To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
TKAM Chapter 11 Discussion
Qs: What's your reaction to this chapter? Why is the character Mrs. Henry Lafayette DuBose in this book?
Directions: Discuss the facts and your opinion. Respond to at least 2 other classmate's posts. Consider the following: Do you like her--why or why not? What do the kids think of her? What about Atticus? Why does she ask Jem to read to her when she seems to not like him? What's wrong with her?
Due: Tuesday, March 13 9:00 a.m.
TKAM Chapter 11 Discussion
Qs: What's your reaction to this chapter? Why is the character Mrs. Henry Lafayette DuBose in this book?
Directions: Discuss the facts and your opinion. Respond to at least 2 other classmate's posts. Consider the following: Do you like her--why or why not? What do the kids think of her? What about Atticus? Why does she ask Jem to read to her when she seems to not like him? What's wrong with her?
Due: Tuesday, March 13 9:00 a.m.
I think Mrs. DuBuse was a sad woman, she knew she was dying any day and she needed an outlet for all her pain. It was sad she took it out on children, but sometimes when you feel despair in yourself you take it out on people around you. She just needed to waste time before she died. I have no idea why Atticus referred to her as the "bravest person I know". That still doesnt make sense.
ReplyDeleteI think he referred to her as such was because she had her own views, wasn't afraid to speak her mind no matter who she was talking to. She knew she was dying but tried to cope and wean herself from her morphine addiction
DeleteI have to agree with holly on this one. Mrs. DuBuse was probably sad and nobody even knew it because she never told anyone.
DeleteI think Dani is right. Mrs. DuBuse expresses herself is the wrong way, but that's who she is and she is not afraid to show it. Also she knows she is dying, but she tries dealing with her addiction in her last living days. To me that's brave. She could of just thought, "I'm dying why stop my addiction know?" Instead she took it head on and dealt with it.
DeleteI also agree with holly on this and Evan
DeleteOhhh.. I see. Well, I will still only call people brave who have put their lives on the line for other people. She did nothing of that sort. She didn't help anybody...
DeleteI agree with Sammie, it would be so much easier to just give in to her addiction but she still refused to let her addiction win over her life even though she was dying.
DeleteI agree with what Sammie said about how she's brave fighting her addiction even though she's dying anyways.
DeleteHolly that still doesn't make what she said right even if she sick. It was un called for if she wanted company she could have asked for it instead of being a jerk.
DeleteIt is sad that she had to take her anger out on the kids. She could of spent her last days enjoying them with the kids.
DeleteIt must have cut really deep for her to claim that 'he is no better than the niggers and trash he works for', when Atticus is always advising them that she is to be respected as a lady and not to bad mouth her as she is old and sick.
ReplyDeleteThough I still don't see that as a good enough excuse to destroy her camellias, so he deserved his punishment.
I think it made him a better man for it.
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P.S.
This is Dani
I have to agree with Dani on the claim that 'he is no better than the niggers and trash he works for' probably hurting Atticus emotionally in some way.
DeleteI agree that it probably hurts him even though he doesn't show it.
DeleteNice post Dani, your point makes sense and I agree with you
DeleteI agree with this post. I think he deserved the punishment and he will learn from it.
DeleteYa he deserved the punishment but if she wanted to talk smack about mr. Finch say it to his face not his kids. And her being brave not even close strong yes but brave no. If she was brave she would have said what she said to his face.
DeleteThis chapter honestly shocked me in a way. All because of Mrs. DuBuse. Calling Atticus a nigger lover (in a way) when he has always been so nice to her. Always saying that she looked like a picture and other comments towards her garden plants. I just couldn't believe she would say that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Evan, Atticus was absolutely nothing but nice to Mrs. Dubose and yet she was still so rude and mean to him. Personally I think the only reason she was mean to him because she doesn't know how to express her gratitude toward him.
DeletePoor Atticus.
DeleteAnd the fact that he also says she is the bravest person he knows? It really confuses me, but I guess you can attract more flies with honey and vinegar...
DeleteWell she grew up in that time and yes Atticus but she grew up when you say what you want and if it offenders someone so be it.
DeleteI think the morphin was controlling her thoughts a little bit. I think she was a strong willed lady to be able to overcome her addiction. I think she gave jem a lesson to respect the old even though they might not be your favorite person in the world.
DeleteThis chapter was a very weird chapter that I definitely wasn't expecting to come in this book. I think the reason Mrs. Dubose was in this chapter because she shows how mean people can be even though Atticus was so kind to her. She must have been a very lonely and a sad woman and the only way to express herself was to be mean to people because she was sick and dying.
ReplyDeleteI think that she was scared of dying and that is why she treated people that way. She was cranky and scared.
DeleteI agree with you Becca. She was afraid to die.
DeleteI agree with you. She was too proud to tell everybody she is afraid. The only way she could tell to other people was to be mean. I think she lost the ability to be nice to people years ago.
DeleteAgreed. She was probably just really sad she was going to die and took it out on the kids in anger.
DeleteI don't get why she was afraid to die. Death is part of life we live we die. If you fear death you miss out on the little things that make life worth while. I don't think she was afraid to die I think she was afraid to die with regrets.
DeleteElke could be right about her being afraid and changing her attidute to compensate for being afraid. I think deep inside she was a good person.
DeleteThis chapter was a bit weird.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteI also agree.
DeleteThis chapter was a bit weird. Atticus was kind to her and she was just a naughty word back. I didn't like her because no one has a reason to be mean just because of what is going on with her. I've never been in her situation but I'm sure she was scared to die.
ReplyDeleteJen doesn't like her because of the way she treats Atticus.
No matter what Atticus' feelings are toward her, he is kind to her.
Agree 100% no matter what you are going through it gives you NO excuse to be mean and rude to others, absolutely none. If she was scared she could have talked to Atticus, actually done something productive with her death.
DeleteHow do you know that she was "scared" to die? Do you think she didn't realize that she was being mean to Atticus and his kids?
DeleteThis chapter was kinda scary in my point of view. The way they described Mrs. Dubose made me picture a very frightening old lady that I wouldn't wanna run into. I also thought this chapter was kinda random but it showed how mean a person can be. Atticus was kind to her even though she was a grumpy old lady and yelled at his children.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the addiction she had probably played a role in how she acted.
DeleteI agree Kelsey. This chapter was very weird. I also got the same picture in my mind as you did.
DeleteThis chapter was weird and confusing at times.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteThis chapter is different and weird. Atticus was nothing but nice to Mrs.Dubose, and she turns around and calls him a "nigger lover."
ReplyDeleteShe wasn't a good person. Maybe something happened in her life that changed her whole human being. Her behaviors are unacceptable and mean. Nobody should act like her.
DeleteI agree with both of you. Her actions were just rude.
DeleteMrs. DuBose was an ill woman she had an addiction to Morphine. The kids didn't understand that until Atticus told them after she died. Mrs. DuBose was strong and brave, because even on her death bed she fought to break her addiction until the very end. The children didn't realize her strength like Atticus did. She was a mean lady, but she was under an influence and she was in the process of breaking her addiction, and people aren't "normal" in that kind of situation. It wasn't until after her death that she had an impact on Jem, and he didn't handle it very well, because he is becoming a young man, and going through changes which Scout doesn't really understand yet...
ReplyDeletenicely put distribing why Mrs. Dubose was brave relateing to the Morphine addiction.
DeleteI agree with this. It is crazy how she over came her addiction by the children reading to her. Even though the children didn't realize this until she was dead like you said Sommers.
DeleteMrs. Dubose is a sick, old lady that terrorizes the children when they pass by. Jem loses his nerve when she bashes Atticus's figure and life style. Jem ruins her bushes and as punishment Atticus sends him to her house to read to her often. Later Mrs. Dubose dies and had her maid bring a camellia bushe like the one he distroyed. Mrs. Dubose disspite her rough exterior may have a sad, lonely woman that hearts still beats for a better day. Atticus and Jem taught her something she counldn't learn in her many years. To be mercyful.
ReplyDeleteI was shocked how mean people can be. In my opinion Mrs. DuBose was jealous. She lived alone in a house and nobody visited her and she didn't have any friends. She saw Atticus with his two children and was sad about her own life. She knew that she will die soon and so she wanted somebody in the last part of her life. So she made Jem to read to her, it was a perfect chance for her after he destroyed her garden and she used this chance. I think she forgot about how it is to live a normal life and be nice to people. Maybe she was even glad that she could die and didn't have to suffer any more.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I think she just wanted somebody to keep her company before she died.
DeleteI thought this chapter was a little odd. I don't understand why she had to be mean to Jem and Scout. I think that maybe she just wanted some company because she knew that she only had a few more days to live.
ReplyDeleteI agree this chapter was weird.
DeleteI am agreed with both of you but I think she is in here to be an antagonist to Jen but she is also there to show that even mean people are people
DeleteMrs. DuBose was mean and grumpy I don't think she should of acted the way she did towards Jem and Scout, and wanted company before she died.
ReplyDeleteI strongly dislike Mrs. DuBose
DeleteThis chapter was confusing, Jem and Scout were treated unfairly
ReplyDeleteI don't really know what I think of her I don't agree with her view on the world but we are from different time and were raised differently. They thought she was a mean old lady who's only joy in life was to make their lives miserable. He thinks she is a brave person of beating her addiction. To help take her mind off her going cold turkey. She was addicted to moraine and wanted to quit before she died.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Dubose should not have acted the way she did. If she wanted company before she died she didn't have to be so mean towards Jem and Scout. The chapter was just weird...
ReplyDeleteI agree this chapter was a little strange. I agree with Toni because mrs. Dubose shouldnt have acted that way.
DeleteGood for Jem mrs. Dubose was way out of line.
ReplyDeleteI agree
DeleteThis chapter was indeed a weird chapter. Although I did like the idea that she got off of her morphine addiction and Jem and Scout just sat and listened to her ramble on about how bad their dd was. Even though that wasn't fair to the kids.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the chapter I was so confused why Atticus took this lady's crap. He was nothing but nice to her and she was just a fowl person. When Jem read to her so she could have something to concentrate on other than her pain, I began to have more respect for her. She was in the story to show there is more to a person than what you may think. Ms. Dubose seemed cranky and just mean, but she was going through a lot in her live. She was trying to fight an addiction. You try and quit something cold turkey and not be a little cranky.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Dubose was a cranky lady who was scared to die.mthe reading Jem did distracted her from the pain. Jem learned to respect older people, and learned from his dad not to try to get even with people.
ReplyDelete