Franklin Delano Roosevelt famously once said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself”. What Roosevelt really meant by saying this is that the fear we have for something or someone will only make it worse. Courage, most often times, can be defined by the actions that someone makes as a result to something that they fear. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the main characters, Atticus, Scout, and Jem, face many fearful obstacles in which they have to overcome their fears to move through them. Although many readers may believe that Jem displays the most courage, Atticus is the one who truly displays the most courage due to the fact that he had to face many difficult tasks in the courtroom and at home. Despite all the hatred he received …show more content…
It’s not until more than halfway through the plot that Jem realizes the legitimate importance of his father's actions in both of their lives. An event that Scout remembers quite vividly is the Tim Johnson incident. When they saw Tim Johnson, Heck Tate and Atticus were discussing who would take the shot, and Heck Tate made the final argument that Atticus has the better shot out of the two of them. It is important that is only takes one shot to wipe out Tom Johnson, because if he does not go down with one shot, the do not know how he will react. Heck Tate shortly exclaimed, “Mr. Finch, this is a one-shot job. … I can’t shoot that well and you know it! Mr. Heck Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus. I’d feel mighty comfortable if you did it now” (Lee 127). Heck Tate was really trying to get Atticus to take the shot, even though Atticus was reluctant about it. It then occurred to Atticus that they dog needs to be taken care of, for everyone’s safety. This took an immense amount of courage from Atticus. This also shows how Atticus is civilized at heart. He did not shoot the dog until he had too, which you can not say the same about many of the townspeople in Maycomb. Atticus had the courage to do something no one else wanted to do, while risking himself at the same
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a character by the name of Atticus Finch explains to his child “I wanted you 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 you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” (128). Atticus is teaching his son an important lesson about courage, while using his own to take on a seemingly impossible task.
Even though he knew Jem and Scout would find out on their own, he wants Scout to know in advance what he believes will be the outcome of the trial. Atticus knows of Scout’s presence when he is talking to his brother about how the outcome of the trial, and how the people of Maycomb will react. The last sentence of chapter 9 is Scout stating, “But I never figured out how Atticus knew I was listening, and it was not until may years later that I realized he wanted me to hear every word he said.” At the end of the book, after Bob Ewell attacks the children and is killed, Atticus believes Jem did it. Even though he wants to protect his own son, he knows the right thing to do is take it to court and tell the truth. All of these events convey
In 1960, Harper Lee published a novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, which was one of the most controversial novels of its time. Atticus Finch, the father of a young boy and girl, Scout and Jem, possesses a variety of character traits and the people of Maycomb respect him for them. Atticus is a very upright person who is always willing to help and give advice. Many people of Maycomb look up to him and he is highly respected in his community. Atticus was a lawyer that was appointed to defend a black man, Tom Robinson.
Another device that assists in portraying courage is through the characterization of one of the main focused characters, which during the whole duration of the novel was flat and static, Atticus Finch. In the narrative, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus shows many daring moments, as a lawyer and father, he is a role model to not only the coloreds’ in Maycomb community but including the kids, Jem and Scout. To Scout, he speaks to her about fighting all the time because of what people say about him and he tells her a bit of advice, “… You may hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change… it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning.” (76) Since his daughter, Scout, was already hearing so many negative feedback from many people in Maycomb including the kids her age, she had got into it with a classmate of hers, Cecil Jacobs, after verbalizing how Atticus “defends
What does Harper Lee want us to learn about courage in his novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”? Throughout the book, courage is demonstrated by many of the characters in different ways and in different circumstances. Atticus, a father and well-known lawyer in Maycomb, was the most courageous person in the book, and was the character that Harper Lee represented as “the heroic individual”. Atticus is courageous for taking Tom Robinson's case because in doing so he risks his families and his own safety; also, Mrs. Dubose is courageous for trying to stop her addiction to Morphine. With courage Atticus was true to his values.
Mini Research Paper Acts of courage are everywhere but no one really pays attention them. Courage is a recurring theme in the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Atticus, Jem, and Boo are some of the characters in the story that continuously show acts of courage throughout. Atticus defends a colored man in the court of law, Jem laying hands on the terrifying and dreaded Radley house, and last but certainly not least Boo Radley Shows the most courage when he ends a man's life to save Jem and Scout.
Courage is the ability to persevere with determination and bravery even when fear is present. Atticus Finch, a protagonist in To Kill Mockingbird, is a character that the most shows courage throughout the book. He exhibits courage by doing and saying what others don’t what to. He does what’s right despite others going against it or saying it’s wrong. In his town, he’s surrounded by wrong and bad morals, but still sticks to his own morals and decisions.
When we think of the word courage, often times, images of your classic heroes come to mind. Heroes such as masked men and women in caps fighting crime, or a soldier fighting in war, or leaders of change putting their lives on the line for something they believe in. While it is true that these classic heroes show courage, it is not always a hero who is courageous. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird we see an ordinary man named Atticus, living as a lawyer in the south, who is perhaps one of the most courageous characters in literature. Atticus shows courage throughout the book when he takes the case, stands in between Tom and the group of men who want to kill him, and in his closing statements of the trial.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird courage is defined as standing up for what one believes in. Throughout the part one of the book Atticus stands up for what he believes in even though he is heavily criticized. Out of every character introduced so far Atticus has shown by far the most cnjourage. Scout and Jem show courage by trying to communicate with Boo Radley even though all of the terrible rumors.
Envision a world where courage is not just a word, but a force that can change the course of history. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch uses his courage as a force as he is the paragon of courage, by challenging the racial prejudices of Maycomb and inspiring others to do the same. To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the 1930’s in a small town called Maycomb, Alabama, in the novel it explores themes of racial injustice, moral growth, and even loss of innocence. As readers delve into the the novel, they are introduced to Atticus Finch, a lawyer and single father of Scout and Jem, who is tasked with defending Tom Robinson, an African American man who was wrongly accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Despite the racial
“I wanted 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). In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters portray courage in the small Alabaman town of Maycomb. The town itself is constructed to be a place for courage to take place; many people follow along with the social norms of judgement and discrimination. But, people such as Jem, Atticus, and Scout all portray courage over the course of the novel by facing hardship.
“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”, Winston Churchill. Courage is shown within the characters of To Kill A Mockingbird in several situations. In this novel, the characters are willing to face danger without letting fear get in the way. The courage they present builds up their strength to continue towards their goal. Atticus, Scout and Mrs. Dubose define what courage is meant to be through the challenges they face.
One of the most memorable lessons taught by Atticus is about courage. For example, Mrs. Dubose, the Finch’s neighbor is an ill-tempered old woman who the children try to avoid. Scout describes her as “pain hell’’ (Lee 7). This shows the loathing from Scout towards Mrs. Dubose.
Most people fail to do what Atticus is saying. Also, people judge people on how they do things because they may do them different from others. But courage is one thing you will need, but there are many ways of having and showing courage. Overcoming obstacles in your life no matter what they may be is one way how courage is defined in this novel. Atticus wants his son to be a strong man with a power and that people can see he has courage in everything he does.
Courage is defined as "the quality of mind or spirit enabling one to meet danger or opposition with fearlessness." According to Atticus Finch, one of the main characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." (pg.121). Harper Lee clearly portrays the theme of courage in her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. One likes to think of a hero, as strong, brave, and meeting all challenges head on. All the characters in this book have a different view as to what courage