#8221; Mrs Dubose also shows this type of courage right up until her death. This is when she attempts to rid herself of her drug addiction to morphine, even though she knows she is going to die. “She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody.” Atticus calls her the “bravest woman he ever knew.” He wants to teach the children to realise that courage comes from within. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is the man with the gun in his hand.”The main theme in To Kill a Mocking Bird is of prejudice and hatred. This lesson of “how to treat people and behave” is taught to Jem and Scout in different ways and by different characters in the book. In Maycomb there is a heavy line that separates the white and Negro’s. This often means that violence is more likely to break time. Atticus tries to teach Jem and Scout how the causes of violence can be removed. He does this by pleading for tolerance. “Keep those fists down.” Boo Radley is a great example of prejudice in Maycomb is based upon rumours rather than fact. The community’s fear exaggerates his activities. Examples of this include his “so-called ” eating cats and squirrels raw. At the start of the novel Boo is a “monster” to the children, this opinion is not helped or put straight in chapter one when Stephanie Crawford describes him. It is obvious at this time in the story of the influence she has over the children. “Miss Crawford said he was so upright he took the word of god as his only law.” Aunt Alexandra shares very similar views to Miss Crawford. Both characters try to teach the children to “go with public opinion” than to create unique views of their own. Miss Maudie on the other hand bases her opinion on fact and has a much more positive influence on the children....
