Courage is a characteristic that everyone contains inside their heart. But there are various definitions of courage. Some may say that courage is an act of bravery. Other might define courage as the inner strength to do what is right. Like Chae Richardson defines that “Courage is not living without fear. Courage is being scared to death and doing the right thing anyway.” But real courage is defined by Harper Lee, the author of To Kill A Mockingbird, suggest that courage exists “when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (112). The author uses the character of Atticus, Mrs.Dubose, and Jem to reveal that real courage is displayed when an individual successfully conquers what seems to be an impossible situation.
Generally speaking in the community of Maycomb, it will be difficult to find a man that is braver than Atticus. Scout, Jem and many others of the community believe that Atticus symbolizes as a hero, but the most important thing is that he showed courage toward himself and others. All those facts make Atticus a pioneer in courage. Atticus mentions in his conversation with Scout that “…is something that goes to the essence of a man’s conscience - Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man” (104). Atticus believes that it’s God’s will that makes him to help Tom Robinson, and he strongly believes that his self-sacrifice in Tom’s case can change the way that others in the society think about Tom. Atticus’s intention of helping others even though many others oppose him. Atticus’s determination to help Tom indicates that Atticus is a courageous man. Pursuing this further, Atticus explains to Scout “Scout, you aren...
... middle of paper ...
...s community; and that makes Boo wants to stay inside his house. By going through the process of growing up, Jem realize what it take to be a “true gentleman” and takes a lot of courage to achieve this statute. Of course, it also take a huge amount of courage to go through the loss of innocent of Tom’s case and realization of community of Maycomb.
Courage is demonstrated by undergoes a series of development and continue their personal beliefs. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the real courage is demonstrated through the character of Atticus, Mrs. Dubose and Jem by learning from their community, Tom Robinson’s case, and personal experiences. Courage is something that any character can develop can develop. But a “real courage” is something that characters need to have strong personality strength with definite believe in their heart to achieve this states of courage.
Many people believe that to have courage, you must conquer something physically challenging. Courage is a quality in which the mind is able to confront any difficulty, whether that be fear, danger or even pain. Scout and her older brother Jem are both influenced by
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.
Courage is the ladder on which other themes in to kill a mockingbird mount on. With courage people tend to take risks, have strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. How many times have you considered yourself as courageous? At the end of the novel, you see reasons why being courageous could help you as a reader live a better and braver life. In Conclusion, courage is the foundation of integrity.
Throughout the novel Atticus, Boo and Jem demonstrate, through actions, the important theme that everyone is brave in their own way. Atticus Finch shows through his actions that bravery can show up in many different ways. Although he lives in Alabama, surrounded by racists, Atticus shows extreme bravery in the way he defends Tom Robinson. Not only does Atticus defend Tom Robinson’s case in the courtroom, he also pours his heart and soul into protecting Robinson and his whole family from the angry mobs of Maycomb. When Atticus explains to Scout and Jem, “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again,” he models bravery and the importance of doing the right thing even under the most difficult circumstances (Lee 75).
To be courageous you cannot be deterred by possible outcomes that may involve danger or pain. To be courageous you have to be more than brave you have to be undaunted and have a heart of a lion. Through Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird courage and determination are embedded through the character’s actions. Atticus Finch, a lawyer in Maycomb County, explains to his son Jem, “I wanted him 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 if through no matter what.(Lee 149)” Through this quote Harper Lee is trying to convey that, real courage is more than appearance it is a significant action
Atticus Finch shows, in many ways, the true definition of a hero, but no situation was more important than the Tom Robinson trial. In Maycomb, the thought of taking a negro’s word instead of a white man’s was ridiculous to the citizens, especially over a matter as serious as a black man raping a white woman. Regardless of this information, Atticus still takes on Tom Robinson’s case and tries to make as big of a difference as possible. When Scout asks him if he thinks that he will win the case, Atticus subtly replies “No, honey” (76). Atticus goes on to explain, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win” (76). 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...
Courage in “To Kill A Mockingbird” is very hard to come by because of all the prejudice remarks and racist comments to the local African-Americans in the story, Atticus although puts aside the differences between white and black people and decides to help a black man in court. This is a very big part of the book, and shows a huge example of courage. In Maycomb finding courage is extremely hard, especially when it has to do with protecting another race that your entire town despises. Another example of courage is when Atticus protects Tom Robinson in the jail room. In the jail room, an angry mob of white men came rushing in to kill Tom Robinson. Atticus, Jem, and Scout stayed in the jail room all night to protect Tom Robinson and could have been killed by the mob. Instead of Scout, Jem, and Atticus running, Jem gets in front of the mob to protect Atticus from the mob. The mob then runs over Jem and Scout gets in their way, Scout then tries to talk some sense into the mob and she succeeds in doing so. This courageous act saved Atticus and Tom Robinson from being killed that night in the jail room. “Don’t you remember me, Mr. Cunningham? I’m Jean Louise Finch. You brought us some hickory nuts one time, remember?” This is a quote from the story on page 153; the quote tells the readers what Scout is trying to convince Mr. Cunningham to go home and away from Atticus and
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 doesn’t mean that you’re fearless, courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” This explanation of courage, stated by Bethany Hamilton, describes a very similar definition of courage as the one Atticus believes and enforces. Atticus has also made a connection to this in the book, stating, “I want you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand,” (Lee 149). He said this as he talked to his son about a dying neighbor in the book. In the novel, Mrs. Dubose, the neighbor, exemplifies courage through her perseverance, her determination, and her bravery to end the tyranny of her morphine superior.
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.
Without courageous people, human society would not progress. This is evident in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whereby a few heroic individuals inspire transformations in a racist community. One of the characters who shows bravery is Tom Robinson. Even though he knows he will most likely lose, he goes on trial and fights for justice and truth. Another person who displays inner strength is Boo Radley. He is able to break out of his comfort zone and stand up for what is right, despite his fear. The most daring character in the novel is Atticus Finch. Although most of the town is against him, he continues onward and faces hatred with dignity and respect. Each of these extraordinary individuals represent Harper Lee’s belief that real courage is doing the right thing, even if it requires standing up against the majority.
Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird we learn about moral courage through a few characters, but Atticus and Ms. Dubose are characters who really make Jem and Scout discover that courage looks different than they expect it to. Atticus shows moral courage by defending and guarding Tom Robinson, and Ms. Dubose shows moral courage by getting off morphine. Courage comes in many forms, but moral courage is the most important form.
In conclusion, true courage is the ability to confront something even if one is “licked from the start. Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus Finch all display real courage throughout Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Tom Robinson, being an African-American, living in a prejudiced town and having a crippled arm, still helped Mayella, gave a truthful testimony and tried to escape prison. Mrs. Dubose courageously overcame her morphine addiction despite her age and pains. Atticus’s real courage drove him to put aside the criticism and risk, and take up and fight the Tom Robinson’s controversial case. It is evident that these three characters in To Kill a Mockingbird display acts of real courage even when they know they are fighting a losing battle.
"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.
Atticus was incredibly courageous taking on tom Robinsons case against the prejudice of Macomb County and he shows incredible courage when he says, "Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and won." He wants the people of Maycomb to hear the truth about Tom Robinson, "That boy may go to the chair, but he's not going till the truth's told." Chapter 15, Page 146. He was against the whole white community including his own sister practically said that he was a disgrace to his family Atticus tells scout when she asks him why he is taking the case he says "For a number of reasons. The main one is, if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again.