Courage In Many Different Aspects in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Multiple characters in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird display courage in many different ways. Harper Lee has a great way of expressing different types of courage through several characters throughout the novel. The characters that show physical courage physically do something that brings out their personality and how brave of a person they are. Several characters experience mental courage where they mature as a character and challenge a personal fear. Harper Lee displays physical and mental courage through her characters Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, Arthur Radley, And Jem Finch in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird.

Atticus Finch displays courage on several occasions by being a good father and a respectable townsman. When Heck Tate hands Atticus the gun, to shoot the mad dog, he knows that if he misses it would hit the Radley place, and that Jem and Scout are watching him. He had to have faith in himself because he never told his kids he could shoot a gun, and if he missed the shot, it could a great deal of damage. When Mr. Cunningham and the group of men approached him at the jail, intending to hurt Tom, Atticus was willing to stand there and protect him no matter what. Atticus knew it was not fair and that Tom deserved a fair case. He made the decision to hold his head up high and ignore the town’s comments about defending Tom in his case, even though he knew they were not going to win. Atticus had to decide if keeping Calpurnia in the house was right for the children. When Aunt Alexandra confronted Atticus about Calpurnia’s presence in the house he said, “’Alexandra, Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to…She’s a faithful member of this family and you’ll simply have to accept things the way they are…the children ...

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...e his pants after Nathan Radley said he would shoot anything else that step foot in his yard. As Scout and him were walking back from the play, he senses someone is following them and he tries not to act scared in front of Scout. After he knows for sure that someone is following them and the children get attacked, Jem tells Scout to run while he cannot.

Harper Lee is a master at indirect characterization. She can explain different ways a character is courageous without simply stating it. Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson, Arthur Radley, and Jem Finch all show courageous acts many different times in the novel in several different ways. Courage is not always an easy character trait to display, one might be frightened by something and not be able to handle it, but the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird elaborate the true meaning of courage and how to deal with their fears.