Mrs. Dubose's looming house was mentioned in the novel before the character herself was mentioned: "...our summertime boundaries (within calling distance of Calpurnia) were Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose's house two doors to the north of us, and the Radley Place three doors to the south"(To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 1). In the same paragraph, Mrs. Dubose was mentioned in a very negative light. According to Scout, "Mrs. Dubose was plain hell." Scout found Mrs. Dubose to be a frightening figure in the neighborhood. She was an elderly lady who frequently sat on her porch and shouted rude comments to Scout and Jem as they walked by. They thought Mrs. Dubose was a very unkind person.
When Scout greeted Mrs. Dubose one afternoon, the woman angrily corrected her informal greeting. She also called Scout ugly. This was one of the reasons why Scout described Mrs. Dubose as being "plain hell." Mrs. Dubose also insulted Atticus for defending Tom Robinson in court. This enraged Jem, who took revenge on her by hacking the tops of her camellias off.
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