The Different Acts of Courage in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Courage is a deed that can be portrayed in many ways. In the Historical Fiction novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there are many acts of racism and problematic cases where acts of courage are demonstrated in different and unique ways that can only be deciphered if one reads in between the lines of the words. There are three characters in particular who show courage in diverse ways. First, there is Arthur Radley who anonymously shows courage by performing tasks that cause him to face the outside world where he’s been isolated from for so long. Secondly, there is Scout Finch who demonstrates courage through her adolescent age. Lastly, there is Atticus Finch who displays courage through his selfless and kind actions. Therefore, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses diverse characters to represent different acts of courage.
Arthur Radley represents emotional courage by putting his own feelings aside for the sake of helping out others and he does it all while being unidentified. During the book when Jem rips his pants and leaves them behind on the Radley’s property, Arthur decides to fix them up for him and place them back where he found them so that Jem can easily come
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‘Atticus, I don’t know sir…’” (Lee 71).
This passage from the book is proof that Arthur wants his acts of courage to be anonymous. This also proves that he is brave enough to come out of his house, which he never leaves so that he can be of aid. Some time after, Jem and Scout find themselves being hunted down by Bob Ewell. Arthur does take his own well-being into account before racing out and helping the children:
“[Bob] slowly squeezed the breath out of [Scout]. [She] could not move. Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying [her] with him” (Lee
Courage is the ladder on which other themes in to kill a mockingbird mount on. With courage people tend to take risks, have strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. How many times have you considered yourself as courageous? At the end of the novel, you see reasons why being courageous could help you as a reader live a better and braver life. In Conclusion, courage is the foundation of integrity.
Throughout the novel Atticus, Boo and Jem demonstrate, through actions, the important theme that everyone is brave in their own way. Atticus Finch shows through his actions that bravery can show up in many different ways. Although he lives in Alabama, surrounded by racists, Atticus shows extreme bravery in the way he defends Tom Robinson. Not only does Atticus defend Tom Robinson’s case in the courtroom, he also pours his heart and soul into protecting Robinson and his whole family from the angry mobs of Maycomb. When Atticus explains to Scout and Jem, “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again,” he models bravery and the importance of doing the right thing even under the most difficult circumstances (Lee 75).
"Courage isn't an absence of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory." ~John Maxwell. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout (Jean Louise Finch), Jem (Jeremy Atticus Finch), and Atticus Finch display acts of valor that contribute, and in some cases encourage their rectitude. Harper Lee demonstrates that acting courageously can lead to an improved, sustained, or newly developed personal integrity.
Webster's dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." According to Atticus Finch, one of the main characters in To Kill A Mockingbird, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." (Chapter 11, Page 124) No matter how you define it, Harper Lee definitely portrays the theme of courage in this book. It is one of the most predominant themes and is shown in many of the characters. All of the characters have a different view as to what courage is and they all show it a different way, however they do show courage in their everyday lives.
Courage is the thing which can be found in a child to an old man. It needs a lot of courage to take out courage from the heart. It is like a brain. It depends on the person, how and when he uses it. This tiny word has the power to convey the whole gesture of a person. According to Harper Lee?s genius ?To Kill a Mockingbird?, Courage is when you know you are licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through it through no matter what.
Both Arthur Radley and Tom Robinson are innocent victims to judgment by others in Maycomb. Superstitious attributes follow Arthur, while Tom is struck by racism and prejudice. Arthur Radley is thought of as an intimidating, phantom-like person. As Jem is describing Arthur to Dill, he tells him “inside the house lived a malevolent phantom” (Lee 8). Jem’s behavior represents the community’s perception of Arthur. Another way Arthur is misjudged is by the nickname that was given to him; “Boo”. This nickname was developed by the pe...
Harper Lee achieved the most important dream of a writer; her book is timeless. The theme of To Kill a Mockingbird, courage, is one that no one can deny is a central idea not only in the novel but also in life. People believe that courage is something that everyone is born with, but I disagree. Atticus once told Scout, “"They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions," said Atticus, "but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.” Only courageous people can teach others to stand up for what they truly believe in.
Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird In To Kill a Mockingbird, by author Harper Lee, several of the characters in the book share a similar character trait. Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley all show courage throughout the book in their own individual ways. In different events, all three characters were faced with a challenge that they could either turn away from and accept or try to defeat. In Lee’s novel, a few of the main events that occur in the book include Atticus Finch defending a black man, Mrs. Dubose is challenged with overcoming an addiction, and Boo Radley must brave the outdoors to save the Radley children. Throughout the book, the characters change and one begins to understand what life in the small town of Maycomb is like, as the Finch family and friends grow and mature throughout the events happening while encountering social prejudice, courage, and the mockingbirds of life.
Courage is shown in many various different aspects of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. Courage is portrayed as characters overcome certain circumstances that is difficult for them. Such as addiction, standing up against issues like racism. The characters in the novel are very courageous which shows the people of the town that they should not discriminate against people.
Courage is not something that we are born with, it is a skill that takes time to learn and only a few are lucky enough to have it. To Kill a Mockingbird is not only about life in a world full of hate, it is about standing up for anyone’s beliefs being brave enough to do it. In this story, Harper Lee says “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Lee 112). In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates courage through Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose, and Arthur Radley.
Jem's definition of bravery changes as he grows up; he gains insight and experience of the world around him. At the beginning of the story, Jem only thought of bravery as touching the side of the Radley house, only because "in all his life, [he] had never declined a dare. (pg 13)" However, as the story continues, Jem learns about courage from several events. Upon hearing about a trial where a black person's been prosecuted, Atticus decides, as a lawyer, to defend that person. Atticus chose to defend Tom Robinson, an African American, because it's the right thing to do, and no one else wanted to ,or had the bravery to. "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win, (pg 76)" he said to Scout and Jem when Scout asked. Atticus was courageous for doing something just, even though it's not encouraged. Jem also learns a different kind of courage after learning about Mrs. Dubose's fight with a morphine addiction. Jem and Scout disliked Mrs. Dubose because she was quite a mean person. Later, they were glad they didn't have to read to her anymore. Atticus told Jem that Mrs. Dubose simply had her own views on things, and that her fits were from her addiction. Atticus made Jem read to her and explained, "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway According to [Mrs. Dubose's] views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew. (pg 112)" This is similar to Atticus's choice to defend Tom.
Without courageous people, human society would not progress. This is evident in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whereby a few heroic individuals inspire transformations in a racist community. One of the characters who shows bravery is Tom Robinson. Even though he knows he will most likely lose, he goes on trial and fights for justice and truth. Another person who displays inner strength is Boo Radley. He is able to break out of his comfort zone and stand up for what is right, despite his fear. The most daring character in the novel is Atticus Finch. Although most of the town is against him, he continues onward and faces hatred with dignity and respect. Each of these extraordinary individuals represent Harper Lee’s belief that real courage is doing the right thing, even if it requires standing up against the majority.
Oxford dictionary defines courage as strength in the face of pain or grief. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize award winning novel, challenges reader to contemplate the uncomfortable questions regarding prejudicial treatment of African Americans in the deep South in the 1930s. Lee encompasses a coming-of-age novel in which the audience follows the maturation of the protagonist, Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Atticus Finch, Scout's widowed father proves to be an extraordinary influence on Scout as Atticus attempts to instill moral nature in Scout. When Atticus is presented the task of defending Negro, Tom Robinson, convicted of rape, the Finch family deals with harsh criticism from society. Throughout the novel, Scout encounters
Courage exists in several forms in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. As defined by Atticus Finch, real courage "…when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (149). The novel explores the how this real courage can be shown in different ways through the lives of many characters in Maycomb, particularly, Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Their courage is evident through their lifestyle, actions, and beliefs.
Variety of Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird “Courage isn’t a man with a gun in his hands” (Lee 112). From the beginning of the story, some of the characters thought courage is someone with a gun, but as it progressed it became clearer that Courage never had anything to do with guns. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how courage is in different forms physical, social and moral courage through the characters of the novel. To start off, Jem is a character who shows Physical courage through the actions of him getting shot when he goes back to retrieve his pants from the Radley’s house after Nathan had already shot at him, “Mr. Nathan had the other barrel waiting for the next sound he hears” (56). That shows Physical courage because