Is There Real Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

Dubose does in her struggle with morphine addiction. Similarly to Atticus, the predicament Mrs. Dubose faces is a result of no fault of her own; she was introduced to morphine for medical reasons. When explaining Mrs. Dubose’s response to the situation she found herself in, Atticus says, “When you’re as sick as she was, it’s all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn’t all right for her. She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s what she did” (Lee 127). This characterization of Mrs. Dubose emphasizes the strength of her conviction; she knows she will die soon and that taking morphine will relieve her pain, along with clearly understanding how difficult it is to break free of a drug addiction, but she chooses to attempt to do so anyways. Her journey ends in success, as demonstrated by Atticus’s reply to Jem wanting to know whether Mrs. Dubose died free: “As the mountain air” (Lee 127). This simile shows that Mrs. Dubose’s dedication towards living by her principles, although it meant sacrificing her physical comfort, paid off at the end. Mrs. Dubose’s decision to take that arduous route shows that even a decision on a personal scale can show tremendous courage and have a tangible

Atticus considers Mrs. Dubose to be one of the most courageous people he has ever met. The children see her as the old neighbour lady who never has anything nice to say. Atticus explains to the children that Mrs. Dubose is a struggling morphine addict and is trying her best to break that addiction, even if it kills her. He tells them, "I wanted you to see what real courage is... It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and

From her front porch, Jem just sees her as a bitter old lady however, once he gets close up to her he realizes what bad condition she is in and how frail she is. The fact that Jem does not know about Mrs. Dubose’s illness also shows her courage because she is fighting her horrible illness without the support of her community. After Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus reveals that Mrs. Dubose wanted to die free and that she is the bravest person he has ever known. During a conversation between Atticus and Jem, Atticus says “I wanted you to see what real courage is... It’s when you know you’re licked but you begin anyway...

Dubose to teach a lesson of courage and strength in a form that is not immediately clear to the reader. While most of the town sees Mrs. Dubose as a crotchety old woman it later becomes clear to the reader that she was never a truly bad lady. After her death Atticus explains to his children, “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… She was the bravest person I ever knew” (128). Mrs. Dubose’s addiction affects only her temporary behavior. While she does not approve of Atticus, most of the insults said to his children are not sincere. If she truly believes her words, she will not allow them into her life. Atticus does not want his children referring to his shooting of the mad dog as a courageous act. The “real courage” he is speaking of is facing a situation with knowledge that negative consequences will occur. Mrs. Dubose knows that ending her addiction will cause pain in her life, but she continues to do what she believes is right. As a result, her fortitude is passed on to Jem and Scout. She was born as a good person, and she died as a good person. Additionally, Mrs. Dubose is an example of determination and tenacity. Atticus explains to Jem, “She meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s what she did” (127). When she realizes she is addicted to morphine, it is Mrs. Dubose’s intention to free herself of it before her death. She recognizes a flaw in her life that needs to be fixed. Jem and Scout provide distraction to help achieve this. With their assistance, she is able to survive longer periods of time between each administration of her addictive painkiller. Most people would choose to surrender and die relatively free of suffering, but Mrs. Dubose continues to fight until she reaches her end goal. She pays little attention to her physical pain, but more to following her moral values and overcoming something she believes

First, in this book courage is defined as standing up for one’s beliefs no matter what. On page 149 Atticus said “ 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.” Scout and Jem slowly start to realize this as they begin to start facing challenges like what Atticus is facing.

Dubose to show that people are essentially good. “You know, she was a great lady….She was the bravest person I ever knew” (Lee, 115-116). Despite her ugly and outspoken racism Mrs. Dubose is a courageous and strong woman. She forgave Jem for ruining her flowers even though the flowers were very meaningful and special to her. “She was a lady. She had her own view about things, a lot different from mine, maybe...son, I wanted you to read to her because I wanted you to learn something from her. 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. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. She broke her addiction to morphine, which was a very hard thing to do. She was the bravest person I ever knew.” (Lee, 149). She could’ve taken the easy way out and died pain free, but she decided that she was going to reach her goal no matter what. Atticus showed his integrity by not responding back with hateful comments back to Mrs. Dubose whenever she insulted him. Despite Mrs. Dubose’s racist comments towards the Finch family, she was a forgiving and kind lady till the

"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.

Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. In some cases, courage is using your words instead of your actions. Both statements are a major theme towards the end of To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus uses his words, rather than weapons, to disarm. Sometimes, courage is having a gun in your hand, and sometimes, it is not.

Dubose’s house they were met with a very strong odor, with her brass bed, a washstand with tons of medical equipment. Every so often an alarm clock went off and Jessie rushed them out because it was time for her medicine. Eventually Atticus had told the kids that she had passed away. Atticus explained that she was a morphine addict and she took it for years as a pain killer. Quote in context Mrs. Dubose wanted to leave without owing something to someone. Normally people would take medicine to help with pain, but not her. She wanted to break her morphine addiction before she died and she did. Atticus explained that courage was “its when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. Proper quote And that represents the theme courage means fighting for what is right, no matter how difficult it seems, because she fought to do the right thing before she died, which was quitting an addiction even though it was a difficult and long thing to work for theme quote represents. By Atticus agreeing with Mrs. Dubose at having Jem read taught him the actual meaning of courage and how even though Mrs. Dubose was always critiquing them and being rude that she had more courage than most people

Courage, according to the dictionary is, “the ability to do something that frightens one.” On the other hand, courage defined in the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is, “ it’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyways and you see through it no matter what.” (Lee, 112) Through this quote, Atticus defines the fact that one must fight with all their might for something that is right despite if they win or lose. But what does it take to be courageous? Throughout the book, courage is best exemplified through the characters Atticus, Scout, and Jem.

Courage’s Distinct Traits as Presented in To Kill a Mockingbird Courage is a common theme expressed throughout countless novels spanning years, but in To Kill a Mockingbird, courage drives the plot of the novel and helps the main characters gain a better grasp of the world around them. Throughout the span of the novel, each of the characters are forced to take new perspectives on the events unfolding in front of them to overcome the deeply rooted prejudice of an old Southern town. Scout, Jem, Atticus, and other characters central to the plot of the novel discover that it takes different forms of bravery to overcome obstacles, and that each form is strong in their own right. Courage, as elucidated by Harper Lee in To Kill A Mockingbird, is

Atticus shows true courage by doing what is right and not what is easy. He sticks up for Tom Robinson even when the whole town is against him. This affects his social life and even the life of his children, but he realizes that believing in what is right is still important. But sometimes, holding a gun is not always true courage, true courage is working your whole life to fulfil your goals. Atticus says, “I wanted you to see something about her-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 through it no matter what” (149). Mrs. Dubose was hated by Jem and Scout but when they realize the truth, they feel extremely guilty. She tried to get over her morphine addiction by having Jem and Scout help read to her. Atticus understood the truth, and he saw Mrs. Dubose’s courage. He knew she was extremely close to death but that didn’t stop her from trying to die

Atticus describes courage or bravery as “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what” (112). Atticus uses this quote to describe Mrs. Dubose, but he does not seem to see how it so easily applies to his own life. Mrs. Dubose is a morphine addict who decides she

Dubose fearlessly fought her addiction tooth and nail when she knew she would die to her illness anyway. Her struggle with drugs and looming death shows her bravery and true courage she put toward completing her goals. “She said she meant to break herself of [her addiction] before she died, and that’s what she did” (Lee 148). Courage is fulfilling a goal that you set or has been set by others, and doing your best to complete that goal. Atticus admired Mrs. Dubose for her courage, and used her as an example to explain to his kids what real strength and bravery is.

Dubose dies Atticus is trying to teach Jem a lesson about courage, Atticus uses Mrrs. Dubose as an example, she is a sick cranky old lady who later dies. After Mrs. Dubose dies Atticus tells Jem, “ I wanted you to see something about her- I wanted you to see what real change 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. Mrs. Dubose won… to her views she died beholden to nothing and nobody.”(149) What Atticus means to say is that courage is standing up to what you believe in, Mrs. Dubose was always saying negative things about Atticus and his case with Tom Robinson, the black man. Atticus shows Jem that courage is not strength, it is about standing up to what you believe in. It is a rare quality to have but a great to know when something big is going to