Courage
Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” The dictionary states that courage is the ability to do something that frightens one which pretty much sums up what Nelson Mandela was trying to get across. Courage can range depending on all the different perspectives but the basis is always the same; to conquer a fear. Not only can the dictionary define the word courage, but other sources as well such as literature, examples of personal experiences, and quotes from authority figures can be used to better define the word courage.
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, there is an immense amount of courage from the beginning until the end. One part of the book that stands out is when Atticus takes on the case of Tom Robinson. This take a significant amount of courage on Atticus’ part because the book takes place around 1930 which was a time of great racial prejudice. Taking on the case shows Atticus has courage
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For example, the time that I felt I had courage was when i decided to try out for the Watertown Blue Revue Dance Team. I was a junior who, at the time, had no experience and was not the most coordinated person. I was going to be competing for a spot on the team against forty other girls and there was only enough room for thirty five. Trying out took courage because I was fighting a fear. I had to overcome my fear of public performance and step into the room with confidence. This ended up showing me that I could overcome almost anything. Once I made the team I had to continually remind myself to have courage so that I could go out and perform the numerous routines. Through this experience I realized that courage can really only come from within one. One has to be willing to overcome their fears and have the courage to challenge
The word courage stems from the Latin word cor meaning heart, and is related to the French word cuer, also equivalent to heart. To have courage is to possess the quality of bravery. To have courage is to face danger without fear. To have courage is to have the psychological strength to confront challenges that one may have feared in the past. Those who are seen as courageous often exemplify characteristics including valour and the willingness to succeed, no matter how difficult the journey to success may be. Courage exists on many levels, and what may be seen by others as a small act of courage could be seen by an individual as an enormous feat. For example, talking to others may seem like second nature to some, but to others may be seen as
A significant representation of courage is seen within Atticus. Within To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus speaks of the Tom Robinson trial as a trial all lawyers fear. He must face a court case that will have a profound personal effect upon himself and his family. Atticus summons the courage to recognize that there is a need for justice and that it is his duty to achieve this. Maycomb is a town tainted with stereotypes and racism. Atticus has the courage to overcome the fear of other peoples' dislike. He must face the fear of straining the lives of his two young children and family name. The courage Atticus embodies stems from his "satisfactory" character. Atticus is righteous and unable to turn his back on those who truly rely upon his ability to show empathy. He overcomes the heartless comments of those around them, to see the necessity of his involvement.
The ability to do something that frightens one: courage. This definition is shown throughout Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird. In the town of Maycomb, Alabama there are many types of people. And within each action people view it differently. They might see it as breaking the “rules” or they might see it as courage. In the book the kids, Jem and Scout see courage demonstrated in their town. In To Kill A Mockingbird courage is shown in making moral decisions individually. These events show courage: Miss Maudie's fire, Atticus taking the case, and on Halloween night.
Bryce Adams Mrs. Daines English 8 03/07/24 Courage shows us that if we put our mind to something, we can achieve it. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee wants us to understand that real courage is standing up for the right thing, even though you know that you're going to lose. The author of the book is trying to show us that courage is standing up for what you believe and not what other people think. Atticus defends Tom Robinson even though he knows he is going to lose the case, while Tom Robinson shows courage by standing up for himself in court. Atticus is told about Tom Robinson’s case and is willing to accept the case because if he doesn't, then he destroys someone’s innocence.
Oxford defines courage as the ability to do something that frightens one. Courage isn’t necessarily being strong, or doing something that other don't want to do, it can be small acts, such as swimming in the ocean even though sharks are feared. Courage is having the ability to overcome a fear, no matter how big or small it is. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch, Scout Finch, and Boo Radley all display courage.
Atticus Finch, a righteous lawyer in Alabama during the 1930s, demonstrates courage throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus has the moral courage to take up the Tom Robinson case and defend him even though the town of Maycomb calls him “nigger-lover” because of it. Atticus knew he was fighting a losing battle and was told by many people that he had “everything to lose” and would “never be able to walk on the streets of Maycomb again.” Atticus is more concerned with doing what is morally right than protecting his reputation. Despite being told by several people, including his own family, not to take on Tom Robinson, Atticus Finch fought an unwinnable case because he knew it was the moral thing to do.
In “To KIll A Mockingbird”, by Harper Lee, Atticus shows a great amount of courage when defending Tom Robinson in the trial. Although, Atticus was constantly nagged at for defending a black man during that time period he showed a tremendous amount of courage. People in his town called him names like “nigger-lover” yet, this didn’t phase Atticus. He kept his head up, and tried his hardest to defend Tom, without being afraid of what lied ahead.
“We don't develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.” - Barbara De Angelis
Courage is often associated with knights fighting off dragons or superheros defeating villains. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines courage as the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous. While performing heroic acts are both difficult and dangerous, that’s not all there is to courage. It’s more than just doing something that seems hard, but doing something even though you know you are likely going to fail. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem considers Atticus to be courageous when he shoots a mad dog. While this may have been dangerous, Atticus does not consider it to be the definition of courage because, as the best shot in town, he isn’t likely to miss. Atticus uses the examples of Mrs. Dubose, coping with insults, and the trial to teach his children what he thinks true courage is.
Courage is defined by Merriam-Webster as, “the ability to do something that frightens one.” In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main characters have to understand what it means to be courageous in the face of prejudice. Growing up in Maycomb, Alabama during the Great Depression are two siblings named Scout and Jem. As they get older, they learn the true meaning of courage through the characters, Mrs. Dubose, Atticus, and Scout even sees courage through her own brother,
What does it mean to be courageous? Merriam-Webster defines courage as; “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” This defines being courageous as being able to stand up to what frightens you.
What term of courage does mean to me? Courage is the act of standing up against whatever fears you may have or standing up in defense of another when they have fear and are unable to be courageous themselves. One of the greatest acts of courage that always comes to my mind is the courage that DR. Martin Luther King showed during the civil rights movement. He stood up for what he believed in in the face of unsurmountable odds. He refused to back down from what he believed in and what was right.
In the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” Atticus shows courage by taking the case even if he knew that it was going to cause him trouble and he was not going to win.Atticus stood up for Tom Robinson because he believed that by doing this he would show a good example to his children. Another example, when he was in front of the jail when he knew that an angry mob was going to come and try to kill Tom and also try to hurt him if he got
The meaning of courage is not being fearless but being able to face our fear even though we feel scared inside. I first realize the truth of this sentence when I faced my first chalenging situation in personal life. I was in elementary school when I almost drowned. The trauma of it makes me afraid getting into a large body water for a long time. And that fear kept me from learning how to swim. Since I live far from ocean and river, I did not think it was necessary for me to learn to swim. Funnily enough, I choose a major in University that require to do some swimming in a subject course for one semester. Of course I never anticipated that and I flunked in that subject. My inability to swim resulted on me getting E score at the end of second
Courage is a necessity to overcome fears and achieve a desired goal. Fear is something that exists in all of us. There is no hero or any particular courageous figure that is without fear. Being fearless is not required to be courageous, one simply has to look past or overcome their fears to possess this great quality. When overcoming fears and going against the norm, there are always risks involved. There are different types of risks that come about. Someone could risk life or limb, while others risk their reputation. Either risk is serious enough that a person must have courage to endure that particular risk. Courage can occur anytime, anywhere, and often in our everyday lives. Everyone will experience courage no matter how young,