Not everybody can be a hero. In fact, it is very difficult to become one. However, in some cases, the traits of heroism will shine through and these people will make a difference. It is not necessary for those people to have superpowers or fight a villain, all that is needed is a bit of courage, bravery and an act of altering society. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the theme of heroism is prominent in life in which ordinary people can be heroes is posed. This theme is shown throughout the novel in the characters Atticus Finch, Dolphus Raymond, and Arthur Radley. The actions of Atticus Finch shows the trait of heroism. Lee first introduces this motif with Atticus’s closing statement. He is dauntless enough to stand up …show more content…
Dolphus Raymond knows society looks down upon him for marrying a black woman. He tries to hide this by acting drunk, so he has an excuse for his actions. This may not be an act of heroism, as this is only part of his development into a hero. Part of his heroism is marrying a black woman because he elucidates that he loves her. He does not care what others will say at first. He is also very proud of his children, even if they are ‘mixed’. Scout describes this as, “I had a feeling that I shouldn’t be listening to this sinful man who had mixed children and didn’t care who knew it, but he was fascinating” (Lee 268). Dolphus is an outcast to society but he is content with his life, even if he went against the social code. Yes, he lies about being drunk but he is considered a hero. Dolphus admits to not actually being drunk to Jem and Scout; therefore, he is heroic for telling people he is ‘normal’. He is a hero for revealing to people that he does love a black woman and for contesting against what society has made an idealistic lifestyle. He believes the social code is misguided, which it is, so by going against it he is protesting for what is right, no matter what others say. He is not just acquiescent like the other members of the …show more content…
Moreover, Arthur (Boo) Radley demonstrates the theme. In the beginning of the book, the children are very curious about the mysterious Boo Radley. The children have only heard of negative things. This could be misunderstood as Arthur being a villain or an antagonist in the story. Instead, this just leads to Boo developing into a hero by the end of the book. It is unclear what Arthur is thinking watching the attack or throughout the story; however, it is clear Boo saved the kids from Bob. Atticus says, “Thank you for my children, Arthur” (Lee 370). Even though Arthur killed Bob while saving Scout and Jem, it was not his intent. Scout realizes this when she tells Atticus, “Well, it’d be sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird, wouldn’t it?” (Lee 370). Scout realizes that Tom had killed Bob, but neither Heck nor Atticus wants to arrest Boo. She then further realizes if they arrest Boo it would be like shooting a mockingbird because he never intended to do wrong. Even though he killed a man, he still saved two kids and is seen as a hero. A man that was once a secret to society is now a hero for saving
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.
Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the year of 1960, and is one of the few American classic novels awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The racism that is prevalent in many southern American towns in the 1930s is brought to life with profound imagery in To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several characters in the book, yet the true main character is the narrator's father, Atticus Finch. He is a man of great integrity and intelligence. A very heroic figure in more ways than one, Atticus possesses traits like being principled, determined, and, more importantly, he teaches others. When looking at To Kill a Mockingbird, one can see that Lee uses lots of description, dialogue, and actions to portray Atticus as a heroic individual.
Boo eventually becomes a hero by the brave actions he takes to protect the children. Jem grew from an immature child to a brave young man. They all face their inner fears as well as the rules of society and stand up for what they believe in. Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird shows the difference between right and wrong in the actions of Atticus, Boo and Jem.
Our hero in To Kill A Mockingbird is Atticus Finch. In this story Atticus finch is a lawyer whose morality and reason makes him the hero of the story. For example in this quote “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
Courage exists in several forms in Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. As defined by Atticus Finch, real courage "…when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (149). The novel explores the how this real courage can be shown in different ways through the lives of many characters in Maycomb, particularly, Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Their courage is evident through their lifestyle, actions, and beliefs.
Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ is a revolutionary classic that takes the reader through the life of a young girl named Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and her father Atticus. During the novel Atticus, a lawyer, is given the case of a black man against a white woman and her father. Because of this, Atticus has to make multiple bold decisions that not only affect himself, but those around him. The decisions he makes and how they play out all lead us to the same question: Is Atticus really the perfect hero?
This was heroic because he knew believing him would make hard times fall on him and his family. The main thing was a threat from Bob Ewell who had a vendetta against Atticus after the trial because of what Atticus said during it. A threat that almost caused the lives of Atticus’ children one night they were coming home. Another hardship that fell was the whole community outcased the Finches and treated the differently because of it. A hardship that could be argued to be greater than the ones before was the one on Atticus mentally. Atticus was going through mental hardship because he knew whatever he did the future was already set and it was not in his favor. Doing this showed great courage, an additional part to the definition to hero.
Although they are critiqued, some people do whatever they can do to improve our society. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch proves himself to be a hero. This small-town lawyer exhibits bravery, strength, and modesty when faced with objection during Maycomb’s quarrel for justice. Without a doubt, Atticus proves that anybody can stand for what he or she believes is right.
Harper Lee has portrayed true heroes as people who persevere through hardships, even if they know that they will lose. Despite the many heroes throughout the whole book, including Mrs. Dubose and the Finch children, I believe that Atticus Finch is the real hero because he takes the biggest risk of all, but knows that the outcome may not turn out so pretty.
Many Children receive Bravery Awards every year around the world, and none of them hold any weapons or punch someone in the face to prove that they are brave, unlike what the majority of people picture it. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus believed that true bravery and courage is facing the negativities of life and society persistently, and by sticking to your belief no matter what the cost is. Jem and Mrs. Dubose are two characters that strongly apply to Atticus’s meaning of bravery and courage.
Boo is a secluded and shy man who never leaves his house. There are only rumors of Boo creeping out when it’s pitch dark outside. Besides those rumors, he is always kept locked up inside his house with “the shutters and doors closed” (9). It is not until one day, when Jem and Scout are walking along the road coming home from a Halloween event at school that Boo Radley comes out from his house. The children are walking silently home when they suddenly heard the shuffling of someone’s shoes. Not before long, Bob Ewell runs straight towards the children, knife in hand. While the children are being tackled, there is a “crunching” (262) sound of Jem’s arm, and he is left on the cold and damp ground. Scout is so entangled that it is hard for her to see. What she does manage to see is a man carrying Jem home. This man is Boo Radley. When Bob Ewell is fighting the children, Boo has to make a decision on whether or not he wants to reveal himself. In the end, Boo ends up fighting off Bob Ewell and saving the childrens’ lives. Even though Boo is always locked away from the rest of society and doesn’t want to be seen, he gets over his fear and fights for the children’s safety. He truly shows courage because he stands by what is right and leaves his house to save Atticus’s
In Harper Lee’s novel Atticus Finch is represented as a very courageous person whose courageousness the author of the novel brings to our attention all throughout the book but since our time is limited the student needs only to highlight three situations where they feel Atticus Finch is courageous for example he accepts a criminal case that involves a Black...
To begin with, Harper Lee uses the literary element conflict to express moral courage. Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces usually between a protagonist and antagonist. The character that demonstrated moral courage throughout the novel was Atticus. He was known to be the most respected man in Maycomb because of his wisdom, and his admirable behavior. In the novel, Atticus got appointed a case where he had to defend a African American man, Tom Robinson, that was accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell.During this time, there was an extreme amount of racial tension and discrimination of races. The fact that
In the article “What Makes a Hero,” Dr. Alex Lickerman argues that what makes a hero is ”the willingness to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others.” In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, there are a few characters that fit that definition of a hero. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird fits this definition of a hero because of his bravery and willingness to defend Tom Robinson in the court case.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is seen as a universal hero from his morals and actions. However, the more people examine his actions, dialogue and motives, the more criticism he gets, and the less he is thought of as a hero. All of their proof was put in the article “The Rise and Fall of Atticus Finch,” by Christopher Metress, describing him as a character who thinks the other’s views of him are very important and selfish. The article also makes a lot more harsh remarks about his actions.