In part one of To Kill a Mockingbird, my favorite part would be the section on Mrs. Dubose, from the part when Jem trashes her flowers to her death, and how Atticus makes him read to her. What I inferred from this is Atticus was trying to teach Jem that she wasn't a bad person, and Atticus was once again enforcing the "learn for yourself" idea. I think he wanted Jem to read to Mrs. Dubose because he wanted him to see for himself how sick she was and to learn not to hold a grudge and forgive people. He wants his children to find the good in people. I think this shows when Atticus says "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."
I think Harper Lee included this part in the story because he's saying to be good to people, no matter how bad they are to you. It enhances the tone of the story and makes it more earnest in a way that it shows sincerity and seriousness, but it shows how wise and clever Atticus is. The author is trying to show the significance of the chapter is to basically find the light in the dark (find the good in the worst of people).
I think Harper Lee included this part in the story because he's saying to be good to people, no matter how bad they are to you. It enhances the tone of the story and makes it more earnest in a way that it shows sincerity and seriousness, but it shows how wise and clever Atticus is. The author is trying to show the significance of the chapter is to basically find the light in the dark (find the good in the worst of people).
