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The Most Courageous Character in To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee’s fiction novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is set during the 1930’s. The story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama. Maycomb is a southern town in which white supremacy and racial prejudice is inevitable. Atticus, the father of Scout and Jem and a lawyer of Maycomb, is assigned to defend a black man, Tom Robinson. Tom is accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell, daughter of Bob Ewell. The childhood innocence of Scout and Jem is threatened by numerous incidents that expose the evil side of human nature, most notably the guilty verdict in Tom Robinson’s trial and the vengefulness of Bob Ewell. These incidents are challenged by many acts of courage. Webster defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty." Atticus is the most courageous character illustrated in the novel. Atticus proves to Scout and Jem that courage is not always seen through physical danger, it can also be seen through determination and ethical values, also known as moral courage.
"Real courage" is when you fight for what is right whether you win or lose. Atticus demonstrates courage when he undertakes the task of defending Tom Robinson. Tom is already guilty because he is black, for a white man‘s word is always taken before a black man‘s word. Atticus knows he will not win the case and like Mrs. Dubose in her battle against morphine, he is "licked" before he begins. “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. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do…” (Lee 112). Scout asks Atticus if they are going to win the case, and Atticus says no, but "simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try and win" (Lee 76).
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