“You know, she was a great lady.”
“A lady?” Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. “After all those things she said about you, a lady?”
– Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 11. Atticus to Jem on Mrs. Dubose, who has died. Though Mrs. Dubose, a morphine addict who was able to conquer that addiction with Jem’s help, could be racist and harsh, Atticus admired her courage in braving the pains of morphine withdrawal. To Jem she was a woman who said mean things about his father defending Tom Robinson.