Real Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

“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,” Atticus Finch once said (Lee 149; ch. 11). There are many other ways to have or show courage besides being a hero, and Harper Lee proves this to be true through many instances in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression and focuses on the Finch family and their many endeavors. Throughout the book, Scout Finch and the rest of the town experience several incidents that involve prejudice; friendship; growing up; and, most importantly, courage. As the story goes on, each character learns more about bravery and what true courage really is. Harper Lee shows not only the

Although superheroes aren’t the only people that show courage, they are a great example of physical courage. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, many characters show physical courage through their actions and decisions, especially Arthur (Boo) Radley. After the Tom Robinson trial, Bob Ewell, the father who accused Tom of rape, develops a hatred towards Atticus. Eventually his feelings become so strong that Bob goes as far as trying to kill Scout and Jem Finch. When Bob attacks the kids, however, an unknown hero appears that stops Bob from going any further with the attack. Later on, Heck Tate asks who saved the kids, and Scout points “to the man [Boo Radley] in the corner” (Lee 362; ch. 29). Despite being known as dangerous and mysterious, and not really being accepted, Boo risks his safety to save Jem and Scout. To leave his home, which happens only a couple times throughout the novel, and involve himself in Bob Ewell’s attack, Boo shows a tremendous amount of physical courage. Fighting already requires a lot of physical courage from a person, let alone fighting to save people you don’t need to save. Boo risked his life to save Scout and Jem, two kids who have treated him so poorly in the past, which shows just how much physical courage he