Who Is Mrs. Dubose's Loss In To Kill A Mockingbird

The Winning Loser “Score!” “Goal!” “Yahtzee!” These are all exclamations that can be used to signify wins in classic games and sports, but wins in real life events are seldom as obvious. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, siblings Scout and Jem experience the natural hoorays and boohoos of life. They experience death, bias, lies, and more in ways that can skew morals and perspective. The novel is written from the first person perspective of Scout Finch, a child growing up in Maycomb County, Alabama. Scout’s limited perspective precludes the reader from seeing the big picture and immediately identifying wins and losses for what they really are. In other words, Lee shows the reader that wins and losses can’t be taken at face value. She uses

Dubose’s loss of life is an example of a loss on the surface. When Mrs. Dubose is first introduced, she is seen by Scout and Jem only as an annoying woman who makes rude remarks about their lifestyle. She stops them, questioning where they’re going, asking them where Atticus is, and insulting them and their way of life. Later, Jem takes revenge by cutting her flowers, to which Mrs. Dubose responds by forcing them to read her stories every day. As Jem and Scout continue reading her stories, they unknowingly witness the effects of Mrs. Dubose’s battle with a morphine addiction. Eventually, Scout and Jem are informed that Mrs. Dubose has passed away, battling withdrawal symptoms. Atticus, Scout and Jem’s father explains Mrs. Dubose’s circumstances, telling Jem, “...I wanted you to see something about her - I wanted you to see what real courage is... Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I know” (Lee 128). Atticus explains that even though Mrs. Dubose lost her life, the fact that she was able to fight the inevitable is an admirable trait. It may seem like a loss, but she most certainly

According to the town’s rumors, Dolphus is an alcoholic who is affected by alcohol so much that he spends his time with black people, rather than white people, which would be “normal”. As it turns out, this is exactly what Dolphus wants people to believe. In their conversation with Dolphus, Scout and Jem discover that rather than whisky in his sack, all that’s really there is Coca-Cola. Dolphus explains why he did this, saying “...Some folks don’t like the way I live. Now I could say the hell with ‘em, I don’t care if they don’t like it” (Lee 228). Dolphus really does enjoy the company of black people, he just needs to justify it in a world where people are very nosey and need a reason for everything. Dolphus has no qualms against lying to the whole world, just to be left alone with the people he wants to be around. Although everybody views Dolphus as losing to alcoholism, he’s really winning by giving Maycomb a story in return for a chance to be left alone. Bob Ewell’s win in the courtroom can be seen by some as a loss. Bob falsely accuses Tom Robinson of abusing and hurting his daughter. In the court, Bob has an advantage because of the way black people are seen in