ipl-logo

To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes That Show Courage Essay

991 Words4 Pages

Nishanth Miriyala
Mrs. Kiefer
English 1 Honors 6th Hour
27 February 2023

The Light in the Darkness.

Many people can show courage, but many others can end up seeing through it and truly see false confidence and pride behind those actions. True courage is that even in the darkest of times, someone is the light that shines through the darkness. People that show courage in hard times know what could happen to them yet they act upon it to win a battle. In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, many characters show true courage when they are under pressure or should not as they know something bad will happen to them. Mrs. Dubose, Atticus Finch, and Jem Finch all show courage and perseverance even though they know that something bad will happen to …show more content…

Dubose shows courage by fighting her morphine addiction before her death. She knew that she did not have much longer to live and had beheld nothing but she still wanted to win one last battle. Mrs. Dubose had fits of rage about Atticus defending a black man, this causes Jem to rage and destroy her property. Atticus eventually found out and punished Jem and Scout by reading to her after school every day. She was glad that they read to them as she did not have much time to live and needed someone to distract her from the pain. Atticus broke the news to them but told her that she was a warrior because “She’d have spent the rest of her life on [morphine] and died without so much agony, but she was too contrary” (Lee 127). She had an option between dying without pain or in agony but she chose that pain because she wanted to win a battle between her and her morphine addiction. Atticus sadly breaks the news to Jem and Scout but he did not make it sad, he rather told them how “Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she had died beholden to nothing and nobody” (Lee 128). Mrs. Dubose knew that she did not have her morphine addiction holding her down but she ended up deciding to let go so that she would not have any regrets. Even on her deathbed, Mrs. Dubose shows courage against her morphine addiction by quitting even though her death would be a painful …show more content…

Atticus is appointed a case by Judge Taylor to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Because of the racism and prejudice against black people, he believes that he will not win this case and could risk the life of Tom Robinson. Because of this case, Scout gets bullied by Francis about how his dad is defending a black man, Atticus later talks to Scout about how “[Tom Robinson] lives in [a] settlement behind the town dump….there’s been some high talk around the town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man” (Lee 86). Atticus knows that something bad can happen to him if he were to defend Tom Robinson but still does so because he has the courage to do it. After the trial had ended, Atticus was waiting for news but he did not expect something so terrible and heartbreaking, Tom Robinson, unfortunately, died after being shot several times. Heartbroken, Atticus had thought that everyone would be mad at him because of the death of Tom Robinson, but it was the complete opposite. Atticus had been given “hunks of salt pork, tomatoes, beans, even scuppernongs … [and that Tom’s supporters] ‘preciate what you did, Mr. Finch” (Lee 244). Atticus did not just help Tom Robinson but others to believe that they finally had a fighting chance against oppression and lies that have been directed at them.

Show More
Related
881 Words | 4 Pages

He puts his leadership efforts on display to make a change in his community by defending a black man in court, which was often frowned upon in the 1900s: “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to win” (Lee 87). With this in mind, defending an African-American man in court shows that he does not care much for the ‘normal’ in society. As a result, an angry mob attempts to lynch Tom at the jailhouse, but Atticus stays put, sticking to his beliefs about a fair trial. Atticus’s defense of Tom Robinson represents his leadership and perseverance; most people disagreed with him and even knew the verdict before it was announced, but Atticus kept fighting diligently. An angry mob attempts to lynch Tom, but Atticus stays put, sticking to his beliefs about a fair trial.

Read More
507 Words | 3 Pages

In the book to kill a mocking bird by Harper Lee confidence is a key aspect to the books variety. The book defends courage as “its when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyways, and you see it through no matter what” (pg. 149) this type of courage is shown in the book from a handful of people I picked the two I believe show courage the best. We should all learn from this quote and show courage just like these characters did. To start, Atticus was courageous in many way, he changes the book and his actions pave the road for Jem, Scout, and Dill.

Read More
919 Words | 4 Pages

Dubose’s unseen patience in fighting morphine addiction and her astonishing strength in extending time between doses of morphine, Lee uses Mrs. Dubose’s true intentions to show things are not always as they seem as the theme of the novel. “‘Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict,’ said Atticus. ‘She took it as a pain-killer for years’” (Lee 147). Atticus explains to his children that Mrs. Dubose used to yell at them because she was fighting morphine addiction and needed some way to get her anger out.

Read More
863 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus shows determination by fighting for an African American while being discouraged by the white citizens of his town. When Scout asks Atticus why he’s defending Tom even though people of the town had started talking bad about it , he says “‘Scout, you aren’t old enough to understand somethings yet, but there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that I shouldn’t do much about defending this man. … the main [reason] is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town.’”

Read More
708 Words | 3 Pages

Atticus knows that “there’s been some high talk around town to the effect that [he] shouldn’t do much about defending [Tom Robinson]” (100). However, even though his family and friends my disagree, may even think less of him, Atticus’ interaction with this case gives his cause to think greater of himself because he is fighting for what he believes in. This kind of situation is difficult when you’re opposing you’re enemies, but even harder when you are up against your friends. Even so, Atticus on the path he knows is right, risking his popularity and status among the town. Atticus tells Scout, “you just hold your head high and keep your fists down.

Read More
655 Words | 3 Pages

According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I knew” (Lee 128). In this part of the novel, Atticus is telling Jem to overlook, and not judge the fact that she was addicted to morphine. Atticus wants Jem to realize that at the end of her life, she tried her hardest to give up her addiction so that she could die beholden to nothing and nobody.

Read More
556 Words | 3 Pages

That lead to Jem overcoming their fear of Boo and even become friends with him. Boo later begins to leave them little trinkets in a tree, returns Jem’s pants, and puts a blanket over Scout’s shoulders at the fire. Later in the story, Atticus holds up Mrs. Dubose as the ultimate definition of bravery, she shows us bravery throughout the book as she battles her addiction to morphine. As mentioned in the story, "Her head moved slowly from side to side. From time to time she would open her mouth wide, and I could see her tongue undulate faintly.

Read More
963 Words | 4 Pages

People have in mind that courage is about being able to save other peoples’ lives and risking your own, or to climb Mount Everest, or to jump from the top of a high building. In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, real courage is demonstrated in a different and encouraging way. Real courage is shown as fighting for what is believed in and what is most important, regardless of whether you win or lose. Atticus and Scout are two characters who define courage perfectly. The reasons why Atticus shows courage is that he argued the best he could to defend the innocent man from going to jail since he knew that no one else would.

Read More
1230 Words | 5 Pages

As punishment, Jem is forced by Atticus to go to her house every day and read to her for an entire month. Under the conditions of Jem reading to Mrs. Dubose, he gains a glimpse of her real life for the first time. After a month of Jem reading to her, Scout and Jem discover that Mrs. Dubose has died. Jem does not seem to care at first until Atticus reveals Mrs. Dubose's unfortunate truth, ‘“Mrs. Dubose was a morphine addict, [. . . ] she took it as pain-killer for years.

Read More
1052 Words | 5 Pages

Atticus is choosing his own path against the social norm which few people in maycomb have the courage to do, meaning that Atticus is an exemplary example of courage in To Kill A Mockingbird. 5 “It's not time to worry yet, Scout. We’ve got a good chance” (Lee 293). 6. Having courage is about going even when the going gets tough.

Read More
1166 Words | 5 Pages

Despite racial inequalities in the South, Atticus sticks to his own morals and agrees to be the defending lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man being accused of raping a white woman. Although Atticus’ defense in court was thorough and clearly proved Tom’s innocence, the jury was prejudiced towards black folks and convicted Tom as guilty. Nonetheless, Atticus is still a hero despite losing the case. He has the courage to stand up for what he believes in, fights with reason rather than guns, and has utmost determination, making him a hero despite being just an average human being. Ultimately, his thoughts and actions set the stage for major changes in the meaning of equality throughout Maycomb County, changing lives of numerous people.

Read More
1146 Words | 5 Pages

Napoleon Bonaparte, a former emperor, once said, “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don't have the strength.” Similarly, courage is a central theme shown through the characters in the historical fiction novel To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. The novel tells a story about a young girl, Scout, living in the 1930s, in Maycomb, Alabama. She tells the story of how her father, Atticus Finch, defends a wrongly accused black man, Tom Robinson. Atticus is courageous for defending his client during the Jim Crow South.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

Courage is the ability to do something that frightens one. It is one of the recurring and essential themes shown throughout Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Three characters in particular demonstrate their courage and bravery multiple times throughout the story. Most of the characters could be described as courageous and brave, but these three stand out the most. These bold, fearless and valiant characters are Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Mrs. Dubose.

Read More
965 Words | 4 Pages

Most of them, if not all, showed true courage by standing up for what they believe in and keeping their heads up high. Harper Lee uses many scenes and key characters to develop the theme of real courage for instance, Jem, Atticus, and Miss Maudie go through a journey to discover, understand and to show that real courage is mental courage in the face of physical and emotional torment. Particularly, Harper Lee uses Jem Atticus Finch to show that courage means pushing through even though you know have already lost. In Chapter 11, Jem and Scout had many encounters with Mrs. Dubose.

Read More
893 Words | 4 Pages

Atticus displayed courage by putting his life on the line and killing the rabies infected dog as well as standing up for Tim Robinson when no one else would. Like Atticus, Jem displayed a great amount of courage when he touched the Radley house and by defending Scout against Mr. Ewell. Scout showed courage by putting herself before a lynch mob ,in the process she saved both Atticus and Tom Robinson, as well as walking Boo Radley home .This instantaneous bravery that arises within a person in dangerous or threatening situations helps people step out of their comfort zones for the better. Courage is the ability to perform even if all your instincts are screaming for you not

Read More

More about To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes That Show Courage Essay

Related Topics

Open Document