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To kill a mockingbird theme analysis
Literary analysis of to kill a mockingbird
Literary analysis of to kill a mockingbird
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There are many examples of courage throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. It just so happens that Atticus Finch displays most of those examples. He not only defined courage in the best way, but he also fits it like a glove. One being defending Tom Robinson, another when he goes to the jail in the middle of the night, and lastly, when he follows his morals even though he could lose his son. Of course, most people think of the trial when they hear Atticus’s name.
Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird When the word courage is thrown into a conversation, most think about the courageous hero in tall tales saving towns, countries, or the world. Never, do people think of an inner courage within themselves or between one other person. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, the author, Harper Lee demonstrated courage in many different situations, in which a few will be mentioned later on. This novel circles around a young girl named Scout, and her close friends and family. Scout's father, Atticus, is a lawyer defending an African American man, which seems to be socially unacceptable in this time period.
In the book, Scout asks Atticus why he is defending a Negro when the rest of the town thinks he shouldn’t. Atticus replies with this: “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win”(Lee, 76). Atticus shows courage throughout the whole book by doing this.
They find Aruther Radley such a mysterious character in the book and try to invite him to ice cream by getting a note to a fishing pole and putting it through Arthur Radley's window. Atticus Finch catches them in the act. Not only is Atticus the bravest character in the book ‘’ To Kill a Mockingbird’’ he also is arguably the one who has to go through the most trouble in the book. A little part in the movie and the book there is a part that I think took a lot of courage but Atticus Finch didn't show it, because he had to perk up and do the right thing. This part of the book was the part where Atticus Finch had to put down the dog with rabies.
In the beginning of the book we can see Scout Finch’s first example of being courageous. With a new teacher Miss Caroline not knowing how things work in the school, it was up to Scout to tell her, even if it meant for her to get in trouble. “I rose graciously on Walter’s behalf: “Ah—Miss Caroline?What is it, Jean Louise?Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham. I sat back down.” (pg.26) With Atticus doing things that most people do not like, it was not uncommon for him to be endangered.
There are many examples of true and unedifying courage throughout Harper Lee’s, “To Kill A Mockingbird.” One of the main examples is the courage Atticus Finch had to stand up against the whole town to defend Tom Robinson, a black slave working for the Ewell’s. In chapter nine of the novel Scout can confront Atticus
“I want you to understand that courage isn’t a man with a gun in his hand,” (Lee 112). This is a quote spoken from a courageous man who put himself in other people’s positions and did not believe he was superior to African Americans like many in that time period. Atticus Finch is a lawyer, and also the father of Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The finches live in a small town called Maycomb during 1933, also known as the Great Depression era. Throughout the book, the town faces many racial discrimination issues, especially when an African American man named Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape of a white female.
To Kill a Mockingbird Final Essay When people think of being courageous, what do they think of? The first thing that comes to mind is most likely sky-diving or presenting to the class. Being courageous is much deeper than simple things like that. Being courageous means being able to endure difficult situations, to lead others, and to have a strong mindset. Authors often write about what real courage is because people believe courage is simple acts of “bravery”.
In Harper Leeś “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the author portrays many characters that demonstrate exceptional courage. Due to Tom Robinson unfair trial encountered by racism the citizens of Maycomb are affected. They are faced with challenges and need to overcome them. Atticus Finch shows outstanding courage, he is a righteous citizen who is respected by his peers as a lawyer and a person.
Harper Lee wants to tell us that it takes courage NOT to kill a mockingbird Courage and the symbol of the mockingbird are two of the most important, or in fact in my opinion the most important themes, which are addressed and displayed in the highly praised, but also controversial novel “To Kill A Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee. I will try to interpret these two motives and show how they are strongly connected to each other. There are many different types of courage and many people who all show it in their own personal way. If people talk about bravery and courage, they mostly think of the physical kind of courage. But there are also other kinds, which are often forgotten or cast aside by their big brother: moral and emotional courage.
As its definition asserts, moral courage is the courage to take action and show integrity in the face of personal harm or danger for a greater cause despite the risk of adverse consequences. Back in the 1930’s, people lived by what is now socially unacceptable morals such as racism. These times were hard; the Great Depression leaving many broken and poor, forced to do hard work for little reward. People's principles were not exactly what they are now, many enslaving African Americans to do hard work without pay, and blaming them for their misfortunes. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a great example of this period and lifestyle, but at the same time exemplifies how there were people who had courage to show their personal morals,
One person that shows courage is Atticus. Atticus is jem and scouts father and is one of the nicest and caring person in Macomb,Alabama. He also shows courage throughout the book. “The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk and brown and white heat didn't know what hit him”(127).
Atticus has shown exceptional courage throughout the novel in some events. Throughout the novel, Atticus had acted with courage living up to his conscience and accepting his moral responsibilities, he had shown exceptional physical courage as well as moral courage. Atticus has shown exceptional courage by taking on the case of Tom Robinson knowing full well that the town will oppose Tom Robinson getting a trial. "Too proud to fight, you nigger-lovin ' bastard?" In this quote Bob Ewell is making vicious comments about Atticus as he is defending Tom Robinson, this shows how the citizens of Maycomb display their displeasure at Atticus behind his back or to his children, Atticus has also shown that he was a courageous man when he accepts the gun and shoots the rabid dog.
When Lee chooses to write a novel taking place in the 30’s, it creates the problem of racism. Due to the current predjudice against Tom, it is brave of Atticus to defend him. He chooses to take on the case and uses “every tool available to free men, to save Tom” (276) but there is no way to make people let Tom walk free. In this conflict, courage is shown because Atticus is going against the town’s extreme predjudice. The town goes as far as having “their [own] church” (136) for different races.
Throughout the novel courage was mainly defined through the actions of Atticus, Jem, and Scout. A primary example of courage is displayed by the character Atticus. When Atticus was faced with a rabies infected dog, in a calm and collected manner “ Atticus's hand yanked a ball tipped lever as
