To Kill a Mockingbird
Mrs. Dubose
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Mrs. Dubose lived two doors up the street from Scout and Jem. All the neighbors thought that Mrs. Dubose was the meanest old woman who ever lived. Jem wouldn't go by her place without Atticus.
 
She said cruel things about Atticus defending Tom and so Jem finally lost  his temper and cut up all of her camellias. Atticus forced Jem to go and apologize to her. He went and she told him that he needed to come over and read to her for a month. He did, and she eventually passed away. She sent him a candy box that had a camellia inside.
 
Atticus told Jem that she showed true courage because she wanted to die free of everything. She was a morphine addict and she used Jem to become free of that addiction.