Bethany Hamilton once said “ courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid”. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you”. Hamilton gives a great description of what it takes to be courageous. Although some people face individual issues, others face racism throughout the society. Courage has no restriction, anybody can be courageous. Harper Lee uses one of her main characters Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, to show how courage can help anyone overcome trials and tribulations.
Atticus Finch is the prime example of a courageous man in the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. Mr. Finch took on the case of a negro man who was accused of raping a white woman. Atticus Finch knows that society will view him as a “nigger lover(Lee 100)”. He then goes on
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Although he was a fantastic lawyer, he was also once known as “deadshot” (Lee 101) This is significant because a rabid dog appears in Maycomb. Atticus knows his abilities, but other people did not know. Miss Maudie states, “ people in their right minds never take pride in their talents” (Lee 102). Atticus shoots the dog knowing people will look at him a different way. The rapid dog represents the racism in the county. While nobody else will shoot the dog/ racism down, Atticus does. He knows the people of Maycomb will hate his decision in taking up for a “nigger”, but he goes by his heart and does it anyways. The father of the victim was the most upset. Although he knows the truth, he refuses the truth. “ Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat in his face, and told him he’d get him if it took the rest of his life”(Lee 221). Atticus does not retaliate and fight fire with fire, because of his courageous character. Mr. Finch felt sorrowful for the victim. The author, Harper Lee, uses Atticus Finch as a godly archetype. Atticus represents Jesus in his own ways. He forgives those who rebel against him and tries to save the county of Maycomb. He wants the county of Maycomb to look past the color of someone’s skin, and look at their insides.. Harper Lee wrote this novel in 1926. The United States still faces racism today. Martin Luther King Jr. once said in the 1920’s, “ look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their
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." (Lee, 128) No matter how you define it, Harper Lee definitely portrays the theme of courage in this book. It is one of the most predominant themes and is shown in many of the characters.
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.” (Mark Twain) In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there are not many characters that show moral courage. One particular character that shows moral courage is Atticus Finch. This character always does what he believes is right. Atticus shows courage not by being aggressive or killing, but by standing up for what he believed in a sophisticated and determined way. Atticus whose moral courage is
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.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird tells of a town in Alabama, called Maycomb. In this deeply-rooted racist town, there is a trial against an African American man, accused of raping a white woman. One man, however, Atticus Finch, has the opportunity to help the the man on trial. Although he knows he will lose the trial, he takes the case anyway. Atticus is respected in Maycomb, and known for his wisdom and experience. He is a good-hearted, egalitarian man who is always there and willing to provide guidance to his children and to the town of Maycomb, with his years of practice and experience.
Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the year of 1960, and is one of the few American classic novels awarded the Pulitzer Prize. The racism that is prevalent in many southern American towns in the 1930s is brought to life with profound imagery in To Kill a Mockingbird. There are several characters in the book, yet the true main character is the narrator's father, Atticus Finch. He is a man of great integrity and intelligence. A very heroic figure in more ways than one, Atticus possesses traits like being principled, determined, and, more importantly, he teaches others. When looking at To Kill a Mockingbird, one can see that Lee uses lots of description, dialogue, and actions to portray Atticus as a heroic individual.
However, several details separated the cases of Scottsboro and the fictional town of Maycomb. Leibowitz was a New Yorker hired by the Communist Party, while Finch was a municipal Maycombian lawyer. Even though he was from the area (unlike Leibowitz), Finch still faced deep opposition from the white Maycombians who despised the black community. Yet Maycomb County was situated in Alabama, in which racial prejudice ruled nearly universally. However, Finch possessed strong equality values that allowed him to courageously take on Tom Robinson’s case. Finch was the true portrayal of a hero, righteously defending an innocent black man—medical evidence cemented this—who seemingly had no chance of acquittal. Just like Seabiscuit and Leibowitz, Atticus Finch did not just give hope to his client, but to communities
In the classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, the novel depicts a Southern town with a crisis of conscience and race. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama in the early 1930s, while poverty and unemployment were at their peak due to the Great Depression. Maycomb like any other town has its agriculture, buildings, and people. With people come injustices, judgmental views, consciences, crimes, etc. Due to this there are law enforcers, courts, lawyers, judges and those accusing or being accused. One of the town lawyers is Atticus Finch. Atticus is a level-headed man who has faced many dilemmas with his profession as a lawyer, family and town. Atticus has a daughter, Jean Louise ‘Scout’ Finch, and
“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.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is a character who frequently displays his moral courage, especially when confronting the injustices embedded in the culture of Maycomb, Alabama. Most people would say his courageous defense of Tom Robinson and his behavior as a citizen in Maycomb is either realistic or overly idealistic. His courageous act and behavior is realistic because even though it wasn't common for a white person to defend a black person, Atticus made it possible. He also didn’t change his mind even though his kids were getting teased at school or because he was being judged by the citizens of Maycomb. His courage said a lot of what kind of person he is.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.” Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird flawlessly fulfills this definition of courage by depicting everyday people carrying out acts of bravery in spite of their dangers, fears, or difficulties. To Kill a Mockingbird centers on Scout Finch and her experiences growing up in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression. Throughout the story, Scout’s wide-eyed view of society changes as she realizes other people’s morals do not coincide with her own ideals. Several variations of courage are shown throughout the book, including Atticus Finch’s defense of Tom Robinson, Mrs. Dubose’s decision to give up morphine, and Boo Radley’s rescue of Jem and Scout.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses Atticus Finch to teach a lesson of bravery and perseverance to his children and the reader. His choice to continue to defend Tom Robinson contributes to the credibility of his lesson. When asked about this case by Scout, he tells her, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win” (Lee 87). Atticus shows courage even when he is first appointed to defend Tom Robinson by trying his best to win. He truly believes in the innocence of Tom, but racial prejudice prevents whites from confirming it.
During the 1960s – a time period full of racism and prejudice in the Southern United States – Harper Lee presents the character, Atticus Finch, as a symbol of hope and justice in her revolutionary novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus, a lawyer and single father, fights against social and racial injustice throughout the book. When a black man is accused of a crime he did not commit, Atticus takes the case and wholeheartedly defends the man. His courageous efforts to be a good lawyer and father show his admirable morality. Atticus Finch stands as a prime example of a man of honor.
1. Harper Lee's novel is full of interesting and richly painted characters, but my favorite character would have to be Atticus Finch. Atticus is so pure, intelligent, and has a brain full of wisdom and great morals. He is truly a man of morals because he knowingly sticks by Tom Robinson's side even thought the town will shun and judge him. When it came to defending Tom, Atticus focused on doing what's right rather than focusing on his skin color. Apart from withholding wisdom and strong morals, Atticus Finch always remains calm and tranquil. Plenty of people in Maycomb talked bad about Atticus, starting with Ms. Dubose all the way to his own sister, Aunt Alexandra. No matter how wicked someone is towards Atticus he always finds a way to be
Atticus Finch is a respectful man in the image of the town, but when he is brought to the court to defend a black man, Tom robinson, that picture is quickly changed. Although he is looked down upon for such an action he still acts no different than how he would for any other client and defends Tom in court. No matter
In the featured article section, the article prioritizes Atticus Finch, since he strongly represents the definition of the theme of courage. There are multiple statements that foreshadows his actions of courage. His outstanding quote displays that he understands the concept of courage and influences his children to become courageous as well. Atticus Finch is a wonderful role-model, and father, since he wishes for the best of his children as any parent would, so he desires to influence them well with positive characteristics. The purpose of Meet the Finches was to illustrate their relations along with his influence on them. With his children, he positively influences them, and that they are the reason on why he’s so courageous. His sister, however, influences him poorly, and believes he’s doing everything wrong. She is an example of what stops courage along with the town, since she strongly represents the town.