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What is courage in the book to kill a mockingbird
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Definition Essay Have you ever wondered what true courage is? According to Atticus Finch in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” In my opinion, I feel that my definition of courage is similar to Harper Lee’s. Although you know it may not turn out in your favor, you still do the best you can because you know it’s the right thing to do. As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary courage is the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty.” The majority of dictionaries will tell the reader the same thing, that courage is the ability to overcome something although it may be unwanted or difficult. For many, they have a different definition of courage. When I searched to see what other people thought of courage I came across several different answers. Some say that courage is when a person has the ability to act disregarding their feelings or the potentially bad things that could come from the situation. Other answers were given in the form of examples, stating that saying sorry in situations where a person is in the wrong takes courage. One explanation says that courage is getting out of bed and living out our daily lives. To many the …show more content…
Many people confuse courage for not being scared of what could happen, Franklin D. Roosevelt once said that “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important that fear.” Courage isn’t being able to act like nothing will scare you or make life more difficult, it’s the ability to realize that something will be difficult or scary and you overcome the difficulty. Courage is the ability to overcome hardship, not avoid it or create more of it to make yourself seem more
"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.
Based on the Merriam Webster dictionary, courage is defined as the,“mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” In the play, the characters are tested and forced to make life or death decisions, with
Webster's dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." According to Atticus Finch, one of the main characters in To Kill A Mockingbird, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." (Chapter 11, Page 124) No matter how you define it, Harper Lee definitely portrays the theme of courage in this book. It is one of the most predominant themes and is shown in many of the characters. All of the characters have a different view as to what courage is and they all show it a different way, however they do show courage in their everyday lives.
One of the best explanations of courage is the following by Maya Angelou: “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtues with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.” Her explanation summarizes all that courage can lead you to who you are in life. Courage is standing up for what you believe in, despite disapproval, pain, fear, uncertainty, or intimidation. Courage is challenging what is normal. Courage is giving voice to those who cannot speak for themselves. Courage is using whatever power available to educate the world about injustice. Courage is following your heart even when the path is not known. Courage is trying after failing.
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.
According to Google.com courage says “The ability to do some things that frighten one (Noun) Mr. Frank showed courage by letting the Van Daans in the Secret Annex and Mr.Dussel too. Another way he showed courage was when a robber broke into the shop where the Annex was above,
“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
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.
Real courage is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose. For example, while Jem and Atticus converse about Mrs. Dubose and her fight against morphine addiction, Atticus states, “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” (112). Courage, as defined by Atticus Finch, doesn’t mean that you have to do something beyond your capabilities and fears, but simply means following through with something you know will not be going in your favor. He demonstrates this in Tom Robinson’s case when even though the prejudice townspeople and jury were not in support of him, he followed his conscience and persevered through the fight. In addition, when Scout, Jem, and Atticus talk about this one-sided case and the prejudices involved, Atticus simply states, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won" (76). The best thin...
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.
"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 - a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.” Courageous people understand the danger that they face when they act how they do. That is what courage is all about. Many historical events occur due to people having the courage to do what they think is right, or because of those who use their courage to do what they want. Having the courage to stand alone in one’s beliefs may be one of the hardest thing a person can do.
In life there are many terms that are relative to individual cultures. That means that the definition is different depending on the culture's location and its persons believe. The definition for one such term, courage, as defined by both Daniel Webster and Funk & Wagnalls is "That quality of mind or spirit enabling one to meet danger or difficulties/ opposition with firmness/fearlessness." The words that make courage a relative term are danger and opposition.
What is courage? Courage is the spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, and bravery. Courage to me is bravery, heroic acts, and people that put their life in danger. Many people show acts of courage everyday in the world. You might not know if you are showing courage, unless it is a big act.
Courage is an excellent trait to have and not many people have it. I know there have been times where I was not brave at all. Although, I can remember a few times where my braveness showed. I was about seven years old and I was about to perform on stage for the first time with my theatre group. I was scared that I would mess up one of the dance moves or slip and fall on stage. Then, I went on stage and I actually did very well. I was brave because I didn’t run away and hide, like I normally would have at that age and I pushed myself to do something that I was afraid to do. The affected me, because now I can do some things that I am afraid to do, like trying new things. Another time that I acted courageously was starting my first year of high