What Does Mrs Dubose Symbolize In To Kill A Mockingbird

In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and her brother live with their dad Atticus. They have a servant Scout doesn’t get along with too well, Calpurnia, “Our battles were epic and one-sided,”(6) showing what Scout thinks about their relationship. They live in the town of Maycomb Alabama. The family goes through a lot of harassment because of a choice Atticus has made to defend an African American man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping young Mayella Ewell. Mrs. Dubose was one of the ones responsible for the harassment by calling Atticus many names and using racial slurs to do so, “neighborhood opinion was unanimous that Mrs. Dubose was the meanest old woman who ever lived,” (35) further elaborating Mrs. Dubose’s

Tim Johnson is an old rabid dog that lives in Jem and Scout’s neighborhood. He is acting very strange, “He’s gone lopsided,” (93) as Jem says when showing Cal. Cal calls Atticus and tells him about Tim, “I swear to God there’s a mad dog down the street a piece,” (93), when Atticus arrives he is the person chosen to shoot the dog. Lee implements this as a metaphor for the Tom Robinson case. Atticus is chosen to take the shot on Tim just like he is chosen to defend Tom in court. Another thing is the fact that he doesn’t want to do either. Before Atticus takes the shot Lee mentions how Atticus had a gun as a child, but when Jem asks Atticus for one he says no. So when he is chosen to take Tim out he does not want to because he doesn’t want Jem to be around guns. The same goes for the trial, he doesn’t want to do that either for the sake of his family’s lives because of Jim Crow laws and racism within the town. Lee chooses the names Tom Robinson and Tim Johnson which are fairly similar further developing the connection with the court case and Atticus having to shoot Tim Johnson

Boo Radley. Boo is an older man, “about six and a half feet tall,” (13) that lives down the street from Jem and Scout. He is constantly locked up inside his house because of an incident when he, “ drove the scissors into his parent’s leg,” (11) causing him to be locked up in the basement of the courthouse. Lee portrays Boo to be a scary psycho character but everyone has their own opinions and stories about him. When Miss Maudie’s house caught on fire and sent smoke everywhere, “Smoke was rolling off our house,” (70) it was Boo Radley who gave Jem and Scout a blanket, “Yes ma’am, blanket. It isn’t ours,” (71) making readers question whether Boo is as scary as people think. At the end of the novel after Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell Jem was accused of stabbing Bob, later finding out from Heck Tate, “Mr. Ewell fell on his knife,” (276) Lee creates the question now, who brought Jem home. Scout would come to find out it was none other than Boo Radley. Later that night Scout would walk Boo home realizing who he was, “Most people are, Scout when you finally see them,” (281) declaring that it is expected that he was