The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is shown by a number of characters, including Jem and Atticus, in different forms.
Jem is the first character to display the idea of courage in the novel. He demonstrates courage when Dill dares him to touch the side of the Radley house at the end of chapter one. Jem is scared at first, but he overcomes his fear and he runs up to the door and slaps it with the palm of his hand. Because of the courage he has within him, he was able to confront his fear. This is an example of Jem's early physical courage. As Jem matures, his idea of bravery
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In this case, Jem stands up to his father, as he believes his presence will protect him. Another significant act of bravery is when Jem and Scout are heading their way home from the school auditorium. Jem thinks he hears a someone's footsteps, following them from behind. Suddenly the hear whoever that's following them start to run in their direction, and Jem’s first instinct was to scream: “Run, Scout! Run! Run”(261)! In addition, while desperately trying to get Scout back home safely, Jem shows further bravery by trying to fend off their attacker and trying to pull Scout home with him. Jem not only puts the lives of others before his own, but also by handling the situation in a very adult-like manner. Anyone lacking either physical or mental courage will freeze in terror and could not have been able to try to fight off the attacker and escape to safety. Jem is a very compelling character, who grows immensely throughout the novel. When the book begins, Jem’s understanding of bravery was very narrow, understanding only physical courage. Courage exists in several forms, such as physical courage and mental courage. As Jem slowly matures throughout the novel, his perceptions of courage change. For instance, when the book begins, Jem’s understanding of bravery was very narrow, understanding only physical courage. However, as he matures, and his experiences increase, he begins to understand and demonstrate different forms of
One example is when he saves his sister from getting killed by Bob Ewell he is showing this. He made a courageous move and stepped into the place of Atticus. Scouts life is saved when Jem does this, and she is not hurt but he is, and that was a courageous move. A quote talks about how he saved her, “‘Jem found me and started pulling me toward the road,’”(Lee 309). It is so nice and sweet to see that Jem would put his own life in front of his sisters. This is Physical bravery and moral courage. Physical bravery because he put his own life in front of hers. This courage is moral because he wanted to do something so he could keep his own family safe. He is starting to become more like Atticus and realizing how much more responsibility he now has. Jem had so much courage to save Scout and put his life before hers, and he has really grown up from the beginning of the book. He sees that Scout is strong and can stand up for herself. This example is shown at the end of chapter seventeen when Scout is able to get the mob to leave and Atticus was safe (Lee 176). This may not seem like an example, but Jem decided not to make Scout leave because he knew that she would be able to do some convincing. This is moral courage when Jem has to put his own feelings aside because he knows the right thing to do will let Scout grow up and stand up by herself. These are two examples that both show how Jem put himself
Jem’s perception of bravery has changed throughout the course of the book. His maturity is a result of Atticus’s actions around him. At the beginning of the book, Jem is dared by his neighbour Dill to touch the door of the Radley’s; the
Courage is shown by different characters in varying ways throughout the novel. These characters are Jem, Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose and Atticus. Jem shows a small amount of courage when Atticus decides to face a lynch mob. Jem understands who they are and what they want to do, but he still refuses to go home and remains to defend his father. Boo Radley also shows courage by putting all his fears of the outside world behind him to save Jem and Scout's lives.
Courage can be shown in many different ways. Some people have a hard time of showing it while others do not. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird courage is shown through the characters of Jem and Atticus. These two characters show their courage in many different ways.
There are two different types of courage, physical and moral. Physical courage is facing fear using force or other physical means, while moral courage is defending what is right, even in the face of popular opinion. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, moral courage is a significant theme. Atticus Finch teaches his children, Jem and Scout, the importance of moral courage. Throughout the novel each character discovers courage in their unique experiences. By the end of the story, Jem and Scout’s idea of courage shifts and they learn the importance of moral bravery. Atticus, Jem, and Scout all learn or demonstrate the meaning of moral courage throughout the novel.
"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.
Scout displayed courage in many sections of the novel. For instance, she portrayed the trait of courage when Atticus had asked Scout not to fight anyone and when she was being asked to change how she reacted negatively to people’s comments. This showed scads of bravery in the book Scout used to fight a lot, but since she made a promise to Atticus, she had changed because she didn’t want to disappoint Atticus. “I drew a bead on him, remembered what Atticus had said, then dropped my fists and walked away” (Lee, 76). Finally, she showed courage when she continues to learn how to read and write with Atticus even when the teacher scolds her. Bravery is shown as she goes against what her teacher had told her. Scout can inspire many who strive for the trait of bravery, as it is a key trait in today’s society.
Lee and Conolly shows the audience that courage tend to come in diverge forms. One form is physical courage. In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus demonstrates courage in a physical sense as he finds himself in a face off with a loose rabid dog, only armed with a shotgun. " For God's sake, Mr. Finch, look where he is! Miss and you'll go straight into the Radley house!
Webster's dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." 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." (Chapter 11, Page 124) No matter how you define it, Harper Lee definitely portrays the theme of mental courage in this book. The book demonstrates that mental courage is fighting what you believe in no matter the consequence. It is one of the most predominant themes and is shown in many of the characters, including Atticus, Jem and Scout, who all show mental
Courage is "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."Atticus finch a character in TKAM says, "Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what." (Page 124) Courage is a huge theme in this book and its used in the whole book with all the characters
Courage is defined in this novel very well. I see courage in this novel as when Jem had to go read to the old woman on the porch. I think that Jem shows courage really good in this novel but I also think that Scout shows courage very well too. Scout shows courage by standing up for her father to Cecil at school after Cecil called Scouts father a “n****r lover” all because he was a lawyer and he was standing up for who he had to.
Courage is strength. Courage is honesty. Courage is standing one’s ground no matter what. Courage is standing up for others. In Harper Lee’s classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem Finch, along with their father Atticus, live in Maycomb County, a small, mainly racist town in Alabama during the Great Depression. The Finch family’s neighbor, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus display acts of personal courage in the story. Specifically, Mrs. Dubose displays courage in her honesty and strength, and Atticus displays courage in his responses to racism based threats and keeping others safe.
In chapter eleven Atticus tells Jem about courage. He tells Jem, "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.” A lot of people confuse courage with strength.
Jem makes sure to stay the whole time and to see the situation through like Atticus taught him to. While Jem does not understand courage initially, it impacts him and his future decisions in a way that he is unaware
Courage is the quality of mind that enables one to face danger with confidence, resolution, and gain a firm control of oneself. Many of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird showed courage in their own way. Courage can come in many different forms: physical, mental, emotional and moral. Courage is not the only main theme displayed in To Kill a Mockingbird; prejudice and education are also very important themes exhibited throughout the progression of the novel. Through the eyes of Scout Finch, a bright, sensitive and intelligent little girl, these themes of the novel are explored in great depth.