What Does The Novel Have To Say About Courage Essay

863 Words4 Pages
#3. What does the novel have to say about “courage?” Who are the courageous characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, and how do they demonstrate their courage? What is Harper Lee’s message about real courage? To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960 and was written by Harper Lee. The novel starts off with Scout Finch, who is one of the main characters, looking back at her life. The story is told through the eyes of Scout and the experiences she has when she was young and innocent. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer trying to prove that Tom Robinson, a black man who is accused of rape, was innocent. Boo Radley a mysterious neighbor is mistaken as a monster and is known for eating animals saves Scout and her brother Jem from being killed.…show more content…
He mainly shows courage in Tom Robinson’s case. Atticus knows that he is not going to win the case but he knows that Tom is innocent and if he doesn’t fight for him then no one will, just like Mrs. Dubose and her battle against morphine, he is “licked” before he begins. He shows true courage when he is against the town to defend Tom because a majority of the white people living in Maycomb want Tom dead. He understood that taking this lawsuit would make a few people turn against him since he is defending and believing a Negro’s word rather than a white man. Atticus also showed courage when he went to protect Tom in the jail house, without having to think twice about his decision he rushed to the jail house. Sitting alone in front of the jail, he waits for what he expects will happen. When the men came he showed no fear. With courage he protects Tom’s life by risking his own. Another demonstration of courage was when he was shooting the rabid dog. Heck Tate tells Atticus to kill the sick animal and even though he has not fired a gun in a long time, he still took the responsibility to kill the mad dog, knowing that if he misses, it will be a disaster. In conclusion Atticus shows courage in many events throughout the novel. He doesn’t show it by fighting but by standing up for what he believes in and for his kids, Jem and

More about What Does The Novel Have To Say About Courage Essay

Open Document