Jem Destroys Mrs. Dubose's Camellias

Mrs. Dubose, a cantankerous old woman, repeatedly insults Atticus for defending a black man. On the way home from town, Jem, enraged by her latest tirade, snatches Scout's baton and savagely cuts the tops off all of Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes. He snaps the baton in two. Atticus forces Jem to apologize and to read to Mrs. Dubose every afternoon for a month as punishment. Jem reluctantly agrees, dreading the daily ordeal. The incident marks a turning point in Jem's understanding of patience and moral courage.