How Does Atticus Show Courage

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Mark Twain once said “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” In Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird the narrator Scout sees others face fears in Maycomb Alabama. Her father, Atticus takes the case of a black man named Tom Robinson. Who was accused of raping a white woman. Scout learns from her dad Atticus that it is important to have courage in standing up when it's the right thing to do. Even when scared. One of the first lessons Scout learns about courage is when her father stands up for a colored man. In the Exposition of the story a lesson Scout learns about courage is when Atticus and uncle Jack are talking and Atticus explains to uncle Jack why he takes the Tom Robinson case: “ If I didn't I couldn't hold up my head in own, I couldn't represent this county in legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again” (Lee 100). Most of the people in Maycomb are racist. For Atticus to defend a black man in a racist community shows one of the main themes in the story. That Scout, and Jem should stand up for what they believe is right, even if it's hard to do. Atticus leads this theme by standing up for Tom when no one else believed it was right because he was colored. …show more content…

In the rising action of the story another lesson Scout learns about courage is when Atticus sits outside of the jail that Tom got moved to. When a group of men come to kill Tom Robinson Atticus remains calm, settle, and placid. He insists that: “You can turn around and go home again, Walter” (Lee 202). Not everyone would respond or react the way Atticus did in this situation. So, for Atticus to remain under control the way he did shows another main theme in the story. That Scout, and Jem should remain under control in any type of situation even if your life may be on the