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How Does Atticus Show Courage

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Jem and Scout are extremely surprised when they discover their father is a talented marksman. Atticus never mentions or uses his talent; he is reluctant to shoot a gun even when it is deemed necessary. The children wonder why Atticus has never told them of his talent; in their minds, marksmanship is an impressive and glorious skill. They discover Atticus' motive for this omission when he mentions he does not want his children to get the "idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand." To Jem and Scout, it is unclear what their father sees as true courage. It is only later, with Mrs. Dubose as an example, that Atticus reveal his viewpoint. Atticus regards Mrs. Dubose as "the bravest person [he] ever knew." She certainly does not fit traditional standards of bravery; Mrs. Dubose is a frail old lady confined to her house. However, she is extremely strong-willed and "contrary." As a struggling morphine addict, Mrs. Dubose should "have spent the rest of her life on [morphine] and died without agony." Instead, she is "determined to leave this world beholden to nothing or nobody." The decision to quit using morphine will cause Mrs. Dubose great suffering; it is also likely to be an unsuccessful effort. Nonetheless, Mrs. Dubose continues with her attempt. This is what makes her "a great lady" in Atticus' eye: she continues with her efforts despite knowing she will probably fail. …show more content…

Dubose, we can understand what Atticus defines as courageous. To have courage is to stand by your beliefs no matter what, even when they will cause great hardship. It is not a man with a gun, rather, it is "know[ing] you're licked before you begin but begin[ning] anyway and see[ing] it through no matter

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