How Does Atticus Finch Show Courage

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is a timeless classic, its revelatory plot and engaging characters landing it a permanent spot as one of America’s most influential pieces of literature. Written by Harper Lee in the 1960’s, the novel navigates the flawed human nature and the rigid social hierarchy present in a small town located deep south in Maycomb, Alabama. Through her use of engaging aesthetic features and stylistic devices, Harper Lee successfully navigates the theme of moral courage throughout the novel to highlight the bigoted views of 1930’s America. This theme is explored through the relentless courage of Atticus Finch, Jeremy Finch and Ms Dubose.

As the story unfolds, Atticus Finch provides a frequent representation of moral courage. The

When Atticus is sitting in front of Tom Robinson’s cell one night in an attempt to protect him, a lynch mob appears. Tom is wrongfully accused by Bob Ewell, an ill-mannered low-life, claiming that Tom raped his white daughter Mayella. The lynch mob is a symbol of racism in 1930’s America, where some white Americans believed in racial supremacy. One of the most significant moments of Jem's growth is when he shows courage by disobeying his father's orders, staying behind to protect Tom Robinson from the mob: “I ain't going” (p. 167). Lee utilises characterisation to depict Jem’s bravery and realisation of what is right and wrong. This scene inspires readers to stand up for what is right in their own lives. It is clear that Jem’s willingness to take a stand comes from his father, Atticus. Additionally, Jem is punished for doing something wrong and is forced to read to Ms Dubose. After her passing, Atticus reveals that she was a morphine addict and Jem served as a distraction for her as she lived out her last days. Jem asks his father, “Did she die free?”, and Atticus replies, saying “As the mountain air” (p. 121). This simile is connotes that Ms Dubose died peacefully despite her crippling morphine addiction. Jem realises that true courage comes from helping others. The audience is positioned to feel proud of the young boy as he

She is portrayed as a distressing human force for Scout and Jem who shares the dominating racist beliefs of the time period, as well as a crippling morphine addict. With only a few months left to live, she has the option of continuing to take morphine, but she makes the difficult decision to overcome her addiction despite the agony it causes her. This, in Atticus' opinion, makes her even more heroic. This is reinforced during his conversation with Jem after Ms Dubose’s death: “It’s all right to take anything to make it easier, but it wasn’t all right for her. She said she meant to break herself of it before she died, and that’s what she did” (p. 120). This quote is an example of direct contrast between her morphine addiction and Atticus taking on the almost impossible rape case. No matter how draining the right path may be, there is no shortcut to success. Therefore, the audience’s negative first impression of Ms Dubose dissolves into respect for the elderly woman following her death. Atticus preaches to 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” (p. 121). Characterisation is utilised by Harper Lee in this quote. Through Ms. Dubose's personality, the author demonstrates to the audience that courage is defined by a person's acts and accomplishments, rather than their age, or ethnic background. Thus, the passing of this