Courage by Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird, Antigone and Rosa Parks

Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” To accomplish anything, one must overcome his fears. Atticus Finch thinks courage is to know that you are going to lose, but continue follow through the entire way. His mindset is to never give up, even when you know and everyone else knows you are not going to succeed at what you are doing. I agree with Atticus Finch’s definition of courage of that even though all odds are against you, you have to follow through and persevere.

Real courage is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. For example, while Jem and Atticus converse about Mrs. Dubose and her fight against morphine addiction, Atticus states, “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 and see it through no matter what” (112). Courage, as defined by Atticus Finch, doesn’t mean that you have to do something beyond your capabilities and fears, but simply means following through with something you know will not be going in your favor. He demonstrates this in Tom Robinson’s case when even though the prejudice townspeople and jury were not in support of him, he followed his conscience and persevered through the fight. In addition, when Scout, Jem, and Atticus talk about this one-sided case and the prejudices involved, Atticus simply states, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won" (76). The best thin...

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...for equality and a non-prejudiced society in the minds of most African Americans.

In conclusion, Atticus shows praiseworthy courage and behavior, in many instances, throughout the story; not by fighting or killing, but by standing up for what he believed in a civilized and determined way. His sense of morality and equality motivated him to take the risks he did, and was praised by the African American society for the actions he, as a white man, took to support the blacks. In many other instances people were able to display courage, and some good came out of it. Antigone pleased the gods but payed the price for taking unimaginable actions. Rosa Parks sparked a sense of freedom from racism and segregation in the minds of many. Courage is taking risky actions, of which even if you have slight chances of success, you continue to follow through with it and never give up.