Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

Lainey Benson Katherine Holt Honors English 9 May 9th, 2024 Courage In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, courage is the most critical trait one can have. In this novel, courage is portrayed as one sticking to their morals, fighting not only their own battles but also being empathetic to others’ struggles, and staying true to yourself in the face of defeat. Atticus is the character who exemplifies courage the most. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face it head on. For the entire duration of the book, Atticus stood firm in what he believed in, no matter what anyone else had to say or do about it. Time and time again people threatened, degraded, and neglected Atticus and he never let it break him. Harper Lee wants to show us that it

Courage is a necessity, and it is even the smallest acts of bravery that can forever change history. Having incredible power and dominance over others is not courageous, but can often be viewed as manipulative and controlling. Atticus 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.” When Atticus is saying this, he is telling Jem that extreme power doesn’t define courage. Atticus’ view of courage is not about physical strength or aggression, but about moral integrity and standing firm in what is right in the face of overwhelming opposition. Atticus does his absolute best to set an example for everyone that true courage isn’t about violence or weaponry, but about standing firm in one’s beliefs and principles, even when it is difficult. We see this throughout the entire book when Atticus refuses to be violent with others or let the kids be violent with other kids. He believes that it is important to give everyone grace and to look for the good in people, even when they only display the bad. Atticus is the walking definition of courage in this