Witty, genuine, caring, perceptive, unbiased, unselfish, strong, and honest, Miss Maudie Atkinson is an “upstanding citizen” in Maycomb. She takes care of her yard, embellishing it with lovely flowers; she bakes goodies for her young neighbors.

Miss Maudie Atkinson is anything but a typical Maycomb white woman. She thinks for herself, treats all people as equally human, and shares Atticus’s conviction that Tom Robinson deserves a fair trial. She is one of the most likable characters in the book. Miss Maudie loves to be outside gardening.

The Finch children view Miss Maudie as their friend and enjoy her presence. Miss Maudie is kind toward Jem, Scout, and Dill, and she allows them to run around in her yard as long as they do not trample her azaleas.

Miss Maudie is a female “Atticus” and role model to Scout in teaching her how to be herself yet be able to adapt to situations and to change her ideas when necessary. Miss Maudie’s ability to fit in and still maintain her values and integrity cause her to be a “chameleon” who changes with society’s expectations.

One of the main reasons Miss Maudie claims to have hated her old home is because she has an affinity for being outside and gardening. Miss Maudie cannot stand being cooped up in her home and would prefer to spend the majority of her waking hours outside.

Before the action in Chapter 5, Scout and Jem regard Miss Maudie as a “relatively benign presence,” as she allows them to play in her front yard, eat her scuppernongs, and roam about her expansive back lot. They don’t speak to her much, afraid of upsetting the “delicate balance” they have achieved with her.

Thanks to Miss Maudie, Scout learns that it’s okay for ladies to potter around the garden wearing a straw hat and men’s coveralls. Miss Maudie also teaches Scout that it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird. What she means by this is that there are creatures who are put on this earth to do nothing but good.

Scout and Miss Maudie “cement” their friendship with a display of Miss Maudie’s bridgework on her teeth, and Scout, Jem and Dill also enjoy the cakes she bakes, especially as she makes a particular effort on their behalf.

What does Miss Maudie think of the Radleys? She thinks they have a right to do whatever they want to do as long as they are not bothering anyone else, and she believes they have a right to their privacy. Why do Dill and Jem want to give Boo Radley a note? What does Atticus say when he finds out about their plan?

During these encounters, Jem learns courage; to control his emotions; to pursue the right course of action even when it is distasteful (or even appalling); and to turn a blind eye to what is distressing.

However, when Jem opened the box, his “eyes nearly popped out of his head”. This idiom shows how Jem is unable to see that good does exist in every person, including Mrs Dubose. He believes that Mrs Dubose is playing him from the dead and that she won’t leave him alone.

Mrs. Dubose dies a little more than a month after Jem’s punishment ends. Atticus reveals to Jem that she was addicted to morphine and that the reading was part of her successful effort to combat this addiction.

Dubose was a morphine addict. Her fits were a result of the withdrawal. She knew she didn’t have much time, and she was determined to kick the habit before she died.

One day, Scout tries to ask Atticus what “rape” is, and the subject of the children’s trip to Calpurnia’s church comes up. Scout discovers something under her bed. She calls Jem in and they discover Dill hiding there. Dill has run away from home because his mother and new father did not pay enough attention to him.