What does Jem do for Mrs Dubose in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'?

Since one day he got really angry with Mrs. Dubose and smashes her flower garded, his punishment is to read to her every day after school until she says so. She is battling a drug addiction, and every day she focuses on Jem's reading to try to increase the time she can go without it. This continues until she dies, and then Atticus shows Jem the flower Mrs. Dubose gave to Jem and he explains that in his mind she was a hero because at the end of her life she was free from her drug adiction even thought the odds were all against her- he believes it takes a true hero to fight for something they believe in even when the odds are stacked against them. So that's why Jem begins to admire Mrs. Dubose, he sees that she was free right at the end of her life and he saw the courage that took.