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who is mrs. henry lafayette dubose? what do you think mrs. dubose means when she says atticus’s decision to defend tom robinson is ""going against his raising?"" what do her comments reveal about racism in maycomb?

User EOG
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Final answer:

Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose is a character in "To Kill a Mockingbird" who criticizes Atticus Finch for defending Tom Robinson, implying he's betraying his upbringing. Her comments expose the deep-seated racism in Maycomb.

Step-by-step explanation:

Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose is a character from Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird." She is an elderly, ill-tempered, racist woman who lives in Maycomb. When Mrs. Dubose says that Atticus Finch is "going against his raising" by defending Tom Robinson, a black man, she is implying that Atticus is betraying the racist beliefs he would have been brought up with in the South. Her comments reflect the entrenched racism in Maycomb society, where the expectation is that white people will adhere to certain social rules, including racial discrimination. As Atticus has chosen to defend Tom Robinson, he is seen as violating the community's racist norms, thus raising the ire of people like Mrs. Dubose.

User Sijia Din
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