Short Summary and Quote Analysis in To Kill a Mockingbird

The novel To Kill a Mockingbird begins with narrator, Scout Finch, introducing to the reader her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and her town, Maycomb, Alabama. She tells us a little of her family history, and then begins her story : It is the summer of 1933. Scout is five, and Jem is nine. They pass the summer happily with their new friend Dill, a six-year-old boy who has moved into their neighborhood for the summer. They are very curious about one of their neighbors, Boo Radley, who hasn't been seen by any one for years.

The next winter, Jem and Scout find more presents in the tree, presumably left by the mysterious Boo. Nathan Radley eventually plugs the knothole with cement. Shortly thereafter, a fire breaks out in another neighbor's house, and during the fire someone slips a blanket on Scout's shoulders as she watches the blaze. Convinced that Boo did it, Jem tells Atticus about the mended pants and the presents. To the consternation of Maycomb's racist white community, Atticus agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman.

Atticus wouldn’t teach Jem and Scout how to shoot, but he instructs them to, “…shoot all the bluejays you want [with the air rifles that the children received], if you can hit ‘em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (Lee 90). Atticus understands that mockingbirds provide no harm to humans. All they do is sing their heart out and give people pleasure, giving these species the symbol of peace. The novel's title, To Kill a Mockingbird, emphasizes on the theme of innocence, which is symbolized through mockingbirds. In addition to Atticus’s viewpoint, he believes that people should not judge a ... ... middle of paper ... ...t warmth, Atticus tells her, “Someday, maybe, Scout can thank him [Boo Radley] for covering her up…[and putting] the blanket around you” (72).

His mindset is to never give up, even when you know and everyone else knows you are not going to succeed at what you are doing. I agree with Atticus Finch’s definition of courage of that even though all odds are against you, you have to follow through and persevere. 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).

It takes a greater deal of courage to stand up for others. Heros are the ones that stand up to others. A hero must need courage. In To KIll A Mockingbird, Atticus shows a great deal of courage. In a conversation Atticus has with Scout, he says, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win,” (pg.82-83) In this quote Atticus is admitting that he will lose, but is also saying there is no reason not to try.

Basically, Atticus believes that just because it is unlikely that he will win, it does not mean that he should just give up without trying. Throughout all the discrimination, Atticus remains tough and tries to achieve his goal, no matter how hard it is. This was an example of moral courage. Even Scout knows how hard her father is trying by comparing Atticus’ efforts to “watching Atticus walk down the street, raise a rifle to his shoulder and pull the trigger, but... ... middle of paper ... ...o, or not, you should at least respect his life lessons taught throughout To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch was a true hero, in my eyes.

In words of advice to his son, Jem, Atticus explains: “ ‘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 149). Atticus shows his children true courage by taking on Tom Robinson’s case, even though he knows with absolute certainty that he won’t succeed. Atticus’s ability to remain strong in the face of racial adversity earns him not only his reputation in the community, but also the hard-won respect of his children. Scout and Jem are finally able to appreciate Atticus as a father figure because he has proven to them that he is a true hero, even though he is not the most popular or athletic father in town.

He wanted the people of Maycomb to know the truth about what happened to Mayella Ewell, but even the truth would not free Tom Robinson. "That boy might go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." (Lee, 146) Atticus showed true courage in going against Maycomb, a mostly prejudice town. He was given names like “nigger lover” and was looked down upon heavily but that did not stop him. On the other hand, Mayella Ewell decided to lie about the case because othe... ... middle of paper ... ...ack home, Scout puts her arm around his arm to signify to the neighbors that Boo is a friend, not an enemy.

The children did not understand, so by asking another adult neighbor they figured out that it was a sin to kill a mockingbird because they do not do anything bad for anyone, all they do is “make music for us to enjoy” (90). When the children learn this information, it is the first time we see Atticus protecting innocence, which reveals his characteristics and what kind of person he is. It also sets the theme of the book of protecting innocence, since this is the first we see of it. Shortly after Christmas, the children decided to go exploring when the neighbor’s dog, Tim Johnson started slowly walking towards them. The children got scared and returned to the house when Atticus and the town police officer were called to kill the dog because he had gone mad.

This demonstrates Jem’s bravery because he was willing to accept any dare even if it scared him or concerned his safety. Another way this displays Jem’s bravery is that he wasn’t afraid of his father getting angry at h... ... middle of paper ... ...to lynch Tom Robinson, Atticus in not willing to move. Atticus is willing to fight in order to protect Tom Robinson and he is not afraid of the mob. Mr. Underwood having to cover Atticus with a shotgun shows us the seriousness of the issue. This event overall displays to us the true physical bravery of Atticus.