Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

Courage allows people to discover who they are in a bold way. Innocence isn’t weakness, but the strength in someone. Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” shows how everyone has courage and innocence inside of them. Lee includes dialogue, symbolism, metaphors, similes, and personification to help show, the theme of courage in the characters. One of the themes that came up is courage. Courage allows people to attempt difficult tasks in their lives, even though the chance of failure is high. Innocence is another theme that emerged in the text. It’s not nativity, but it’s seeing the world through a different set of lens based on experiences.

    In “To Kill a Mockingbird”, courage was revealed by Lee’s use of personification, similes,

and metaphors. “They were folded across the fence like they were expecting me” (Pg. 65) The author used similes to show that someone put Jem’s pants on the fence as if they knew he would be back. Jem was going back to the “haunted house” in their neighborhood because he knew if he was caught without his pants he would be in trouble. He had to have lots of courage to go back to the place they were running from and told scary stories about. Personification was presented to further explain how the pants were “expecting him”. Lee gave the pants human-like characteristics in order to get the idea of someone knowing that Jem would be back across.

Another example of courage within the story is, “She was.

She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe…Son, I told you that if you hadn’t lost your head I’d have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about her. 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 you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do” (Pg. 128). Atticus explained to Jem about how Mrs. Dubose died while getting off of her morphine addiction; that’s what made her the bravest person he knew. Lee is using Mrs. Dubose’s experience as a metaphor for Atticus’s idea of true courage. Not only being a metaphor for Mrs.Dubose but a metaphor for Atticus during the trial. He was “licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what”. The author’s craft moves simile, metaphor and personification were helping the idea of courage in the

story.

    Another theme that was shown is innocence. Lee demonstrates this with symbolism and metaphors. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Pg. 103). Lee is symbolizing a mockingbird to innocence. She is showing that since they do not do anything bad, why should we kill them. Mockingbirds are much like people. Many people, like Boo Radley who does nothing but keep to himself, is a large topic for rumors. Creating rumors about innocent people is much like killing a mockingbird. You shouldn’t start rumors (killing) for innocent people (the mockingbirds) who do absolutely nothing and cause no trouble.

Scout saves the day with her innocence. During the mob of people who wanted to lynch Tom Robinson during the night, Scout’s innocence saved her father and Tom from death. “Don’t you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I’m Jean Louise Finch. You brought us some hickory nuts one time, remember?’ I began to sense the futility one feels when unacknowledged by chance acquaintance. ’I go to school with Walter,’ I began again. ’ He’s your boy, ain’t he? Ain’t he, sir?’ Mr. Cunningham was moved to a faint nod. He did know me after all.” (Pg. 175) The use of dialogue that was displayed by Scout and her innocence saved two people. Scouts naivety to the dangerous situation made her connect with Mr.Cunningham on a personal level. She made Mr.Cunningham change his mind on killing Robinson. The example of metaphor, dialogue, and symbolism are helping get the theme of innocence across.

    Courage and innocence are shown with dialogue, symbolism, personification, metaphors, and similes.

Courage is shown when Jem has to get his pants from the “haunted house” and when Mrs.Dubose was fighting her drug addiction. Innocence is demonstrated when Lee describes the mockingbirds and when Scout unknowingly saves two people. Courage and innocence are everyday characteristics that people may be able to relate to. Harper Lee is showing the themes in a different perspective or way of presenting them. Courage can be used both physically and mentally, looking different in many eyes. It is essential for people to recognize what their own courage looks like in order to use it to better themselves and the world around them. Innocence does not mean that someone is naive; it means that they see the world through different lenses based on their experiences. With both courage and innocence working together, we can better the world by volunteering to clean up a park or feed the homeless. Jaded people think that doing small actions do nothing but innocent people will take the small chances and opportunities and use it. By using the courage and innocence inside, lives are made better by the small actions that people

do.