This attack resulted in his own death, but two more innocent people's lives had been put at risk because of such a horrible, cruel person and his actions. However insignificant one individual person may seem, it's frightening to think about how much harm one small person can cause. Four characters lives were either ruined or drastically changed by that one horrible man - Tom Robinson, who was convicted for a crime he did not commit; Mayella Ewell, who's emotional scars of abuse will never heal; and Jem and Scout who were forced to learn how unfair life can really be, because of him. The lesson they were faced with was one that would stay with them for as long as they lived, and that lesson was how one person's cruel actions can affect so many innocent people, and change their lives forever.
.
Jem and Scout came to realize, throughout their final years of childhood, that you can not truly judge someone until you know them and their situation. The children were quick to jump to the conclusion that their neighbour Mrs. Dubose was a mean, nasty old witch. It wasn't hard to understand why when she would holler things such as, "Don't you say hey to me, you ugly girl!" (Lee, p. 99) as they came to pass her house. Hers was one they ran past quickly in fear of her belittling comments. Little did they know that old Mrs. Dubose was slowly trying to wean herself off of her addiction to morphine so that she could die with dignity - a feat that would surely leave even the highest of spirits feeling low. As punishment for ruining Mrs. Dubose's beautiful flowers in a fit of provoked rage, Jem was sentenced to read to the old woman every day following school. It was only after she died that the children came to realize that Jem had merely been a distraction to her while she fought an ongoing battle with her addiction. Had they not been so quick to judge her, perhaps they would have seen Mrs. Dubose in the same light that Atticus did when he said that, "she was the bravest person I ever knew.