The camellia flower inside the cardboard box symbolizes Mrs. Dubose's courage and integrity. Throughout the novel, Mrs. Dubose is characterized as the unapologetic racist who insults the Finch family every chance she gets. After Jem wreaks havoc on her camellia bush, Atticus forces him to read to her every afternoon, except on Sundays. Jem and Scout learn that Mrs. Dubose was battling a terminal illness, and her final goal in life was to break her...
The camellia flower inside the cardboard box symbolizes Mrs. Dubose's courage and integrity. Throughout the novel, Mrs. Dubose is characterized as the unapologetic racist who insults the Finch family every chance she gets. After Jem wreaks havoc on her camellia bush, Atticus forces him to read to her every afternoon, except on Sundays. Jem and Scout learn that Mrs. Dubose was battling a terminal illness, and her final goal in life was to break her morphine addiction. Jem's reading kept her occupied between doses of morphine until her tolerance was high enough that she could break her habit. Atticus tells the children that she was the bravest person he had ever met. As a token of appreciation and a symbol of remembrance, Mrs. Dubose leaves a candy box for Jem with a white camellia inside of it. The color of the camellia is significant because white symbolizes purity. Mrs. Dubose died a pure individual without an addiction, "beholden to nothing and nobody." (Lee 148) Unlike Mrs. Dubose's ruined bush, the perfect camellia in the cardboard box symbolizes her integrity and courage. Mrs. Dubose's integrity remained intact, just like the camellia she gave to Jem, despite her illness.
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