How Does Tom Robinson Show Courage

948 Words2 Pages

Courage is not the absence of fear, but it is the ability to do something that frightens you. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, courage is shown in many characters. Two characters that show immense courage are Tom Robinson, and most of all, Atticus Finch. Tom Robinson, a black man accused of rape in the south during the 1930s, is defended in court by Atticus Finch. Winning this case is extremely unlikely due to the prejudice against black people, and both Tom and Atticus are fully aware of this. According to Harper Lee, courage and bravery are defined as powering through and doing what is best, regardless of whether you are destined to fail. Tom Robinson displays vast courage in two different situations by going through what he needed …show more content…

Tom is aware that by saying this, he and Mayella would be in major trouble, as the subject of black people and white people coming into contact was extremely sensitive and inappropriate. However, being accused of rape as a black person already guaranteed that Tom would be found guilty due to the racial prejudice in Maycomb, so he had nothing to lose. He knows the jury will never find him innocent, so he tells the truth about what happened. Though his chances of pleading innocent were extremely slim, telling the truth about what happened could shed a glimmer of hope that people would believe him. Unfortunately, this was not the case, but by taking that small opportunity, Tom exhibited a great amount of bravery in the face of adversity. Another instance of Tom being courageous is when he attempts to run away from the prison, and is shot and killed in the process. Atticus describes Tom as being tired of white men's chances and preferred to take his own (315). Again, in this situation, Tom had nothing to lose by running. He was sentenced to death after his trial, so by staying in the prison, his demise would be

Open Document