What happens?

Jem gets infuriated when Mrs Dubose continually hurls insults at him and Scout and his father. One day when she isn't on her porch, Jem jumps into her yard and severs Mrs Dubose's camellias. "He did not begin to calm down until he had cut the tops off every camellia bush Mrs Dubose owned". For punishment, Atticus makes Jem read to Mrs Dubose for a month. It takes slightly longer than this but Atticus still makes him go.

Why is this significant?

Although we sometimes think Jem is mature, things like this show that he has the childlike quality of acting before thinking. On the whole, he was standing up for Atticus's honour, but he did a silly thing. It is significant because it shows us how we shouldn't judge a book by its cover (Deceptive Appearance). Mrs Dubose seems like a mean lady to the reader - and she is to an extent - but she is also not of her right mind when she is coming off the drugs. Atticus acknowledges that half the time she had no idea what she was saying. To judge a person like this is unfair. This is why Atticus gets Jem to read to her. To help her overcome her addiction but also to teach Jem that with most people there is more than meets the eye.

What does this tell us about  -

Jem

It tells us that Jem values his family. He learns to be selfless and that sometimes you have to do things for other people to help them. He learns a great lesson about courage - that it is about fighting the demons/ battle within you and winning. This is true strength.

Atticus

Atticus doesn't judge. He knows that everyone has their own situation and that no one is fit to pass judgement until they have walked in the other person's 'skin'. It takes a lot of humility to ignore comments made about you (racist comments) but Atticus seems to do this. He thinks about circumstances surrounding the insult and takes it from there. He would never begrudge anyone speaking nasty about him defending Tom Robinson because he knows that it comes from a social point of view rather than personal.

Mrs Dubose

Mrs Dubose is addicted to morphine. She knows that she's about to die and she wants to overcome her addiction. She knows that with Jem reading to her everyday, her mind will be occupied and she will forget that she needs morphine. This happens everyday and each time the reading is extended.

Mrs Dubose wanted to die "beholden to no one" and in the end she ended up "the bravest person" Atticus ever knew.