courage in to kill a mocking b

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…put her on as a pain-killer for her illness. Atticus wanted his children to see her an example of true courage because even though she knew she was going to die, Mrs. Dubose wanted to be free of her addiction. Atticus tells Jem that courage is about more than men with guns, it's knowing you're going to lose but sticking to your views and fighting anyway. Mrs. Dubose won, because she died beholden to nothing.