomb. Most people didn't leave, and most people don't come to stay for long. Macomb is ware Jem, Scout, and Dill spend their long summers days looking for adventure. Jem and Scouts father Atticus was a lawyer. In this time racism was present especially since they lived in the South in Alabama. It was a big deal not only for the Finches but for the town that Atticus was defending an African American man accused of rape. This affected the Finch family greatly, because of what people were saying to Atticus and his children about him and the case. Atticus made it a point not to let these comments bother him or his children.

Having Mrs. Dubose’s harsh words of calling his father a nigger lover spiraling continuously in his mind. He then grabs Scout’s baton, ran through her yard and “cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs. Dubose owned” (Lee 137). Atticus then came home that night and discussed to Jem his poor behavior choices. His punishment was to read to her for two hours everyday after school and on Saturdays for a month. Jem would bring Scout with him everyday and Mrs. Dubose would kick them out of her house when the alarm clock rang.

In the novel, Jem, behaves badly by cutting the tops off of every camellia bush that Mrs. Dubose owned with Scout’s wooden baton. At the time Scout thought “for a few minutes he simply went mad.” (136). After this occurred Atticus tells Jem he must go to Mrs.Dubose’s house, and apologize for his actions. When Jem goes to her house, Mrs. Dubose tells Jem that his punishment he must read to her. “‘She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and read to her out loud for two hours.” (140). Jem does the miserably, and is relieved when it’s over. Shortly, after Mrs.Dubose passes, and what Jem didn’t know was that Mrs.Dubose was a morphine addict trying to her break herself of her addiction , and was going through much suffering. Because of this Atticus says to Jem “If you hadn’t fallen into her hands, I’d have made you go read to her anyway. It may have been some distraction.” (148). Jem is surprised that after all of the terrible things Mrs.Dubose has said about Atticus that he thinks of her as a great lady, and acted so gracious to her. It is here that Atticus justifies his point again about how he

Dubose are mainly bad qualities but as he begins to better understand her through his father, he learns that she has good qualities as well. For example, when Jem is beginning to read to Mrs. Dubose, Scout notices that her “face was the color of a dirty pillowcase, and the corners of her mouth glistened with wet, which inched like a glacier” (106). This shows that Jem and Scout see Mrs. Dubose as not the nicest looking person and that it was not the best idea to read to her, having Jem regret smashing her flowers. Since Jem was reading when Scout described Mrs. Dubose, it meant that he listened showing that he pays attention to detail and notices everything he initially hears. Secondly, when Jem is speaking to his father about Mrs. Dubose, he explains that she is “nasty [and] she has fits or somethin’ [and] she spits a lot” (108). Once again, Jem is only seeing her bad qualities since he is paying attention to what he sees on the outside in comparison to what Mrs. Dubose actually does. Finally, as Jem is still speaking to his father, Jem learns that Mrs. Dubose “died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person [Atticus] ever knew” (112). Here, Jem learns that good qualities of Mrs. Dubose that he never knew of before because he never fully understood her issues as a morphine addict and what she had to go through. Altogether, Jem had to understand Mrs. Dubose’s life first before he got to come to a

Shortly after the reading sessions end, Mrs.Dubose dies. Jem is confused why he is left with a candy box. But Atticus explains why Jem was reading to her and how she was addicted to morphine. He says “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 see it through no matter what” (149). Atticus wants to take the common and traditional mentality in Jem’s head. He trying to prove that the idea of courage is not definite image. He explains to Jem that courage is persevering through adversity, and doing it because it is right. He looks up to Mrs. Dubose because she died, not reliant on her

He then holds them responsible for what they do and say. Although his ways are different than the societal standards, Atticus’s involvement with his children is effective for discipline. He does not always discipline them in the same manner, but does so in ways fitting to the circumstances. Atticus chooses particular words to express exactly what his children need to hear in order to mend their ways. Often, he simply expresses his disappointment. Sometimes, he uses firm reprimanding. Once, we see Atticus use his keen intellect, employing what Scout calls “the oldest lawyer’s trick on record” (50) so that Jem admits to “putting [Mr. Radley’s] life’s history on display for the edification of the neighborhood” (49), as Atticus describes it. Scout’s father teaches by example countless times when he reminds her that “it ain’t time to worry yet” (70), even when a fire threatens to sweep away all of their belongings. In addition to his honest discussions with Scout and Jem, Atticus gives them many profound lessons through his intentional interactions with others.

He shows us this when he reprimands Scout for fighting with kids in the schoolyard. He makes sure she does not do it again and tells her it's not right to fight no matter what they were saying to aggravate her, its still wrong to fight and it does not justify her actions. He also teaches Scout about honesty and to always tell the truth because it will come out eventually. It is like in the trial when Mayella and Bob Ewell are lying about what happened with Tom Robinson. The truth needs to be told and it does get told, in front of the whole town. Even with both of these things he tells Scout he still manages to show her examples of him doing the right thing and being honest. “... if I didn’t, I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” Atticus, page 75 chapter 9. This shows that Atticus shows the example of doing something himself that he does just because it is what is right. Thus I think that Atticus is teaching them the things that a father should. He teaches them justice and law and what the should or should not do (with the help of Aunt Alexandra and

According to Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, the novel was a “love story, plain and simple.” Throughout the novel, Ms. Lee displayed “love” through the actions of the main characters. However, the definition of love may not be the common, affectionate feelings between two people. Based on the article, “An Experiment in Love,” by Martin Luther King, he explained how love, or “agape,” could have several different connotations. Harper Lee was able to demonstrate Matin Luther King’s concept of love through several different character interactions.

We know Atticus has an affectionate relationship with his children because of the time Jem and Scout followed him into town while it was pitch black outside. ” ’Go home Jem.’ He said. ’Take Scout and Dill home.’” (Lee 203) Instead of becoming infuriated and starting to shout Atticus kept a neutral tone. “‘Please Jem, take them home ‘” (Lee 204). Even after Jem had refused to leave three times Atticus still remained calm. Suddenly Scout (the protagonist of the novel) had started to talk. Atticus did not show any sign of anger on his face.