Defining Courage in 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Harper Lee’s definition of “courage” is still fighting for something when you know that you will most likely fail. As Harper Lee wrote in To Kill a Mockingbird “It’s when you know you’re likcked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (Lee 149). There are a few characters that stand out show courage in To Kill a Mockingbird and those characters are Scout, Atticus, and Mrs. Dubose. My first example of a character supporting Harper Lee’s definition of courage is, “‘Simply because we were licked a hundred years before is no reason for us not to try to win,’ Atticus said” (Lee 101). Cecil Jacobs said that Atticus defended niggers at school. Scout said that he wasn’t but asked Atticus about it when she went

He said that the man’s name was Tom Robinson and he goes to Calpurnia’s church and that he and his family are “clean-living folks”. He is explaining to Scout that he thinks that this is the one case in his life that will make a difference in himself. Scout asked him if they were going to win and he said “no” she asked “why” and he replied with this quote. Atticus shows courage because he knows that they are not going to but that does not mean that they should not try and win. This shows exactly what Harper Lee’s definition of courage is because her definition is knowing that you’re licked and still trying any way. Atticus wants to at least try and help Tom Robinson because he knows that if he doesn’t then probably no one will. My second example of a character supporting Harper Lee’s definition of courage is, “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away” (Lee 102). Cecil Jacobs had just called Atticus a disgrace and bad talking him again and Scout was going to punch him to defend her father’s honor. But then she remembered what she had promised Atticus. She had promised him that she would not fight about anything pertaining to Atticus. She did not fight