Examples Of Fear In To Kill A Mockingbird

In ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’, Harper Lee uses conflict to show that the presence of fear instills the most courage in people. To begin with, when Jem and Scout first arrive at Mrs. Dubose’s house to read to her, they are feeling anxious because Mrs. Dubose has always been critical of them. Their conflict has increased since Jem ruined all of Mrs. Dubose’s camellias as well. However, Jem and Scout know that they have to do this as a punishment for Jem’s actions. They knock, and are greeted by Mrs. Dubose’s helper, Jessie. As soon as they walk in Mrs. Dubose insults Scout. In response, Jem quietly says, “‘My sister ain’t dirty and I ain’t scared of you,’ although I notices his knees shaking” (Lee 141). At this moment you can tell that Jem is scared of Mrs. Dubose because

In spite of this, Jem continues to come everyday to read to Mrs. Dubose because he doesn’t want her to know that he is scared of her or to have that power over him. If she did, Jem would be afraid that she would put him down even more. Also, there is the thought that if he does not go and read to her, Atticus will be disappointed and upset with him. This shows that Jem’s courage to keep going and reading to Mrs. Dubose was majorly influenced by his fear of what would happen if he did not go. Later on, Jem and Atticus are at their house and Atticus has just told Jem that Mrs. Dubose passed away. Jem does not seem extremely upset, but starts asking questions about how and why she died. Atticus tells him that she was a morphine addict, and that is what all of her fits were from when Jem and Scout used to go over and read to her. Atticus tells Jem that after the doctor told her she only had a few more months to live, “She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody...She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s what she did” (Lee