Examples Of Heroism In To Kill A Mockingbird

When people think of heroes, they will likely think of Superman, Spiderman, or the Hulk, but Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird, has created a new hero. His name is Atticus Finch. Scout, Atticus’s daughter, says, “Our father didn’t do anything. He worked in an office, not a drug store. Atticus did not drive a dump truck for the county, he was not the sheriff, he did not farm, work in a garage, or do anything that could possibly arouse the admiration of anyone” (Lee 118). Although Scout does not consider her father to be neither youthful nor energetic, he does what all heroes do- he protects the innocent. The main theme of To Kill a Mockingbird is destroyed and preserved innocence, and without Atticus protecting the innocent, all innocence would be destroyed. Atticus embodies the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird and shows heroism by setting a good example for the children and the townspeople, giving insightful advice to his children, and protecting an innocent African American man before the civil rights era had even begun.

Although they are critiqued, some people do whatever they can do to improve our society. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch proves himself to be a hero. This small-town lawyer exhibits bravery, strength, and modesty when faced with objection during Maycomb’s quarrel for justice. Without a doubt, Atticus proves that anybody can stand for what he or she believes is right.

Atticus says to Jem that he wants his son “To see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand”. Courage is simply defined as having strength and power when faced with any problem that's frightening. Courageous people show characteristics such as being fearless, daring and bold. Courageousness is expressed greatly throughout “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Atticus and his kids. Although they did show a lot of courage by standing up to those who sought to bring down the Finch name, others in the novel showed courage as well such as Arthur “Boo” Radley, Tom Robinson, and Mrs. Dubose. Atticus was greatly put down by the people of Maycomb because he was defending a black man, Tom Robinson, which

Many criticize Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockngbird, and the value it portrays to have versus the value it really has. Many believe that the novel is in no way, a proper representation of African American’s history and their oppression, and many believe that Atticus Finch, the father being portrayed as a hero, is not heroic at all. However, Atticus Finch is a hero for going against the racist status quo of Maycomb County and his children are the symbols of the future generation to make true change in the world and break the racial stereotypes in America.

Undeniably, the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is an interesting yet enlightening read about the discrimination and unfairness African Americans faced in the 1930s through the eyes of a child. There are numerous passages throughout the novel that are life lessons for not just the characters in the story, but the readers. Without a doubt, one life lesson that is displayed in the story is the empathy shown by Atticus. The life lesson of personal integrity is also a major one in the story, as well as persistence. Lastly, the theme of courage is significant and the life lesson of the mockingbird in the story has a deeper meaning than what might appear to readers. Overall, the life lessons of empathy, personal integrity, persistence,

anyone else agree with that statement? Everyone is born with true bravery but it’s up to them if they will show it and a couple did. For example Atticus Finch and Martin Luther king jr, they both stood up for what they believe in and what was right. They never backed down they had the confidence to stand up and they did, stood tall and brave. Atticus Finch stood up for Tom Robinson. Martin Luther King Jr stood up for black rights. Rosa Parks, a very courageous woman in the civil rights. Tom Robinson was also a brave person. He shows courage on the witness stand. These people showed great courage because they never backed down they did what was right and what they believed in.

It is rare to find a courageous and sympathetic person who is willing to stand against social injustice. In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus represents this rare hero. He is a lawyer and a single parent to his kids Jem and Scout. He understands that society should not be black and white and helps those who are mistreated. Not only does Atticus demonstrate acts of courage and empathy, he is also an excellent role model to his children. Atticus represents the qualities of a true hero by exposing injustice, and through courageous and sympathetic activities, teaching his children moral values.

“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Atticus Finch. This quote is proved to be true in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee as it demonstrates the true definition of courage. The book takes you along the journey of young girl, Scout Finch, during a time where colored people are thought less of. She experiences this first hand as her father, Atticus Finch, has been assigned to defend a colored man who has been accused of raping a white female. Scout along with her elder brother Jem, learn the definition of courage through some of the characters and how they act to the events that occur before and after the trial. In Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird, many characters are great examples of trusting yourself when all odds are stacked against you. Throughout the novel the characters that display courage are Atticus Finch, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley.

. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how fear and racism has characterized someone’s potential in to being a “mockingbird.” Harper Lee clearly sets up most characters as either a hero, or villain through unique ways without looking at a hero as “man with a gun” (112 Lee). Although, Atticus seems to be the claimed hero in the story, some other improbable heroes are evident such as, Arthur Radley and Mrs. Dubose. The actions they have done raises them into the unlikely hero status is also the one reason that hurts them so much. In “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Harper Lee portrays true heroes as people who persevere through hardships, even though they will suffer the consequences of their actions.

Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the year of 1960, and is one of the few American classic novels awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The racism that is prevalent in many southern American towns in the 1930s is brought to life with profound imagery in To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several characters in the book, yet the true main character is the narrator's father, Atticus Finch. He is a man of great integrity and intelligence. A very heroic figure in more ways than one, Atticus possesses traits like being principled, determined, and, more importantly, he teaches others. When looking at To Kill a Mockingbird, one can see that Lee uses lots of description, dialogue, and actions to portray Atticus as a heroic individual.

One example of a hero from To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus Finch, the father of the protagonist, Scout. One example of Atticus’s heroism is when he shows courage by defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who was accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. This shows courage because no one else wanted to defend Tom, and he knew he was going to lose. Atticus says real courage is, “When you know 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.” This quote illustrates the idea because Atticus knows he will not win the Tom Robinson case, but he shows courage by seeing it through all of the way to the end. Another example of Atticus being a hero is that he always respects everyone. He does not care what people look like, he justs respects them. No one believes Tom is innocent at first just because he is black, but Atticus respects him and trusts him. Also, when he is cross-examining Mayella at the trial he shows respect for her by calling her “ma’am” and “Miss Mayella.” Dill says, “Well, Mr. Finch didn't act that way to Mayella and old man Ewell when he cross-examined them. The way that man called him 'boy' all the time an' sneered at him, an' looked around at the jury every time he answered-." This quote shows Atticus is a polite and respectful gentleman because even though he was cross-examining Mayella and Mr. Ewell, he was considerate. Atticus is just one of many heroes in To Kill a Mockingbird, but he is a major one.

Throughout the novel, Atticus demonstrates heroism because he wants to be truthful and show his great personality to his kids and the people of Maycomb.

According to Atticus Finch, heroism is “when you know 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.” This means that you lose before you start but you have a small chance of winning, but there is that slight chance you can win. Just like his case with Tom Robinson. They do not have a good chance at winning, but Atticus decides it is his responsibility as a person to defend them, even though it is a white family against a black family, especially during Jim Crow South.

“When you know 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.” After delivering the news of Mrs. Dubose’s death, Atticus uses these lines to explain to Jem what heroism is. Heroism has a very broad definition that emcompasses all of the best moral qualities. Bravery, honesty, kindness, and many other things.

Nobody ever doubted Superman. Superman lived life as a strong, white, male hero with superpowers. Fortunately, Harper Lee never conformed to these uniform ideas of what a hero should be, but rather expressed unlikely heroism in her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee demonstrated to the world a moral to be remembered: a status in society does not define who you are or who you can become. Lee’s marginalized characters are held back by their socioeconomic status, but still are untraditional heroes by maintaining their integrity, assisting others without interest of reward, and jumping over the barrels society rolls towards them.