Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

Atticus Finch exhibits the greatest form of courage as he faces the rape trial of Tom Robinson head on; no matter how much he does not want to or feels that he has no chance of winning the case, Atticus feels as if refusing to defend this innocent man is against his morals. Carolyn Jones effectively explains Atticus’ immense courage in her commentary, “Atticus allows himself to be the target of an irrational force and to absorb its violence as he acts to protect innocent people (147). As he did when he encountered Tim Johnson, the rabid dog, Atticus puts his life on the line for others, and this, in the eyes of his children and other Maycomb citizens, takes a great amount of courage. Atticus knows that Tom has a very small chance of winning

his case, but he feels as if refusing to serve this innocent man is morally wrong. Atticus says, “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” (Lee 149). The courage it takes to do a job no other man is willing to do is a great example to Atticus’ children. Scout is motivated to follow in her father’s footsteps as she shows her own forms of courage.
Scout Finch, a naïve, growing child, demonstrates the utmost courage throughout Harper Lee’s novel; this child suffers through the criticism of her father; she runs into a mob of angry, drunk men to rescue Atticus; she refuses to fight due to the promise she makes Atticus; and she still upholds a strong, courageous mentality. Carolyn Jones examines the mob scene and clearly exhibits Scout’s courage by saying, “Scout’s presence and her personalization of the mob, her singling out Mr. Cunningham…disrupts the mob psychology, ending the danger. Only later does Scout realize the implications of what she has witnessed” (150). Ultimately, Scout saves her father’s life by dispersing the mob and, later, realizes that she changed the heart and mindset of one of the jurors causing a drawn out jury deliberation. However, it is not until later that Scout realizes the courage that she possesses.
The title To Kill a Mockingbird presents the last major life lesson that Harper Lee stresses through her novel: Jem and Scout learn why it is a sin to kill an innocent songbird through the examples of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.

When the Finch children receive air-rifles for Christmas from their Uncle Jack, Atticus’ brother, Atticus immediately renders this vital lesson. The lesson itself seems quite simple, but as Lee’s novel continues, it holds a much broader value. Atticus intently stresses, “Shoot all the bluejays you want…but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 119). Later, Mrs. Maudie Atkinson, a close neighbor and family friend, explains Atticus’ reasoning, “Mockingbird’s don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy…they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us” (Lee 119). Atticus and Mrs. Maudie Atkinson are not talking about a literal bird but rather a human; a mortal figure that devotes his or her life to peaceful and beautiful acts, and in return, the mockingbird shall be treated with the same respect and kindness that he or she exhibits daily. The question then becomes, “How should one treat a mockingbird?” When confronted with this question, Kobe Dickerson, a sophomore from Anniston High School, said, “Treat them how you would want to be treated” (Boster 2). Even after Mrs. Maudie’s explanation, Jem and Scout do not fully understand the reasoning behind Atticus’ intent on not wounding a mockingbird; they must, first, face trials of

their own, literally and emotionally. Their trials come in the forms of Boo Radley and Tom Robinson.
Tom Robinson is symbolized as a mockingbird due to his innocence in the rape trial of Mayella Ewell. The testimony of Tom Robinson compared to that of his accusers contradict greatly. Mayella Ewell and her father make this innocent African American man out to be something he is not: a monster. In reality, the only monster is Mr. Bob Ewell himself. Unfortunately, due to his skin color, Robinson stands no chance defending himself of a crime he did not commit. Harper Lee writes, “Tom was a dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed” (323). This is an example of Tom Robinson’s innocence being demolished by wicked intentions or, as one might see it, killing a mockingbird. One source effectively explains, “The result of Tom is the act of slaying a mockingbird; he was compassionate but undeservedly lost his life, just because of society’s prejudice over his ethnicity” (NG 1). Tom Robinson loses all source of hope and credibility the second he steps foot into the Ewell home; from that moment on, Robinson’s act of kindness turns into a false accusation of rape, and it becomes his word against a white man’s word, which is a losing battle in itself. After the news of Tom’s death has spread around Maycomb, Mr. Underwood compares the tragedy to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds” (Lee 323). The only problem found within Mr. Underwood’s statement or the mindset of other men who see the innocence Tom is no one stands up for Robinson during the trial; no man tries to protect Tom Robinson like they do Boo Radley, both of whom are mockingbirds.
Boo Radley, better known as the town recluse, is a mockingbird, however he lives day to day confined within the walls of his home; due to his unusual seclusion, the townspeople gossip while the children imagine what this creature looks like and, ultimately, plot a way to peek at this unknown individual.

Over the duration of three years, the period in which Harper Lee’s novel takes place, Boo Radley, unbeknown to the children, shows signs of affection and a desire for an outside relationship to Scout and Jem. Scout, realizing Boo Radley’s secret displays of love and mockingbird qualities, says, “He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good luck pennies, and our lives” (Lee 373). It is impossible to say that Boo Radley was not watching over these children, especially the night of Scout’s pageant. However, it is also impossible to say that Boo did not kill Bob Ewell, Scout and Jem’s attacker, but one is to remember that it is a sin to kill a mockingbird. Alan T. Belsches states, “When Boo saves [Jem and Scout’s] lives by killing Bob Ewell in the woods behind the school, they learn to respect his privacy and his desire to remain hidden from the probing eyes of the community” (2). Boo, over the years, watches over the Finch children in silence, and by leaving gifts and ultimately saving their lives, he beautifully represents his title of a mockingbird; Boo Radley is not a scary being, but instead, he is a harmless individual who does not deserve or desire

the exploitation of killing Scout and Jem’s attacker. The decision to preserve Boo’s innocence in the case was not difficult; Scout even understood the significance behind Sheriff Tate’s choice. Speaking directly to her father, Scout maturely states, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it? (Lee 370).
A child’s mind is capable of grasping the most complex ideas, but unless he or she is taught properly, one will never learn. Children are curious about the most insignificant of details; they are lured in by extravagant stories, like the gossip of Boo Radley or the lies about Tom Robinson, and they tend to overlook the fine line between reality and their imagination. Alan Lenhoff included in his commentary, “The book made me think that curiosity is strong when we are children, but starts to die when we grow older” (3). It is a parent’s job to correct a child and teach him or her the most important lessons of life before curiosity begins to wither away. Atticus does not allow his children to overstep their boundaries without teaching them the morals and values that are vital in life. Scout, eavesdropping on the conversation between her father and Uncle Jack, says, “I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until many years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said” (Lee 117). The role of a single father does not slow Atticus Finch down; he faces every trial head on, and he never allows Jem or Scout to become blind to the world.