Journal #4 Chapters 10, 11, & 12 Perspective: Mrs. Dubose

Dear Diary,

Recently, there was a mad dog on the lose. He was walking sickly by the Radley House, and was spotted first by the Finch children. I got a call from Miss Eula May, warning to close our doors and windows. I’m glad that Atticus was able to isolate and kill the mad dog, who knows what diseases it could bring? I heard from neighbors that Atticus had never told his children about his talent and weren't acquainted. I neither would be proud of such “talent,” but I would have told my children…however I would never consider having them to begin with.

I insulted the Finch children to their faces for the first time. Jem, and Scout adjacent to him. Normally I would have done it to Atticus, but at the time I had to get it out. It’s shameful that Atticus is defending Tom Robinson, and I see no problem in giving the children my opinion. I told Jem and Scout that their father isn’t any better than the niggers and trash he works for. Jem obviously couldn’t take the criticism and blew up with anger. In return to my criticism , Jem decided to take Scout’s baton and chop up all my bushes! That was absolutely unacceptable. In the end, it didn’t matter to me because Jem was punished. He had to come to my house every day and Sunday to read to me. But Scout came with Jem every day anyways, and I always saw how terrified she was inside. Of course they both didn’t know that I wasn’t listening even half of the time. They didn’t know that I had a Morphine addiction. And they wouldn’t know until I was gone. I knew I was to leave this world soon, so I entrusted Jessie in making a thank you gift for Jem. This gift was ingenuous and consisted of a box with a white camellia inside. After everything, I felt bad, and wanted to thank him, so that when I was gone, he would know what was happening the entire time.

I'm now officially dead. My spirit roams Maycomb. I've missed out on some events so far...while I was in the 'nigger' church, I saw Jem and Scout with Ms. Calpurnia. I was not surprised. First Atticus defends that man, and now Jem and Scout are at the wrong church. A woman named Lula was not happy to see them there with Calpurnia, but if I was her, I wouldn't have been happy either. I forgot to mention, Scout was wearing a dress! Finally learning to be a girl. During church, Jem and Scout noticed that their church did not have any hymn books. Instead they did something called, Linin'. That's when everyone repeats after the preacher. The reason that they have Linin' is because one, the church can't afford them, and two, only 4 people out of the church can read. Calpurnia being one of them. A man named Reverend Sykes was asking for money, like they would in a usual church, but this time he was forcing everyone to give enough money so that they could reach 10 dollars. This was for a woman named Helen, who has a baby. Her husband is in jail because he was accused of raping Mr. Bob Ewell's daughter.

Jem and Scout are wondering why Calpurnia actually talks like one of her kind when she's at church, and she simply explains because she doesn't want to aggravate the others.

That's enough for now Diary,
Mrs. Dubose.