What do you think of when you hear the words true courage? Maybe you think of standing up for someone being bullied, helping others in need, like being brave. With true courage, it’s a little more than those concepts. It’s when you do(or at least really try) the right thing, even if the task will be very difficult and perhaps impossible. In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many brave people in Maycomb, that do very courageous things. There are three characters that really stand out, because of how they demonstrate true courage. The characters Atticus, Boo Radley, and Jem demonstrate having courage by doing the right thing by helping their family, friends, and other people in Maycomb.
The first person that showed courage was Boo Radley. He
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might not have in the book the whole time, but at the end he came back into the story to save the Scout and Jem. The text says, “Somebody was staggerin’ around and pantin’ and-coughing fit to die. I thought it was Jem at first, but it didn’t sound like him, so I went lookin’ for Jem on the ground. I thought Atticus had come to help us and hand got wore out-” ‘Who was it?’ ‘Why there he is…’my sudden tears. ‘Hey, Boo,’ I said”(362). This long piece of evidence in the book shows that someone was coughing like they were dying (Bob Ewell from Boo stabbing him). She thought it was Jem or Atticus, but little did she know that Boo Radley was the one who came out and saved them. Later on the text says, “you’ll say it’s my duty to tell the town all about it and not hush it. Know what’d happen then? All the ladies in Maycomb includin’ my wife’d be knocking on his door bringing angel food cakes.”(369) This is showing that now the people at the sence know that Boo killed Bob Ewell. He has been in his house for his whole life pretty much, and then now he is in a room of bright light, random people, and having just killed someone. He could have gotten himself killed from trying to save Scout and Jem. Bob Ewell could have stabbed and killed Jem and Scout if he wasn’t there. The second reason that Boo Radley has true there courage is because of how he put out all of the gifts for the kids. In the tree hole, Boo put gum, indian head pennies, twine, soap dolls, spelling medals, a watch, and a knife. In the end of the book he was sweaty and nervous to be around people and have them talking about him. When Boo secretly went outside to put the items in the tree for Scout and Jem, he could have been caught and the gossip would spread and then Boo wouldn’t have a quiet life that he might like actually. What motivates him is because he doesn’t have friends, and Scout and Jem are referred to like his children. If they were gone because they were killed, Boo would be so upset and that’s not something that Boo wanted. So overall Boo Radley had true courage because he saved kids from being killed, with his situation of not knowing anything social wise from being inside his house all his life. Also from him getting out of his comfort zone by stepping out of his house into the real world. The second person that had courage was Jem. Throughout the story, Jem shows acts of bravery from protecting his little sister and standing up for himself. There were many parts in the story changed/influenced Jem to become more mature and made me do acts of bravery and courage. Such as when Miss Maudie’s house burn down, Jem saw that all the men were helping and taking out items trying to save the day, and that he could be inspired the have some courage with moving forward with the story. Atticus shows Jem lots of things he could do and Jem tries to be like his dad because he is some much courage! From learning from his father from things like killing the mad dog, there is a part were Jem had built up a lot of courage to stand up against his father. The text says, “‘Go home, Jem.’ he said. ‘Take Scout and Dill home.’ We were accustomed to prompt, if not always cheerful acquiescence to Atticus’s instructions, but from the way he stood Jem was not thinking of budging. ‘Go home, I said.’ Jem shook his head.”(205) To give a little background about what was going on, the kids (including Dill) came over to where Atticus was, were he was in front of the bars were Tom was in a cell. Atticus was protecting him while the mob came in and wanted to kill he. The kids came in and when Atticus said go home to Jem, he stood tall and with courage, went against his father and said no many times. You have to be pretty brave as a young boy to just go against what your father says in that type of situation. The second example that shows how Jem has true courage is that how he is always helping and watching out for his little sister Scout. She is sometimes getting into the trouble and then Jem is always there to help her. Even when Jem was being hurt at the end he still tried to help Scout. The text says, “‘Run, Scout! Run! Run!’ Jem screamed.”(351). This took place when they heard someone and were walking home from the halloween activity at night. He was probably hurt and scared, yet he still helped her by telling her to run, and if he didn’t say that, Bob could have taken Scout and hurt her. That shows how he has courage instead of maybe being quiet and trying to hide from the person, he shouted to help save his sister. What motivates Jem is to show that how he is mature, and how he just out of the goodness of his heart wants to protect his sister. The last person that had the most acts of courage and bravery was Atticus.
This whole story had tons of examples of Atticus having courage. There are some that stand out more than the others. The first one connects to what was just talked about, with Jem standing up. It takes place at Tom’s cell late at night. The text says, “‘He in they're, Mr. Finch?’ a man said. ‘He is,’ we heard Atticus answer, ‘and he’s asleep. Don’t wake him up.’...‘You know what we want,’ another man said. ‘Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.’‘You can turn around and go home again, Walter,’ Atticus said pleasantly. ‘Heck Tate’s around somewhere.’”(202) This quote shows that late at night Atticus stayed in front of Tom’s cell to protect him so he wouldn’t be killed from the mob! They could have killed him, and I think that he was well aware of that. However, he still protected and told the men to go away. The second way that Atticus shows true courage was him defending Tom Robinson in his case. Atticus didn’t have to defend Tom in this case. He could have just let them say that Tom is guilty and they would kill him. However, Atticus saw that no matter what skin color, Tom is a person and he was blamed for something he knows he didn’t do. He decided to have true courage and defend the innocent Tom Robinson from Bob and Mayella Ewell. He tried his best and worked hard to prove that Tom did not rape Mayella, that Mayella lied and that she even broke a social code in Maycomb (kissing/liking a black man when she is a white women). What motivates Atticus is because he just knows what right and wrong. Being racist is wrong, blaming someone for something they didn’t do is wrong, and watching it happen in front of your eyes and not doing anything, is wrong as well. That’s why Atticus is helping Tom because he knows that he did nothing wrong, and that the Ewells are just using him because he is black and the Ewells and white so they think they can get anyway with whatever with
him. In conclusion, Atticus, Jem, and Boo had lots of true courage by standing up for them and others when they couldn’t do it themselves. They were able to fight and try their best to help them others. Atticus wanted to help Tom and start a change/movement in Maycomb. Jem wanted to protect and show that he is brave to everyone like Scout. Then Boo wanted to save the kids and maybe he did want a little limelight afterall, because if he didn’t I don’t he would have saved the kids, and the story outcome would have been very different. It seems to be that Atticus, Jem, and Boo had found ways to help people by helping them be saved and standing up for what’s right. This story does have other characters that show some acts of courage. When Miss Maudie’s house burn down, she wasn’t crying, she was actually trying to think positive and she had courage to put on a brave face during this time. Scout had courage because people would make fun of her for her dad defending someone black in court when she was white, and she stopped fighting back. In conclusion, there were many people in Maycomb that had true courage and Harper Lee has made it so these characters in To Kill a Mockingbird have true courage to show that there are some good people that want to do the right thing, and that aren’t motivated by money and fame, but that they do these things just because they are the right thing to do.
Courage is a deed that can be portrayed in many ways. In the Historical Fiction novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, there are many acts of racism and problematic cases where acts of courage are demonstrated in different and unique ways that can only be deciphered if one reads in between the lines of the words. There are three characters in particular who show courage in diverse ways. First, there is Arthur Radley who anonymously shows courage by performing tasks that cause him to face the outside world where he’s been isolated from for so long. Secondly, there is Scout Finch who demonstrates courage through her adolescent age. Lastly, there is Atticus Finch who displays courage through his selfless and kind actions. Therefore, in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee uses diverse characters to represent different acts of courage.
In several different instances, the townspeople tried to convince him not to, and in one event they even threatened him. However, Atticus shows courage in defending Robinson.... ... middle of paper ... ... Courage is not taking a challenge knowing you will win, it is facing a challenge one knows one will most likely lose and still trying.
"Courage isn't an absence of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory." ~John Maxwell. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout (Jean Louise Finch), Jem (Jeremy Atticus Finch), and Atticus Finch display acts of valor that contribute, and in some cases encourage their rectitude. Harper Lee demonstrates that acting courageously can lead to an improved, sustained, or newly developed personal integrity.
Throughout the novel Atticus, Boo and Jem demonstrate, through actions, the important theme that everyone is brave in their own way. Atticus Finch shows through his actions that bravery can show up in many different ways. Although he lives in Alabama, surrounded by racists, Atticus shows extreme bravery in the way he defends Tom Robinson. Not only does Atticus defend Tom Robinson’s case in the courtroom, he also pours his heart and soul into protecting Robinson and his whole family from the angry mobs of Maycomb. When Atticus explains to Scout and Jem, “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again,” he models bravery and the importance of doing the right thing even under the most difficult circumstances (Lee 75).
In conclusion, true courage is the ability to confront something even if one is “licked from the start. Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus Finch all display real courage throughout Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson, being an African-American, living in a prejudiced town and having a crippled arm, still helped Mayella, gave a truthful testimony and tried to escape prison. Mrs. Dubose courageously overcame her morphine addiction despite her age and pains. Atticus’s real courage drove him to put aside the criticism and risk, and take up and fight the Tom Robinson’s controversial case. It is evident that these three characters in To Kill a Mockingbird display acts of real courage even when they know they are fighting a losing battle.
An idea that recurs in or pervades a work of art of literature can be referred to as a “Theme”. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly. Theme is an important part of fictional stories. Several themes are presented in the novel to kill a mocking bird. One of the reoccurring themes in to kill a mockingbird is courage.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, is a moving story about courage set against the prejudice in a small, Alabama town. Atticus tells his children that courage is standing up for what you believe in, even if you know you will lose. Atticus, Boo, and Scout show courage through standing up for what they believe in, even if they might lose by doing so.
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one, which Atticus displays throughout the story. Firstly, Atticus has the courage to take on a case that he has a high probability of losing. Judge Taylor assigns the case to Atticus for a sole reason, that Atticus has the best chance of winning or creating a change in society with this case. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hands. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyways and you see through it no matter what” (112). Atticus knows he will most likely lose the Tom Robinson case but he proceeds through it, despite the problems the case will cause him and his family. Secondly, Atticus Finch stands in front of Tom Robinson’s jail cell protecting him from the lynch mob. Lynching is a very common way of killing in the time period of this story which was commonly done by hanging the person for an alleged offense. “You know what we want’ another man said, ‘Get away from the door, Mr. Finch’. ‘You can turn around and go home Arthur,’ Atticus said pleasantly.” (202). Atticus is willing to stand up to a lynch mob and protect his client Tom Robinson even at the cost of his own life. Thirdly, Atticus continues on with his life normally despite the constant hate he gets. “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse
"Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" According to Atticus Finch, an honest lawyer in Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. "Real courage" is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus fits into this definition of what "real courage" is and demonstrates it several times throughout the novel.
This novel tends us to picture Atticus as a very courageous man. His definition for this term doesn?t mean bravery or a man with a gun in his hand. He defines courage as ?When you know you are licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what?. Atticus?s courage is represented very significantly and differently in this book. He undertook the case of a Negro who was wrongly accused of raping a white girl. He went against the whole racist community of the town. The opposition of the racist people failed to make him step back from the case. He just fought the case courageously. But the white jury couldn?t possibly be expected to take a black person?s work against the whites.
Firstly, Atticus demonstrated mental courage when he undertook the task of defending Tom Robinson, a black man who was wrongly accused of rape, in court. He had to persevere through many hardships in order to make a statement in the community. Atticus knew he would not win the case against the all white jury and like Mrs. Dubose in her struggle against morphine, Atticus lost before he even began. Nevertheless, Atticus knew that Tom was innocent and was willing to stand up for him because nobody else would. Since Atticus stayed true to himself and did only what is morally correct, he fought this case with great determination. He wanted the people of Maycomb to know the truth about what happened to Mayella Ewell, but even the truth would not free Tom Robinson. "That boy might go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." (Lee, 146) Atticus showed true courage in going against Maycomb, a mostly prejudice town. He was given names like “nigger lover” and was looked down upon heavily but that did not stop him. On the other hand, Mayella Ewell decided to lie about the case because othe...
“It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies, but just as much to stand up to your friends,” remarks J.K. Rowling in her book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Jem Finch, a boy from a small town in the South struggles to fully understand this idea. To Kill a Mockingbird suggests that real courage is standing up for others regardless of the what it may cost you. As a young boy, Jem’s understanding of courage and bravery are wrapped up in how others might view you, rather than who you really are inside. A little later he sees courage as having a clean record with others. Then Jem learns that courage is not giving up on someone or something even if you know you’re probably not going to win. Finally, Jem uses
Atticus was incredibly courageous taking on tom Robinsons case against the prejudice of Macomb County and he shows incredible courage when he says, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won." He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom Robinson, "That boy may go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." Chapter 15, Page 146. He was against the whole white community including his own sister practically said that he was a disgrace to his family Atticus tells scout when she asks him why he is taking the case he says "For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.
Courage means overcoming obstacles to do what is right, Atticus is a generous person that is a great role-model, and knows courage. Atticus demonstrates courage about everyday in his life. Once, when Atticus was talking to Jem and Scout after he told the children Mrs. Dubose died. He said real courage “'Its when you know you're licked before you begin buy you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what,”'(Lee112). In this quote Atticus demonstrates a great example of courage to Scout and Jem. When he is talking about Mrs. Dubose. In the process he reminds himself why he took the Tom Robinson case that, he knew he had no chance in winning. He knew if he took the case he wouldn't be as close with his friends and neighbors until the trail was over. In the end Atticus stood up for what he felt was right against the while people, and that is real courage! Another character that shows courage by overcoming and obstacle to do what is right is Mrs. Dubose. She has been sick for so long that she wanted the pain to go away, and once she got the pain to disappear she overused the medicine. When Atticus explains this to the children he says “'She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. Jem, when you're sick as sh...
Atticus Finch, was an important figure in the novel. Not just as a character, but also as a major influence for other characters. He himself though, may be one of the, if not the person who shows the most amount of courage in the story. He exemplifies courage in many situations, the most major ones being tom Robinson’s trial, the killing of Tim Johnson, and his desire to teach that courage to his children, all symbolizing him being the catalyst to eradicating racism in that town. Tom Robinson’s trial is the biggest example of such courage as he is protecting a man whom is wrongf...