Kayli Heyboer
Ms. Oosterink
English 9
May 22, 2023 Courage Means…
Consider the immense impact of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird on the ongoing civil rights movement in the 1960s. Harper Lee inspired her novel from her own life in Monroeville, Alabama. Four million people read To Kill a Mockingbird every year. Lee’s book is the most-sold book in the United States, apart from the bible. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird demonstrates that courage means standing up for what is right, no matter the cost.
One of the most significant characters who demonstrates this is when Atticus tries so hard to help Tom Robinson even though he knows that they won’t win. A quote that best shows this is, “Atticus, are we going to win it”
…show more content…
Therefore, Atticus demonstrates the theme of To Kill a Mockingbird.
Another significant character who demonstrates this is Link Deas doesn’t stand for people treating others horribly when Tom is in court and when Helen was being harassed by Mr. Ewell when she tries to walk to work. A quote that shows this is, “I know every last one of you’s in there a-layin on the floor! Now hear me, Bob Ewell: if I hear one more peep outa my girl Helen about not bein able to walk this road I’ll have you in jail before sundown!” This quote suggests that Link Deas will not stand for people putting others down and scaring them for no reason. Therefore, Link Deas demonstrates Lee’s theme.
Beyond Harper Lee’s novel, this theme can and has been seen during the woman’s rights movement, and during the civil rights movement when people went through so many traumatic experiences to secure their God-given rights that the government stole from them. This demonstrates Lee’s theme because courage is not the absence of fear but the acceptance of it. The last quote from To Kill a Mockingbird is, “Most people are real nice, Scout, when you finally see them.” Therefore, Lee’s theme may be seen as