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Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

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True Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Defending a man. Killing a dog. Quitting a drug. These events look like they share nothing in common, but in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, they all push one central theme. Set in a small 1930’s town in Alabama, the book is significantly influenced by the setting. Just after the economic crash, many of the townsfolk were now in deep poverty. Also, due to the times, many of the characters hold prejudices against other people, even those right in their own neighborhood. With Jim Crow laws and racism rampant, Many faced challenges. There is one, central idea, that makes this book so important. The book's central theme is that sometimes, someone needs to have the courage to fight a battle they know they won't …show more content…

Atticus defending Tom Robinson is one of the central and most important events in the book, and it may even show the theme the best. Atticus stepping up to defend Tom shows his willingness to fight, even if he knows he will lose. Maycomb is full of characters that have prejudices, especially toward African Americans. When Scout asked why he was defending Tom, Atticus claimed “if I didn't, I couldn't hold up my head in town, I couldn't represent this county in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (Lee 86). Going into the case, Atticus knew that it was unlikely for him to win, but still wanted to do what was right. Atticus further says, "The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box" (Lee 252). Despite the near guarantee of losing, he still defends Tom. Atticus's decision to defend Tom Robinson expresses the central theme of the …show more content…

Dubose’s struggle with addiction is likely the event that best shows the theme. Mrs. Dubose had struggled with a morphine addiction before her death. After Jem was done reading to Mrs. Dubose, Atticus explained to Jem the reason he made him read to her. He claimed, “I wanted you to see what real courage is … it's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” (Lee 128). This is showing that Mrs. Dubose exemplified true courage, by quitting morphine, knowing that it will be painful, and may result in her death. Mrs. Dubose's struggle with addiction demonstrates the central theme of the book, fighting a battle even if you know you will likely

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Dubose and her morphine addiction. Mrs. Dubose had been fighting a terrible disease for most of her life that caused her great pain. Morphine was the only way they knew to ease the pain, but morphine is highly addictive and Mrs. Dubose didn’t want to die an addict. For a while before her death she tried her absolute hardest to become addiction-free and she did free from her addiction, and died in pain. This is one of the smaller examples of courage in the book, but it still serves a very good lesson in courage.

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In the book, Atticus has to explain this to Scout by telling her “If I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again. ”(Lee, 86). By saying this Atticus means if he denies this case he is doing the wrong thing and is running from a situation where he could help a man who has done nothing wrong, he couldn’t ask for Scout and Jem to do the right thing when he didn’t when he had the chance. This quote shows that Atticus has courage because he knows that this case isn’t being judged fairly and if he denies the trial, it shows his children that they can run away from things that challenge them. Also, by Atticus taking this case he is proving to the people that even though Tom is a colored man he should be treated and given the same efforts as a trial of a light-skinned man.

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(271). This quote shows Atticus defending Tom Robinson because he feels it is the right thing to do. Entering the trial, Atticus knew that it wasn’t possible to win with an all-white male, racist jury. Yet, he still chose to defend Tom till the very end. Atticus overcame the typical southern male stereotype of being racist, putting an end to the racist stereotype, and therefore a death to racism.

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816 Words | 4 Pages

Mrs. Dubose’s death came abruptly to the children, but not to people who knew she was addicted to morphine. Atticus explains her struggle and courage throughout her life by saying, “I wanted you to see something about her. 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

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“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.” (Lee, 116). Atticus is a good father who wants to teach Scout about courage. Mrs. Dubose was addicted to painkillers but was determined to overcome her addiction before dying and Atticus made Jem read to her to distract her from her pain. This was a good lesson to teach Scout because it teaches her that being courageous isn’t just having a gun but doing something that you are not familiar with like Mrs. Dubose not taking painkillers and getting clean even though she didn’t have much time left.

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TKAM Essay Courage could mean a man with a gun in his hand, but real courage is something you fight for what is right whether you win or lose. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, it’s a book that involves courageous acts, demonstrated by certain characters. Atticus, Scout, and Mrs. Dubose all exhibit courage throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird. Throughout the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus demonstrates courage through his actions.

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Dubose displays bravery and courage when she is determined to die free of her addiction to morphine. When Scout and Jem are at Mrs. Dubose’s house , Scout observes, “From time to time she would open her mouth wide, and I could see her tongue undulate faintly. Cords of saliva would collect on her lips; she would draw them in, then open her mouth again. Her mouth seemed to have a private existence of its own.

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He wants to show them that what Mrs. Dubose did was real courage, not Atticus shooting the rabid dog. Mrs. Dubose knew she was going to die, but if she was going to die, she was going to die morphine free. This is what the author wanted to get across the whole time. Courage was not defeating the powerless, but continuing to try even when you are powerless.

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#1 Courage was also shown by Mrs. Dubose in To Kill A Mockingbird. She was a stubborn old lady who would say rude things every time Jem or Scout passed by her house. Morphine was her addiction, and since Jem ruined all of her camellia bushes after receiving many insults from her, his punishment was to read to her and have Scout join as well. Later we find out that Jem and Scout read to her for a certain amount of time, and during that time period she was without morphine. She wanted to wean off of morphine, as that seemed to be her dying wish.

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Mrs. Dubose used her perseverance and courage to push through and finish her life completely drug free, thus fulfilling her dying wishes. 5 “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyways and see it through now matter what” (Lee 149). 6. Atticus then continues on to explain courage to Jem with the quote above. The first part of the quote is Atticus explaining that one will know the outcome before one starts and continues on anyways.

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Mrs. Dubose displayed bravery by overcoming her addiction. She was aware that she was at the end of her life, she made Jem read to her until her alarm went off and she could get her hands on the Morphine. Atticus explained to Jem later on that the bravery Mrs. Dubose had, she was brave everyday to go by her own beliefs and to also fight such a strong addiction. He did not want Jem to misunderstand her bravery and courage and that “According to her

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Even after her death, Mrs. Dubose was recognized as courageous by Atticus. Also, Atticus tells Jem that she died free “as the mountain air” indicating that she had found her conscience and independence without drugs. Along with wanting to fight her addiction, she unknowingly set an example to the Finch kids of what courage can look like. He explained, “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.” (Lee 128).

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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.

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After Mrs. Dubose dies, Atticus tells Jem and Scout the reason she died, and how she lived her life. The amount of courage Mrs. Dubose had was tremendous because it was hard for her quit her addiction to morphine even when she was dying, she knew that losing her addiction may not make a difference in whether or not she was going to live longer or not, but she still committed to it. To sum up, one of the ways the theme courage is portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird is through the characteristics of Atticus and Mrs.

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Jem further understood the true meaning of moral courage when he saw Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man. Although Atticus was hugely outnumbered and even cornered by Mr Cunningham and some other people, he did not back down from them. Instead, he seemed even more determined to win the case and prove Tom Robinson 's innocence to all of Maycomb County. Almost everyone in Maycomb County had criticised Atticus and his children for taking up the case of defending Tom Robinson and they were even called "nigger lovers" by many. At first, Jem did not understand why his father chose to defend Tom Robinson when he knew that people would whisper and gossip about it and that the possibility of him winning the case was very low.

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