Atticus wanted Scout and Jem to spend time with Mrs. Dubose for several reasons. First, this acted as punishment for Jem taking Scout's baton and knocking the heads off of Mrs. Dubose's camellias. Second, Atticus knew that Mrs. Dubose was trying to detox from her morphine habit, and needed someone to read to her as she went through withdrawal. Third, and most importantly, Atticus wanted his children to learn about empathy and compassion. Mrs. Dubose was a nasty, ugly and difficult old woman who constantly scolded and criticized the children, telling them they would amount to nothing. The children, especially Jem, hated her. Atticus wanted them to learn that humans are more complex than they seem and can be suffering beneath their facades. He wanted them to see that Mrs. Dubose struggled with pain and was a woman of great courage despite her disagreeable personality. He wanted them to view life just a little through her eyes and thus to become less judgmental.
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