Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird shows how the three protagonists are faced with tough situations without a hint of fear. The first character to show this is Atticus Finch who defends Tom Robinson, puts Tom’s life ahead of his own, and let his son fall for a crime he did not commit. Jem also shows courage when he stays at the jailhouse against his father’s request, goes back to get his pants from the Radley house, and when he fights Bob Ewell. Finally, Scout shows she can be brave when she walks away from the people who call her names, when she says the one thing no one else wants to, and when she runs into the circle at the jailhouse. Overall, in the three protagonists’ daily lives they are all faced with situaations which render them to be courageous. In Atticus, …show more content…
First of all, at the jailhouse, Jem refuses to leave when his father repeatedly asks him to. Atticus said “go home, Jem” (152), but you can tell that “from the way he stood he was not thinking of budging” (152). Jem realizes that his father is in a dangerous situation and will stand by his dad courageously even if he has to defy his orders. Secondly, Jem went back to the Radley residence to retrieve his pants. At the moment Scout saw that “he was returning to me…he held up his pants” (57), she knows that he had made it back in one piece. In this case, Jem needs to do whatever he can to get his pants back. Despite knowing the fact that Mr. Radley will shoot at anything he does not let his fears stop him. Lastly, when Bob Ewell attacks the children Jem fights back just to save his little sister. He tries to protect Scout when he exclaims “’run, Scout! Run! Run!’” (261). He realizes he must have to fight Bob Ewell as much as he can just so Scout can get away. His love for his sister requires him to risk his life just to save his younger sibling’s life. In all situations, the risk of being injured is an interference he must defeat with
“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.
There are many instances in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird that show how kindness and generosity are more effective than rudeness and disrespect. One example of this is when Atticus is talking to Scout about understanding other people’s point of view. He tells her, “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view--until you climb into his skin and walk around in it” (Lee 36). This passage illustrates how Atticus is trying to instill good morals and values in his children. He believes that if you try to look at another point of view, you will be more successful in understanding others. Many people are closed-minded and unwilling to accept any perspective except their own. This can lead to a lot of misunderstandings and
A significant representation of courage is seen within Atticus. Within To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus speaks of the Tom Robinson trial as a trial all lawyers fear. He must face a court case that will have a profound personal effect upon himself and his family. Atticus summons the courage to recognize that there is a need for justice and that it is his duty to achieve this. Maycomb is a town tainted with stereotypes and racism. Atticus has the courage to overcome the fear of other peoples' dislike. He must face the fear of straining the lives of his two young children and family name. The courage Atticus embodies stems from his "satisfactory" character. Atticus is righteous and unable to turn his back on those who truly rely upon his ability to show empathy. He overcomes the heartless comments of those around them, to see the necessity of his involvement.
“Thomas Jefferson once said that all men are created equal, a phrase the Yankees and the distaff side of the Executive branch are quite fond of hurling at us.” A quote from Atticus Finch, a firm believer of equal rights for all races. A lawyer, Atticus has taken up the case of Tom Robinson, who has been charged with the rape of Mayella Ewell. A jury, made up by white men of the southern county of Maycomb, listens to Atticus’ argument that Tom Robinson, a black man, is not guilty of Mayella Ewell’s wrongful accusation of rape. Atticus Finch attempts to persuade the jury to find his client innocent of a heinous crime through employing devices such as repetition, similes, sincere tone, and a strong appeal to pathos all of which contribute strongly to Tom’s case. .
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.
Prose appeals to ethos in this essay by appealing to the reader as a mother, educator, and student. By writing from the perspective of both a student and educator, Prose shows how both are affected by assigned literature. By discussing her own two sons, she appeals to readers who are mothers by expressing her concern about their education.
Jem is afraid of speaking up and being ridiculed because of his naivete, he even went as far as to restrict his sister, Scout, from helping her father for fear of her speaking up, “Jem shrieked and tried to catch me” (52). Jem tries to stop Scout from helping their father get out of a dangerous situation because of his fear. Jem is afraid of his father’s disapproval because he looks to his father as a rolemodel and he doesn’t want to disappoint Atticus. When Jem is from the Radley house he loses his pants on the fence surrounding the property. Scout is talking to him about going to get them, when she proposes that they should tell Atticus but Jem instantly refuses to carry out the idea because “Atticus ain’t ever whipped me since I can remember. I wanta keep it that way” (Lee 56). Jem doesn’t want to disappoint Atticus because he is afraid that Atticus would treat him differently. Atticus treats his kids like adults and Jem doesn’t want Atticus to think less of him and treat him like someone that has a lesser intelligence. Jem and Atticus have a relationship that is more professional than casual and it makes Jem think about things and have a more respectful view of not only his family but also the world. “I wanna keep it that way” the author emphasizes the respect Jem has for Atticus by showing that Jem is ashamed of what he did and that he doesn’t want to disappoint Atticus by
Scout later narrated, “He stood there until night fall, and I waited for him. When we went in the house I saw he had been crying; his face was dirty in the right places, but I thought it odd that I had not heard him” (Lee, 63). Jem was more affected by the loss of connection because of his better understanding of Maycomb’s society, and he is able sympathize with Boo Radley, someone who had been gossiped, rumoured, and speculated about all around the neighbourhood and town to be a outcast because of his behaviour. Jem had been able to change his outlook towards Boo Radley and see him as a human being; however, a feat that hardly any of the adults in the town had been able to accomplish besides Atticus and Miss Maudie. As a result of his childlike viewpoint, Jem had been apt in recognizing that Boo Radley, no matter how he was portrayed by the people of Maycomb, was still a human being with both faults and strengths. This kind of innocence can directly influence children to see the unfairness and unkindness some adults can express to people they do not accept as equal.
Atticus is guarding the jailhouse to make sure no one hurts Tom Robinson before his trial, when he is approached by Walter Cunningham and his fellow goons. Atticus shows his bravery by standing his ground for what he believes is right in front of his son. When Scout lashes out to her father’s side, Jem holds onto her and tries to stop her from interfering. Then Jem refuses to go home and stands up for his father’s side although the odds were against them, while trying to protect his sister from harm. In page 152, chapter 15, Scout says, “... but from the way he stood, Jem was not thinking of budging.” This shows us that Jem has matured from the boy who would do anything if dared, to a young man who can barricade his emotions and proceed with reason in difficult situations.
Courage, as defined by Collins Dictionary, is “the quality shown by someone who decides to do something difficult or dangerous, even though they may be afraid”. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee has created many characters who exhibit such courage, even in the face of adversity, and develops this into a major theme. Atticus Finch, Arthur Radley, and other members of the Finch household and Maycomb community, display amazing courage in the things they say, but more importantly in the way they act. These characters all contribute to the novel’s theme of showing courage through adversity.
Despite being told to stay put by his father, Jem counters this and ends up going to Tom Robinson’s house anyways. His father opposed of this because he didn’t want his son to get distressed or disturbed by any matter concerning Bob Ewell. A particular point in the story that states such an example is when Bob Ewell spat at Atticus’s face. Jem encountered this moment and was disgusted by his repulsive act. Later on in the story, Jem confronts a situation where he was forced to trust his instincts and not let his decisions be influenced by any other’s. This occurs when Jem pursues his desire to follow his father's car all the way to the county jail. He was nosy enough that he came across a incident where a group of people from the town gathered at the county jail with a motive to kill Tom Robinson. Jem scurried off over to Atticus followed by Scout and Dill. Atticus was thrilled by seeing his kids but told Jem to immediately take them back home, however Jem refused of this. Jem held onto his gut feeling and did what he felt was right at the time, unmasking one of his characteristic as
Research shows that children are more susceptible to commit crimes, fail in maintaining long lasting relationships and develop depression as well as other psychological disorders from the effects of bad parenting. In fact, many people grow up treating others the same way their parents have treated them with reference to their parents’ values, behaviours and attitudes. Harper Lee, an American author, expressed her childhood experiences in Alabama through writing the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. In this novel Harper Lee highlights the prevailing racist attitudes that existed in Alabama in the 1930s. Lee does this by having the parenting style of Atticus, and its impact on his children, stand in contrast to these prevailing racist attitudes. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee conveys that Atticus Finch is a great parent because he is not a hypocrite, he has a sense of fairness and he has good morals and values.
In Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, the atmosphere of discrimination normalizes the use of slurs, and the ostracization of certain members of the community, for the children in the novel. To Kill A Mockingbird, written in 1960, set in the fictitious town of Maycomb, Alabama. This novel, from the perspective of the character Scout, is a tale of identity, injustice, and inequality in a time of heavy discrimination. In Lee’s novel, the use of slurs is a common occurrence in the town of Maycomb. Scout, as well as the other children in the novel, are exposed to adults and their peers using these slurs, and, consequently, slurs become a desensitized part of everyday language. From the beginning of the novel, Boo Radley is an enigma to Scout,
In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, during chapters seventeen through twenty-one, one of the leading characters, Atticus, has to defend a black man in a court case against two white people. Before the jury is sent to make their decision, Atticus gives a closing argument speech. During his speech, Atticus uses three main types of persuasion called: ethos, pathos, and logos.
In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, all the literary features are established making this novel very worthy to read. This excerpt is from chapter three of the novel. It is the evening after Scout’s first day of school, and Scout seeks for help from Calpurnia, and Atticus. Scout questions the need to return back to school to Atticus, as she does not accept Miss.Caroline’s perspective on Scout having to stop reading at home.With the use of imagery and the characterization of Atticus, this excerpt proves that family with always educate you, and spoil you with