Ordinary Acts Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee

Ordinary acts of courage

[ It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral so rare] -Mark Twain

The strong have physical courage; the brave have moral courage. The characters of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, show moral courage as they face the troubles of the society around them. The novel takes place in the 1930’s in the little town of Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is still very segregated in the community. Not just by race, but also by the social class. In the story, Atticus finch is appointed to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl, Mayella Ewell. When

This builds the idea that one should always do the right thing even when it is hard. Atticus has not shot a gun “in thirty years”; however, when it came time to shoot the dog, so the dog would not hurt anyone in the community, Atticus picked up the gun and shot: “With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus’ hand yanked a ball tipped level as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked” (Lee 53). Atticus had put down his gun when he felt God had given him and unfair advantage over other living things. Miss Maudie says, “‘he decided he wouldn’t shoot until he had to and he had to today’’’ (Lee 53). To everyone else, shooting a gun is no big deal, fun even. However, to Atticus, shooting a gun was the most courageous thing he could have done. He kept everyone safe by shooting the gun, but he also displayed courage when the mob approached him at the jailhouse. They demanded him to leave but he did not. The mob said, “‘You know what we want… Get aside from the door, Mr. Finch.’ ‘You can turn around and go home again, Walter,’ said Atticus pleasantly” (Lee 80). Atticus stood outside the door when the mob approached his client. Atticus could have lost everything that night, his family, his reputation, his life. However, he decided to stay anyways--even with the risks. Atticus stayed to protects Tom from the angry mob so he had a chance to go home to his family. In these acts of

In the climatic scenes of To Kill A Mockingbird, Boo Radley puts himself in between Mr. Ewell and Scout. Scout thinks in that moment, “He [Bob Ewell] slowly squeezed the breath out of me. I could not move. Suddenly, he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying me with him…He [Boo Radley] was carrying Jem [home]” (Lee 139). Throughout the book, Boo Radley is an illusive character, never seen outside his house. However, not only did he come out to watch Jem and Scout, he also fought off Mr. Ewell to save the kids. Boo Radley demonstrates his love for these kids by coming out of the safety of his house to heroically save Jem and Scout. Like Boo Radley protecting Jem and Scout, Heck Tate put his reputation in jeopardy to protect Boo Radley. Heck Tate goes to say when he figured out that Boo killed Mr. Ewell, “‘To my way of thinkin’, Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ dragin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight—to me, that’s a sin”’ (Lee 146). As sheriff, Heck Tate should bring Boo to trial. However, Tate knows that Boo would be uncomfortable in public. Heck Tate knows Boo did it out of self defense, so he chooses to not bring him into the public eye. Although Tate’s decision could cost him his job and reputation if word got out, he chooses to protect and put Boo’s needs