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 through it no matter what.” (pg. 112)Are the words Atticus Finch used to describe what real courage is. For Atticus being a lawyer is fighting for what is right whether if you win or lose. Atticus shows what "real courage” is in Harper Lee’s story To Kill a MockingBird.
Atticus Finch, the best lawyer in Maycomb, was sitting nervously in his chair as he waited for the town Judge to arrive in court. Tom Robinson, Atticus client, was in court for raping a white women. Which he didn’t do. Tom looked over to Atticus in a deep, scared voice “we won 't win. Look at the way everyones looking at me. They hate me. I 'm black, they won 't let me go.” Atticus said with the most softest voice he could have and said “don 't worry i got this.” Atticus was trying his best to show the judge that Tom was innocent with all the evidence he had, but most of the town is very racist. So it 's very hard to convince anyone in the jury to be convinced that Tom did not do it.
Atticus’ courage is shown in multiple ways through his court actions and his stand against racial discrimination. For instance, as a lawyer, Atticus defends the innocent, despite controversial thoughts of others, this is proven true in the Tom Robinson court case. During this discriminative period, most African Americans brought to court for an accused crime were deemed guilty, despite the clear evidence that proved their innocence. When Jem thought Atticus’ defense of Tom will bring Tom to justice, Reverend Sykes said: “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man”(Lee 279). This proves Atticus’ courage because he chose to fight for a colored man to prove that he is not guilty of an alleged crime, despite knowing the usual outcome of the case and the disapproval he will receive from others.
Novelist Harper Lee, in her book To Kill a Mockingbird, depicts the racism and inequalities in the town of Maycomb by having a white man, Atticus Finch, defend Tom Robinson who was black. Lee’s purpose is to show the world is unfair between races and we need to have compassion for others. She adopts a serious tone to appeal to people’s morals to do the right the thing by those seeking changes for equality.
I agree with Atticus’s definition of courage but I also think that courage can be many things. In my opinion, courage can be doing anything that is frightening. You never really know whether you're going to succeed in something until you try.
In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee vividly illustrates the real meaning of courage, both physical and emotional, through various situations and characters. Jem and Scout mix up courage and strength. They think courage is the ability to use strength to get your way. But c courage in the novel is not about winning or losing. It’s about doing what’s right even when it may be hard and people may not be on your side.
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. Also he raised, as a single parent, two children on his own. Scout is courageous because she is a person who cherishes her
Showing courage is taking risks, knowing the outcome might not be what you want. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, courage is displayed by many characters. The importance of showing courage is letting the audience of the book know anyone can have courage. For example, Atticus was able to defend a black man, not knowing what people would to him. While Scout stands up for herself, having no idea how Aunt Alexandra will react.
Within the novel, Atticus is defending a black man by the name of Tom Robinson who was accused of raping a young woman. How Atticus handled this trial is widely considered to be fair. He asked just and equal questions to all the witnesses along with Tom and Mayella, the girl who cried rape. Why does Atticus do this instead of just giving up on Tom? It is simply explained with “if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again.” (Lee,100). He wants to hold his head high instead of enduring a nagging conscious from doing something unjust for another hard working man. “I’m simply defending a Negro- his name’s Tom Robinson. He lives in that little settlement beyond the town dump. He’s a member of Calpurnia’s church, and Cal knows his family well. She says they’re clean-living folks.” (Lee, 100). Even though Atticus knows he will most likely lose from a white man’s word against a black’s, he still gives this case his undivided attention. Atticus defended Tom to the last moment when he is eventually taken away to prison. He heard both sides of the story equally just as he has with his own children’s problems, and put reason to hericies. Even so, not every battle can be won within
Courage throughout history has always been interpreted in many different ways; cowardice, defiance, and even idiocy. Often it is hard to recognize true courage until many years have passed. True courage is showing bravery and standing up for your beliefs and principles in times of strife. “Courage isn’t a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway” –Harper Lee. There are three characters that I believe showed true courage in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird: Scout, the tomboyish daughter of Atticus Finch who defended her family in times of hardship, Atticus Finch, the man who decided to defend a black man in court, much to the dismay of the town of Maycomb and Mrs. Dubose, the old morphine
Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is set sometime in the 1930s in Maycomb County Alabama. The story is told through the point of view of Scout Finch who lives with her father, Atticus, and brother, Jem. The kids like to play pretend with their friend Dill about the man who lives in a scary house down the road, Boo Radley. The kids come in a few close counters along the way during these games in which Atticus does not approve. Scouts’ father, a lawyer, is appointed by Judge Taylor to defend Mr. Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a young girl. Atticus is faced with many threats along the way and is shunned in the community for defending a man of such a heinous crime. During the trial Atticus makes many strong arguments and it is plainly
He had compassion in his heart and the thought of equality in his mind. He understood when people needed help but could not pay for it, and he knew that “it takes a long time sometimes…that you all’d ride [the harsh times] out together [SIC]” (205-206). He was troubled by the narrow- mindedness and prejudice of the townspeople. He knew, sadly, that the people in the court would automatically assume “that all Negroes lie, that all Negroes are immoral beings, that all Negro men are not to be trusted around our women” (273). Atticus felt that he needed to uphold the justice. He needed to protect the innocent, because if he didn’t “[he] couldn’t hold up [his] head in the town, [he] couldn’t represent this county in the legislature, [he] couldn’t even tell [Scout] or Jem not to do something again” (100). Mr. Finch was an honest, considerate, and honorable man, who led the society down the right path and provided goodness to Maycomb County, just like a mockingbird.
Compassionate,dramatic,and deeply moving ,To Kill A Mockingbird takes readers to the roofs or human behavior.The unforgettable novel of a child in a sleepy,Southern town and the crisis of conscience that rocked it,To Kill A Mockingbird,by Harper Lee.In the book To Kill A Mockingbird readers learn how to take a stand,and most importantly the golden rule.Readers also learn many valuable things.In the book Atticus Finch takes a stand For Tom Robinson.Tom was charged for something he never did and was pleaded guilty.Atticus was being courageous and he possesses integrity for standing up for Tom.
Out of all the people in Maycomb, Atticus shows the most courage. In a small county call Maycomb county, the county is in a bit of trouble because of a case. A father convicted a man of “raping” his daughter. In to Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee Atticus shows courage When Atticus shoot the dog, stands up for Tom Robinson at the jail, and when Bob Ewell threatens him he does not do anything.
In To Kill A Mockingbird novel, Scout learns what does courage mean. When Atticus signs to speak for Tom Robinson, both Scout and Jem acted peacefully with racial invectives and offensive slurs by the townspeople. As mentioned before, Atticus teaches Scout that doing the right thing does not always mean going along with everyone else. Furthermore, Atticus tries to teach Scout how important it is to look at things from the other person's perspective . As the novel starts to end , Scout is able put herself in Boo Radley's shoes, the person she is scared of the most throughout the novel. In the other hand, Scout learns so many skills that will improve the courage definition in her point of view. through out this period of time. She learns that