An Act of Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Essay

When Atticus asks Jem to take Scout and Dill home, they refuse to leave him behind and stand by him. Scout is also protective of her brother Jem and shows courage when she defends him when Jem is picked on and grabbed at by a man from the lynch mob as is shown when Scout says "Ain't nobody gonna do Jem that way,". This quote shows the bravery Scout can show when she is defending someone that she cares about and how she does not allow her fear stop her from doing the right thing. Lee conveys courage in this event by using Scout as an example by showing that she would defend the people she cares about even though she is

To Kill A Mockingbird is a book about courage to what extent do you agree with this?

"I wanted to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun." What kinds of heroism and courage are shown in To Kill a Mockingbird? Discuss.

To KIll a Mockingbird, a novel written by Harper Lee, is set in a small fictional town of Maycomb Alabama in the 1930’s. The story emphasizes the horrors of prejudiced and its impact on a small southern community. In this novel, Harper Lee introduces the reader to many themes, one of them being that courage is doing what’s right even when the odds of succeeding are poor.

Our world suffers with many issues such as racism, sexism, hate and prejudice, and society needs people that are strong enough to take a stand. In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is displayed in several different forms, especially through three courageous characters. Lee introduces the concept of honorable courage through Mrs. Dubose, a woman who demonstrates that real courage comes from within. Another brave character in the novel is Tom Robinson. He shows everyone how difficult it is for a black man to be both honest and kind no matter the situation. The most courageous person would be Atticus Finch. Atticus is an important character that fits into his own definition of what "real courage" is and demonstrates it in numerous ways throughout the novel, as he goes against most people’s beliefs in order to do what he believes is morally right. Through these three brave characters, Lee tries to reshape people's stereotypical view of courage.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, one of Atticus Finch’s most significant qualities, courage, impacts the story. Throughout the book, Harper Lee portrays courage as doing something out of your comfort zone, for the greater good or a good cause. The first example shows how Atticus’s quality of courage impacts the story. Atticus is sitting in front of the jail cell where Tom Robinson, the African-American man he is defending, is being kept. When Mr. Cunningham and the rest of his followers confront Atticus, he stays strong, keeps his ground and doesn’t let anything happen to Tom. The interaction starts with Mr. Cunningham approaching Atticus, “He in there, Mr. Finch? He is, and he’s asleep. Don’t wake him up. In obedience to my father. There followed what I later realized was a sickeningly comic aspect of an unfunny situation: the men talked in near-whispers. You know what we want. Get Aside from the door, Mr. Finch. You can turn around and go home, Walter. Heck Tate’s around somewhere.”(171-172) Atticus stops Mr. Cunningham and his men from harming Tom before his trial. It took courage to stand up to men who are usually cordial with him resulting in Tom not being killed and allowing the trial to continue. In the second example, it shows how Atticus’s actions reflect what how Harper Lee believes courage looks like in everybody. Atticus is brought to a tough decision in whether or whether not to defend Tom Robinson. When Scout asks him about the case and why he decided

Moreover, every other character in the story can be said to have courage, especially Atticus. The book revolves around Atticus and how he has no fear to defend a black man. Atticus is a lawyer that always had justice and never accepts injustice. He defends a black man named “Tom Robinson” who is accused of rapping a white girl whose own father had infact raped. “I’m simply defending a negro his name’s Tom Robinson” “The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (Lee,100). These quotes show that Atticus is not afraid and is brave enough to hold his head up in town even if he defended Tom, an inferior in their society. It also shows how well educated and mature he is that he even connects his job to his kids and he always tries to be good to be the best in his kids’ eyes. He wanted his kids to get along with other people and for them to learn courage from them like Mrs. Dubose, for example.

Courage is shown by different characters in varying ways throughout the novel. These characters are Jem, Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose and Atticus. Jem shows a small amount of courage when Atticus decides to face a lynch mob. Jem understands who they are and what they want to do, but he still refuses to go home and remains to defend his father. Boo Radley also shows courage by putting all his fears of the outside world behind him to save Jem and Scout's lives.

Courage is shown within the characters of To Kill A Mockingbird in several situations.  The characters are challenged to face danger or pain without fear.  The courage they display gives them strength and deepens their self-understanding as the novel progresses.

Boo Radley portrayed courage very effectively throughout the novel. In one situation Boo appeared to save Scout and Jem from Bob Ewell, who was attacking them when they were coming back from the Halloween festival. Boo showed 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.

In addition, Jem is faced with a courageous situation in regards to the Radley house. His courage stems from fear of receiving a whipping from Atticus, and more important, his disapproval. Jem is willing to risk his life in order to save his father from showing disappointment. The threat of Mr. Radley waiting for the intruder with his gun instills fear within Jem. However, Jem overcomes this fear in order to sustain Atticus' faith. Being the only and eldest son places pressure upon Jem to set an example and implant pride within his father. The possibility of being shot is an obstacle Jem must overcome with mental courage, which he does. Lastly, Jem also shows mental courage when he stops himself from bragging about Atticus and how he was a very good shooter. When Atticus shot the mad dog, Jem found out that his father was a very good shooter and he wanted to tell everyone in school about it. But, he knew that Atticus did not consider a man with a gun in his hand real courage and so Jem kept quiet and did not brag about it, which took mental discipline and courage on his part.

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

Courage is what makes ordinary people extraordinary. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Tom Robinson, a poor black worker accused of raping a white girl is represented by Atticus Finch, a well-to-do white lawyer during the Great Depression. Even though Atticus, and the town, thinks Tom will be accused, but Atticus takes the case anyway. The thematic topic of courage is defined by Atticus as “when you know you’re licked before you begin…and…see it through no matter what,” the characters of Atticus, Boo Radley, and Mrs. Dubose demonstrate Atticus’ definition of courage.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in 1903. This novel is basically a coming of age story for a young girl named Scout and her older brother named Jem. Who grows up in a time where racism is normal. They soon learn to stand up for what is right, just like their dad, Atticus.