One day, Jem and I were walking by Mrs. Dubose's place when she asked us where we were going and then she started to yell at us! She accused Jem of ruining Miss Maudie's flowers. When Jem said he didn't do it, Mrs. Dubose said, “Don’t you contradict me!!” “And YOU—” she pointed her finger at me…”What are you doing in those overalls?? You should be in a dress, young lady!”
Jem pulled me along and said, “Come on, Scout. Don’t pay any attention to her, just hold your head high and be a gentleman.”
But Mrs. Dubose yelled, “Not only will you grow up to be nothing, but your father is defending a n****r! Your father is no better than the n****s and trash he works for!” Jem and I couldn’t believe that Mrs. Dubose could be so mean and so racist.
On our way by her house later in the day, Mrs. Dubose was not on the porch. Jem was overcome with anger for what she had said about Atticus, and broke the promise he had made to Atticus to hold his head high and be a gentleman. He ruined Mrs. Dubose’s flower bush. He cut the flowers off of every bush in her yard. He was so mad!
We went home and waited for Atticus. We knew he would be mad. Finally Atticus showed up holding a crushed flower. “Are you responsible for this?”
“Yes sir,” Jem replied quietly.
“Why’d you do it?”
Jem said softly, “She said you lawed for n****s and trash.” Jem was obviously feeling really bad about what he had done. He had his head down.
Atticus said, “I understand that people have been giving you a hard time about the fact that I’m defending Tom Robinson, but to do something like this to a sick old lady is inexcusable . I strongly advise you to go down and have a talk with Mrs. Dubose. Come straight home afterward.”
