“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 see it through no matter what” (Lee 128). Courage is accepting a challenge even when all odds are against you. In Harper Lees To Kill A Mockingbird, many people, including Mrs.Dubose, Atticus Finch, and Miss Caroline Fisher put on an amour of courage before going into battle for something they know they wont succeed in. From drugs to court cases, courage needs to be put on like a suit of armor.
Mrs. Dubose suffers from a drug overdose of morphine and she has courage when accepting the challenge of putting her drugs away so she can be drug free and see the world clearly before she dies. Atticus broke the news about Mrs. Dubose’s death to the children, ¨She said she was going to leave this world beholden to nothing and nobody. Jem, when you are sick as she was, itś alright to take
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anything to make it easier, but it wasn´t all right for her. She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that was she did” (Lee 127). When questioning about Mrs. Duboses death Jem asked, ¨Did she die free? asked Jem. As the mountain air, said Atticus. She was conscious to the last, almost.”(Lee 127). Mrs. Dubose left this world conscious as much as she could. She was not under any drugs and she was able to experience the real world for a short bit before she finally passed. Atticus Finch accepts the challenge of defending a black man, Tom Robinson, in a white court even though there is no chance of them winning the case. Giving his final sentence to the jury, Atticus states, ¨A court is only as sound as its jury, and a jury is only as sound as the men who make it up. I am confident that you gentlemen will review without passion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family”(Lee 233). Even though Atticus knows he is going to lose this court case, he still puts in all the effort he can and works very hard just to even show anyone who was listening to him that Tom isn’t guilty and taking him away from his family for something he never did is completely wrong. Atticus knows he will lose this court case because of the color of his defendant´s skin color. Many people have mixed views on Atticus´s decision and some even wonder, “... if a man like Atticus Finch wants to butt his head against a stone wall, it’s his head” (Lee 244). Many people have mixed views about what Atticus dose and he knows that people won´t like it but he accepted that challenge. Miss Caroline Fish accepts the challenge of teaching at a new school even though she doesn’t know who any of the kids are and she knows she won´t win against them in superiority.
Scout explains to Miss Caroline about Walter Cunninghams financial state, “I rose graciously on Walters behalf: ah- Miss Caroline? What is it, Jean Louise? Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham. I sat down. What Jean Louise?... That's okay ma’am you’ll get to know all the country folks after a while” (Lee 22). Miss Caroline doesn’t understand what financial or environment positions some of these kids are in and since everyone knows about these kids except for Miss Caroline, all the students in the class have the higher end against her. After an argument with a mean kid in the class, the rest of the students run to her aid, “...we were clustered around her desk, trying in our own various ways to comfort her” (Lee 31). The kids seem to feel bad for Miss Caroline, she broke down and lost her courage that she had in the
beginning. When faced with a challenge, attacking it with courage is the best way to overcome that challenge or just face it with the knowledge that there is a possibility of failure. Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose, and Miss Caroline all face their own challenges with courage throughout the book To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee. When completing a challenge, know that there will most defiantly always be some obstacles in the way, but over coming those obstacles with courage makes everything different.
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.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” is a novel by Harper Lee, that teaches many themes, one of which being very important is courage. Many people think that courage is a man with a gun in his hand, but Lee’s definition is much different. She thinks that courage is when you know that you’re beaten before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. The first quote I have to further explain this is early in the story when Atticus tells Jem and Scout about the court case he is handling. “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 101). Atticus knows he won’t win the court case, but he still tries his best and doesn’t falter whatsoever. Many people scrutinize him for defending a negro, but he ignores them like he should, and shows maturity and courage.
"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.
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.
Dubose was not very important in the grand scheme of things but her actions towards the children taught them a lesson. Near the end of Mrs. Dubose's life, she made Jem read to her for varied amounts of time even though Jem did not want to because he felt as though Mrs. Dubose was not a very nice person. It was told to Jem later that, “Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict” (Lee 147), and that Jem reading to her was how, “she meant to break herself of it before she died” (Lee 148). This dishonest deception in the novel was how Jem came to realize that what his actions with Mrs. Dubose were not a punishment but a safe haven for Mrs. Dubose. She may have deceived Jem but it was for a good reason. It would have made her death a lot harder on Jem if he would have know about her addiction and how his actions were affecting
Courage is when you know you’re beaten. The character Atticus, for instance, who was a seasoned lawyer acted courageous defending Tom Robinson. Tom Robinson was a black man who was accused of raping a white girl. Atticus was appointed to defend him. Jem was happy because he thought his father had won the case but Reverend Sykes loathed telling Jem “Now don’t you be so confident, Mr. Jem, I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man…”(Lee 208). Atticus was sure he wasn’t going to win the case, nevertheless he gave it a try. That didn’t stop Atticus from trying to defend his client Tom Robinson. Another part in the novel when Atticus was courageous was when he shot at the man street dog. Heck Tate the Maycomb Sheriff was not as courageous as Atticus so he handed Atticus the air rifles and with one shot Atticus took down the street dog. Miss Maudie says “I saw that, One Shot Finch” (Lee 97). Atticus was referred to as one-shot finch because of his shooting skills. The other incidence in the novel when Atticus portrays courage was when he was not scared when Bob Ewell threatened him. Bob Ewell was the man who accused Atticus’ defendant Tom Robinson of raping his daughter Mayella. Atticus thought Bob Ewell threatened him as some sort of revenge, but unfortunately Atticus was wrong because when Bob Ewell said ...
Courage is not something that we are born with, it is a skill that takes time to learn and only a few are lucky enough to have it. To Kill a Mockingbird is not only about life in a world full of hate, it is about standing up for anyone’s beliefs being brave enough to do it. In this story, Harper Lee says “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It's knowing 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” (Lee 112). In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates courage through Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose, and Arthur Radley.
"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.
Courage is the thing which can be found in a child to an old man. It needs a lot of courage to take out courage from the heart. It is like a brain. It depends on the person, how and when he uses it. This tiny word has the power to convey the whole gesture of a person. According to Harper Lee?s genius ?To Kill a Mockingbird?, Courage is when you know you are licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through it through no matter what.
The highest level of courage is staying true to yourself. Being honest to yourself and standing up for what you believe in takes great courage. Unfortunately, being courageous comes at a high cost and you may not always be rewarded for it. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters show courage at the topmost level. Their acts may seem foolish and immoral to others, but they do what they believe in. The book shows that true courage is fighting in what you believe no matter what the consequences. We see this type of courage in Jem, Scout, Atticus and even Boo Radley throughout the course of the book.
...morphine and makes it her goal to die without weakness. She does the right thing, even if it ends up taking her life. To Scout and Jem, Mrs. Dubose was horrible however her death made them realize that she was trying to get off morphine for her own good. She showed them that courage isn’t always apparent; you don’t always have to do something that stands out. You can be courageous, just by making small changes and fighting battles with yourself.
“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
Within the novel "to kill a mocking bird" the character Atticus finch defines courage as, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." Atticus takes the first step by being courageous to take the Tom Robinson case, defying the towns liking of prejudice, even his own sister thinks that he is disgracing the family by taking the case he explains with concern
... situation from their perspective, and in this case, Atticus reveals Mrs Dubose being a morphine addict. She wanted to die without having to rely on the drug and her escapades were what it easier. Jem and Scout understood the situation and learnt the importance of tolerance.
What is true bravery? Atticus Finch, in To Kill A Mocking Bird Describes true bravery as “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.” If the ability that enables a person to face difficulty, pain or danger is bravery then in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee through many of her characters shows that true bravery can come in many forms. Therefore there are many characters in the book that have shown bravery in the one of many forms that bravery can exist in, such as childish, moral and physical bravery.