Context: One day, as Jem and Scout passed by Mrs. Dubose house, she called them and started to say that their father was a "nigger lover". Jem, angry that people kept saying this about his father, destroyed Mrs. Dubose flowers with Scout's recently buyed toy. In order to compensate the damage and to teach Jem a lesson, Atticus ordered him to go each day and read to Mrs. Dubose for the time she wanted. After Mrs, Dubose passed away, Atticus tells him about her morphine addiction and explain more thoroughly why he ordered him to do such a job.
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hands. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” (pg 149)
Lessons:
Jem learned that he must get into other people's shoes in order to understand what they are going through and how this may affect the way they behave.
He also learn that a person must always stay strong to what he believes even if people criticize or despise you for this. This is real courage and most people don't have what it takes in order to do this.
Finally, Jem learned that sometimes you got to go through some things that you may not like in order to keep up with your principles and what you believe (Atticus taking Tom Robinson's case knowing that he will lose).
