To Kill A Mockingbird Theme Analysis

Author uses Atticus teach these lessons through his wise words. Atticus teaches these lessons to not only the audience, but Jem and Scout too. Some of the main things he teaches his kids about are understanding people, using the mind instead of the body, the cruel reality of stereotypes, and true

Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, is a realistic story that deeply discusses issues involved with the 1930’s that still resonate today. The struggles of life are evident within the believable characters of Maycomb County which is a microcosm, reflective of universal issues. Along with the authentic characters, setting and style also helps to convey Lee’s controversial notions of racial and gender prejudice, and persecution of the innocent, discussing many other ideas within.

Courage can mean being adventurous or doing something by yourself for the first time. Real courage is having perseverance, determination and doing what you believe in. According to Atticus Finch in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, real courage is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” Mrs. Dubose, Boo Radley, and Atticus show their courage by never giving up when things get tough or being afraid of going against societal norms.

As Stephen King once said, “The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.” In the book "To Kill a Mockingbird", by Harper Lee, Jean Louise Finch, a young girl who also goes by Scout, experiences many things such as racism, friends, and family. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer who is sacrificing his reputation to defend a black man, Tom Robinson. Scout and her friends take it upon themselves to uncover the mystery of Boo Radley. In this book the mockingbirds represent innocence. Many characters take on the role of the “mockingbird". Exploring Lee’s title, to kill a mockingbird is to kill innocence.

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird" (pg. 119.) Miss Maudie spoke the previous quote with deep thought going into each and every word. She wasn't just trying to teach Scout a lesson, but she wanted there to be a powerful meaning behind it. Miss Maudie's main purpose was to stress that you shouldn't kill something that is doing no harm. Everyday "mockingbirds" are killed, broke down, and mistreated by society.

“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.” (Lee 149).

Maycomb County is a small, divided town where, in this story, danger is no stranger. Everyone in Maycomb is faced with personal and difficulties, but everyone perseveres and faces the difficulties with courage. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout, a young girl grows up in Maycomb County, Alabama during the Great Depression; this town is very divided in many ways and Scout is always finding ways to slip between the dividers. Throughout the story we hear rumors, court trials, and we see children maturing. By the end, we have a deeper understanding of the people in Maycomb County and what they are capable of. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme that courage is perseverance can be seen when Scout walks away from a fight, Mrs. Dubose dies free from her morphine addiction, and when Atticus defends an African American man in court.

Through her determination to die free of morphine, Mrs. Dubose suffers tremendously from withdrawal showing that mental courage is more difficult to obtain than physical courage. Mrs. Dubose is a morphine addict who appears to be a racist based off of her interactions with Jem and Scout regarding Atticus’ defense of Tom Robinson. In a state of anger, Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose's camellias, and has to read to her for a whole month as a punishment. During this time, the children witnessed the pain that Mrs. Dubose has to endure from not using morphine, yet they could not see her goal and considered her to be disgusting, rather than to show her sympathy for her decision. By the end of her life, Mrs. Dubose has “died beholden to nothing and nobody” (149), she experienced true freedom before she passed away. Mrs. Dubose did

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

Everyone has the potential for courage, however, not everyone takes advantage of it. Imagine the nerd taking advantage of talking to the pretty girl in the lunch-room and compare it to not taking the chance. Similarly, in Harper Lee’s story,”To Kill a Mockingbird”, characters employ their wits in order to overcome adversity. Frankly, when used, courage can help with the impossible.

True courage is expressed by self-sacrifice, as courage is not only defined as being ‘brave’, but by putting yourself before others for a reaching hand. Recalling Harper Lee’s six year old experiences in which courage played a major role in her ages, from an adult perspective in, To Kill a Mockingbird (TKAM), has remained enormously popular since its publication in 1960. During the 1930s it was mainly a prejudicial society, as it took real courage and bravery to do what Atticus, Scout and Jem did through the uneasy circumstance they were faced with; Atticus Finch defending an African American man in court. Jem and Scouts courage and bravery has transformed throughout the novel as they mature, diversifying from the roots of their well astonishing father, Atticus Finch.

Courage can be defined many ways: doing what scares you, taking a chance on love, or even buying a goldfish when you aren’t so sure you can take care of it; however, Harper Lee doesn’t leave the reader much of a decision on how she sees courage. Lee illustrates what courage is by the following quote on page 163 of To Kill A Mockingbird, “It’s when you’re

The 1930s was a frightening and very prejudiced time in United States history. Harper Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, tells the incredible story of a young girl and her family as they fight against prejudice during the 1930s. Scout, the narrator, travels through Maycomb having to mature faster than ever. Her father, Atticus, is defending a black man accused of rape. Harper Lee takes the reader throughout the journey of Scout Finch and her surroundings. Lee depicts many fascinating themes throughout her novel, one being courage. She describes the story of many rising up and being truly courageous. Courage is a strange thing. Some people radiate with courage and others have to find the courage deep within themselves. Atticus and Boo

Dubose show many different aspects about courage throughout the book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Courage is not always trying and succeeding, it can be trial and error too. When someone tries he or she is standing up for what they think is right. The next time there is an opportunity to stand up for what is right, do not think about succeeding or failing, think about giving it a

Courage is an incredibly prevalent concept in Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Scout Finch observes bravery around her every day in the physiognomy of her father Atticus, the daring actions of her brother Jem and through her own actions; regardless of whether or not she realizes their courageous impact in the moment. Surrounded by small town ideals and a limited society, Scout and her family’s bravery strikes a shocking disparity to the majority of the populace of Maycomb County. Raised by Atticus, a man of intense determination and courage, especially when it comes to upholding his moral values, Scout observes and learns the impact of brave actions and develops an understanding for what it truly means to be courageous.