Essay On How Does Atticus Finch Show Courage

All people face battles in their lives. Some may be big, and some may be small but nonetheless it is a battle, so don't judge someone unless you know what they are going through. A lot of people say “Don't judge a book by its cover.” Although corny, that's exactly what I mean. In To Kill A Mockingbird you can see how many of the characters show courage. Some of them have battles, and a theme in this novel is you don't know what battle someone is facing.

Atticus Finch is one of the many characters who shows courage in this story. He shows courage because despite what his family and the rest of the town believed about Tom Robinson, Atticus took the case of Tom Robinson V. Mayella Ewell knowing what everyone would think of him. When the

Finches visited Uncle Jack for Christmas, we got the truth about how Aunt Alexandra and Francis felt about Atticus. “Francis called Atticus somethin’, an’ I wasn't about to take it off of him… A nigger-lover” (Lee 71). Aunt Alexandra and her family thought Atticus was just a nigger lover and at that time, that was considered to be a bad thing. He believed what he was doing was the right thing, and needed to stand up for an innocent man. Even though he was guilty, Atticus stood by his side and fought the best they both could. Both Tom Robinson and Atticus both show courage.
Boo Radley is another great example of someone who showed courage throughout the book.

He showed courage when he stood up for himself and stabbed his abusive father. Boo took actions into his own hands and although tragic, he had done what need to be done. After he had killed his father, he stayed inside his home for most of his life. He made no contact with the outside world and so the town judged him, even though they didn't know him. He showed courage again when he came out of his house to save Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell by killing him. Mr. Ewell would have killed the kids, so Boo took the knife and stabbed Mr. Ewell to protect the two

children.
Among the many people showing courage, I believe that Mrs.

Dubose showed it the most, and in the hardest way. Scout and Jem, along with most of the town, thought she was a cranky, mean old lady that was just simply rude. Little did they know that she was facing a battle that was tough. “She was sick for a long time. Son, didn't know what her fits were?..... Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict, said Atticus. She took it as a pain-killer for years” (Lee 92). She spent all those years sick, and all alone in her house with nobody to look after her and morphine was the one thing that made her feel better. The town judged her and didn't know that she was facing a battle with morphine addiction. When she died, Ms. Dubose was referred to as a mean old lady with a morphine addiction.

Mayella Ewell was confronted with a battle with her father and showed courage by living with him for many years. She didn't stand up to him and tell the court what was happening and who was beating her. She was a victim, not of Tom Robinson, but of her father. She had an abusive father that would abuse her physically, sexually, and emotionally. It would have been great if she showed, even more, courage by finally exposing the Mr. Ewell she

knew.
In Harper Lee's book, her characters are very courageous. Some show it in other ways than some. This book is about the mystery of people and what is going on in their lives and how it affects them. Something that can be taken out of this book is not just to look at the surface but to actually look deep into someone and maybe try wearing their shoes for a change.