Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird
Throughout history, courage has been seen as a gallant knight saving the day or an explorer traversing the world in hopes of treasure, however, acts of courage can be seen in everyone. In To Kill a Mockingbird, a historical fiction novel by Harper Lee, the Finch family shows their courage by standing up for what they believe in. From the daughter Scout’s perspective, the story centers around an innocent black man, Tom Robinson, who goes on trial for rape. The case hits the small town of Maycomb especially hard since Scout’s father Atticus, a white lawyer, works to properly defend him. The character’s compassion for others plays into their courageous acts since their empathy pushes them to preserve for the goodwill

Scout sees what her father is doing and many wonder why Atticus sees the case through, but by his definition, Atticus is portraying courage. Previously in the book, Atticus states Mrs. Dubose is courageous for giving up her morphine addiction, which puzzles Scout, so he explains Courage as, “knowing 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 128). With his definition of courage in mind small aspects of the book can be seen as courageous. The most prominent example of Atticus’s courage is when he stands up for Tom. While racism negatively afflicts the people of Maycomb, Atticus goes against many white people’s idea of a fair justice system, by properly defending him and attempting to not let Tom’s race be the only factor in his arrest (Lee 233). Atticus’s actions relate back to his idea of a courageous person putting up a fight even though they have already lost. His actions reflect his sympathy for others since he believes that all men should be equal, especially in the justice

Before. Atticus is able to affirm Tom’s innocence, a mob of men attempts to kill Tom at the jail, however, Atticus is standing guard while Jem, Scout, and Dill see what is going on. As the men approach and prepare for a fight Jem helps his father stand his ground and refuses to leave, by shaking his head and standing firmly, which lets Scout know that, “from the way he stood Jem was not thinking of budging” (Lee 173). Although a small act, Jem’s persistence to stay at the jail reflects his compassion for his dad and Tom since he will not let them get hurt. At the end of the book Bob Ewell, the man who accused Tom of raping his daughter, seeks vengeance on Atticus, so he attacks Scout and Jem. While the children sense the presence of Bob Ewell Scout is fearful and turns to her brother. Moments before the attack Jem portrays courage by remaining calm and carefully planning their next steps. His confident facade helped calm Scout down and showed courage because he knew there was reason to fear but remained in control of the situation for as long as he could (Lee 300). Jem’s confidence when dealing with others’ hatefulness proves him as a courageous character who uses his courage to protect