In “To Kill a Mockingbird” a book written by Harper Lee, characters show courage in many ways. Scout shows courage by backing away from a fight that is calling her name after Atticus asks her to, Atticus shows it by defending Tom even though it could ruin him, and Arthur or “Boo” Radley shows it by coming out from his house to save Jem and Scout from a drunken Mr.Ewell. Characters in “To Kill a Mockingbird” display courage by going through things they know might not turn out well for them. Courage can be a lot of things, whether it be standing up for someone, doing something scary, or in Scout’s case backing off from a fight. Scout is about to get into a fight with one of her classmates, Cecil Jacobs, when she remembers something Atticus had told her. …show more content…
‘Scout’s a cow–ward!’ ringing in my ears.”(Lee 102) Scout ends up walking away from the fight after remembering that Atticus had told her to never get into a fight because of what he did for work. This shows us courage because Scout has never backed off of a fight, as she is walking away Cecil begins to make fun of her which causes Scout to have to hold her tongue. Scout doesn’t back away because she wants to, she backs away because she respects Atticus’ wishes. Scout knows that this could ruin her reputation in the school and that backing away from this fight would not benefit her, but she does it anyway because Atticus had asked her to. Scout is courageous because she backs away from a fight after Atticus tells her to, even though people will think of her as a coward if she does back away. Another example of courage is Atticus taking the Tom Robinson
Finally, Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird is another character that displays courage throughout the book. The first way that Atticus shows courage is by shooting Tim Johnson, the mad dog. Tim Johnson had rabies and was coming towards their neighborhood. Atticus, who hadn’t shot a gun in years, had been known for his shooting skills and was told that he had to shoot the dog, if he had missed he could have harmed someone, startled the dog, or put them in danger which is why this incident was so courageous of him. Secondly, Atticus took on Tom Robinson’s case which took lots of courage because he knew how the town of Maycomb would react and the tormenting him and his family would go through. Not only this but Atticus was determined to
The value of courage in the face of adversity is shown in Ender’s Game and To Kill a Mockingbird. The definition of courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus shows courage when he is against the mob who is trying to hang Tom Robinson. “A flash of pain fear was going out of his eyes… He put the newspaper down very carefully adjusting its creases with lingering fingers. They were trembling a little.” (Harper Lee pg 152) In this quote Atticus realized that the mob was very dangerous, but he had to protect Tom Robinson. This is where Scout realized how much courage her father had. She saw that he did not back down and looked up to him for that. The author wants to tell the reader to have courage and to stand up for
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a character by the name of Atticus Finch explains to his child “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. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” (128). Atticus is teaching his son an important lesson about courage, while using his own to take on a seemingly impossible task.
Jim Crow racism was the belief that whites are superior to non-whites. This idea generated rules of Jim Crow racism that mainly caused segregation between whites and non-whites. The segregation of restaurants, schools, and churches were because of the idea of Jim Crow racism. It was the social norm to wear black face and yell racial slurs at non-whites. Black face was worn by a white man with the man usually mocking people of color about their race and behavior, by yelling racial slurs. Black face was usually seen on television or theater. The oppression of non-whites was horrid because they faced various consequences when they broke a Jim Crow law, such as lynching or hanging. The use of Jim Crow racism has reduced over the past eighty
In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, courage is shown greatly several times. One being when Scout sees Atticus shoot the mad dog even though Atticus does not think that the act that he had performed was very courageous Scout and Jem are very proud of their father for what he has done in the situation. Two more examples of courage in the novel are Tom Robinson standing up for himself in his trial and Mrs. Dubose overcoming her morphine addiction. Courage shows uncertain ramifications about society in Maycomb through Mrs. Dubose, Atticus's and Tom Robinson’s actions.
She later talks about the conflict with him and he gave her some advice on how to handle the situation, for the next time it comes up again, that instead of fighting for him, for her to still stand tall and be the better person even if it doesn’t help those who are depicting their ignorance. Atticus shows Scout the meaning of courage instead of being like everyone else, a coward and ill-mannered. Another quote to compliment Atticus as a very brave character would be when they experienced the passing of Mrs. Dubose, he used her as an example of courage, “…I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird flawlessly fulfills this definition of courage by depicting everyday people carrying out acts of bravery in spite of their dangers, fears, or difficulties. To Kill a Mockingbird centers on Scout Finch and her experiences growing up in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Scout’s wide-eyed view of society changes as she realizes other people’s morals do not coincide with her own ideals. Several variations of courage are shown throughout the book, including Atticus Finch’s defense of Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose’s decision to give up morphine, and Boo Radley’s rescue of Jem and Scout.
“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 anyway and you see it through no matter what." (Lee p. 128) To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee about two children named Scout and Jem and their father Atticus Finch. The plot revolves around the children growing up and all the things the family goes through as a result of their father defending a black man accused of rape in court. Courage is doing the right thing even if you’re afraid to do it. Atticus, Scout, and Jem each display courageous acts throughout the novel, even when it was difficult to do so.
When the word “courage” is presented, many different visions of it come to mind. Maybe fierce warriors riding in to battle, or perhaps world leaders, who have to speak in front of millions. People have different ideas of the word because there really are different definitions of it. But in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the main characters all share a similar idea of it, as portrayed by their actions and words throughout the book. This definition is the ability to do the right thing, even if it is dangerous or difficult. The characters who show courage include Boo Radley, Scout, and Atticus. Although they are very different characters including gender, age, and personality, their actions all portray a similar concept of 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.
After Scout fights with Cecil Jacobs at her school for calling Atticus a ‘nigger-lover’, she is told by her father to “ just hold your head high and keep those fists down.” (Lee, 76) Atticus is expressing that one should not let others get to them and stand up for themselves. She takes up the courage to do so the next time she is yelled at by the boy, although with much difficulty. Through this account, Scout’s willingness to learn and grow is portrayed. Also, Scout is able to stand by her morals when she confronts the mob with Jem and Dill. She demonstrates this by kicking the man who harmed Jem and eventually repressing the mob to leave the county jail, in order to protect her brother and Atticus. The ultimate fear Scout conquers was her unease of ‘Boo’ or Arthur Radley. In the beginning, she identifies Arthur as a mysterious and frightening person who lives on the other side of the street. After Arthur saves Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell’s attack, she realizes that Arthur wasn’t so frightening anymore and learns to embrace her fear. She does so by walking Arthur home and when she stands on his porch for the second time, not with fear, but with understanding. Scout was able to progress as an individual, stand up for her beliefs, and embrace her fears throughout the
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a character who frequently displays his moral courage, especially when confronting the injustices embedded in the culture of Maycomb, Alabama. Most people would say his courageous defense of Tom Robinson and his behavior as a citizen in Maycomb is either realistic or overly idealistic. His courageous act and behavior is realistic because even though it wasn't common for a white person to defend a black person, Atticus made it possible. He also didn’t change his mind even though his kids were getting teased at school or because he was being judged by the citizens of Maycomb. His courage said a lot of what kind of person he is.
Many people often have a tough time facing their issues head on. This could be for an array of different reasons such as lack of confidence or poor judgment; however, most times it will be because of a lack of bravery and courage. This conflict is displayed throughout the award-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Bravery and Courage is a big part of the novel. It is seen in various different characters such as Jem, Scout and even Mrs. Dubose.
People in the world are affected by the environment and their surrounding to react to them. Many characters in the book To Kill a Mockingbird reflect to this. People will respond to being courageous or be a coward when they need to be and they will all react differently. Scout shows courage when she fights Cecil Jacobs. She doesn’t fight like she normally would because she doesn’t want to stoop to the low level where Cecil Jacobs is. She shows cowardice when she decides to stand still when Bob had attacked Jem. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, the author uses conflict, plot events, and character development to convey the idea that people can be courageous or a coward when they need to be and their reactions will be different to each problem.
Courage is the ability to do something that frightens someone, it is what makes ordinary people extraordinary. The strength in the face of pain or grief, but most importantly “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and, see it throughout no matter what”- Harper Lee. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, the theme of courage is well shown throughout. In a small town of Maycomb, Alabama, Jem and Scout experience growing up in an unfair world affected with racism. Atticus is the town’s finest lawyer, having two children Jem and Scout who show courage with one another and towards each other. Boo Radley is known as an evil person in the town. Harper Lee displays courage as standing up for what one believes in, even when it means getting into trouble. The display of courage in To Kill a Mockingbird is shown through many of the main characters such as Atticus Finch, Boo Radley and Jem and Scout