Mrs. Dubose is an elderly woman who lives near the Finch family. She is known for being a gossip and for being mean to children, but she also has a reputation as a morphine addict. Atticus Finch, the father of the main character Scout, is Mrs. Dubose’s lawyer, so he knows her well and understands exactly what kind of situation she’s in.
Scout learns to respect Mrs. Dubose because of her courage in fighting her addiction—and because she realizes that Mrs. Dubose doesn’t have anyone else who cares about her health or well-being except for Atticus Finch and his children. Even though she was mean at times, Scout learned from Mrs. Dubose about courage and how sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in even if no one else does—even when it seems impossible to do so.
