Atticus Finch Courage

Courage is the ability to act upon your moral beliefs without fear, regardless of difficulties. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is a defense attorney who fights for a black man accused of rape. Atticus goes against what is accepted by the town, in an effort to bestow justice upon a man who is wrongfully judged by his race. Mamie Till-Mobley plays a leading role in sparking the civil rights movement, in her novel Death of Innocence. Mamie used her son’s horrific death to exemplify just how hateful people could be. While Atticus and Mamie both fought courageous fights against social injustice, there were many differences between their struggles.

The origins Atticus’s courage to serve in his case are clearly

demonstrated when he replies to his daughter’s inquiry about his involvement by saying, “…if I didn’t… I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again,” (Lee 75). Atticus believes that he has to defend the innocent black man to provide an acceptable example of morals to his children. He utilizes the case to sustain his own moral character and to reassure himself that he is making sound decisions. His courage is not from endeavoring to make any extensive change, but is merely from trying to do what he feels is just. Atticus was still showing immense bravery by defending a black man in a time of such racial oppression as the 1930s. Mamie Till-Mobley’s bravery and determination is a result of her desire for justice. She is motivated by her desire to inspire change by demonstrating how misguided and brutal racial hatred is to the world. Mamie’s courageous fight leads her to use her son’s death as a tool for edification on social injustice. Her speeches and the appearance of her son’s body drove millions to join the growing civil rights movement of the 1950s.
In her novel following her son’s death, Mamie Till-Mobley wrote, “’Someone is going to pay for this,’ I declared.

‘The entire state of Mississippi is going to pay,’” (151). Mamie was able to fight for civil rights with such valor because she had lost her own son as a result of racial hatred. This personal involvement gave her the determination to become a considerable and well recognized leader of the civil rights movement. It is plausible that, due to Atticus’s lesser personal involvement, he did not have the extensive source of bravery that Mamie was provided with. He received only negative publicity from his involvement in the trial and his main motivation that kept him in the fight was his virtue. As a black woman living in the north, Mamie was able to draw from the support of both her family and the community. Atticus received very little support from both his family and the southern town of Maycomb, in which he lived. Atticus also went into his trial knowing that he had limited chances of winning a favorable outcome. Despite this, he possessed the fearlessness to accept the trial and expend countless amounts of time and effort on it. In contrast, Mamie believed that she could achieve success in the trials for her son. Even after both trials proved futile, she recognized the opportunity that her son’s death presented to spread the word of racial injustice. Doubt never cast itself upon Mamie like it did

Atticus.
Although there were ample difference between the courageous fights of Mamie and Atticus, there were some similarities as well. Mamie wrote in her novel that, “The threats had been coming in and she knew about them,” (149). Both Mamie and Atticus put themselves, and families, in danger by battling against what is widely accepted at the time. They both had the perseverance to continue to fight against juries that were all white and clearly biased against blacks. They dared to express that skin color should not determine the rights of an individual. Atticus maintained his beliefs although they were often questioned and even was able to persuade others to accept his way of thinking. Mamie inspired thousands to change their views through her speeches and by showing her son’s beaten body. Both Atticus and Mamie acquired the strength to continue their fights from their unyielding beliefs in their causes.
Varying forms of fortitude were demonstrated in Atticus’s battle in court and Mamie’s push for civil rights. Living in a different time period and community than Atticus gave Mamie support and the opportunity to have the success that Atticus never could obtain. Contrasting motivations led to different levels of emotional commitment to the causes that they both supported. Mamie drew confidence from the knowledge that she had a chance to succeed, while Atticus acknowledged that his battle was an almost sure defeat. The power of courage can be utilized to overcome adversity in a multitude of ways.