Mrs Dubose

Although she might have appeared to be a cruel and uncaring indiviual to outsiders, those who were close to Mrs Dubose were able to see a different persona hidden deep beneath her tough exterior. This inner Dubose was neither as sadistic nor as cynical as many thought her to be. No. The inner Dubose was a woman who possessed a fierce pride and an unyielding will. The only thing that stopped Mrs Dubose's qualities from being seen, were the years of hardship and loneliness she had had endured. Dubose had been grievously ill for years, and since her affliction, she had fought a painful battle to stay alive. At some point, she was forced to turn to morphine to alleviate her pain. But while the drugs spared Mrs Dubose the pain of a slow death, their benefits forced Mrs Dubose to rely on them. As a result, she eventually succumbed to a morphine addiction.

Yet Mrs Dubose never gave in to morphine. Even after all she had faced, she still had the determination and fortitude necessary to overcome her dependancy on sedatives. With Jem's helped, she was able to pass on 'beholden to nothing and no-one.' Although we may treat people according to how they treat us, we often forget that everybody has secrets that affect them. Mrs Dubose had her own inner demons, demons that she eventually conquered, even though she knew that it would not change her fate. Nevertheless, she fought her life's battle through to the very end, and this act demonstrated her greatest quality of all.

Her Courage.