Heroism “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” This quote was spoken by Arthur Ashe, who was a professional tennis player. In his words, a hero is not someone who is an extraordinary being, but someone who is ordinarily heroic to those around them. This quote relates to the book To Kill A Mockingbird, and some of the characters show the Ashe’s definition of a hero perfectly. In To Kill A Mockingbird the theme of heroism is illustrated through Atticus, Jem, and Boo Radley. In To Kill A Mockingbird the theme of heroism is illustrated through Atticus. Atticus was chosen as the attorney for the case against Tom Robinson, …show more content…
Jem is Scout’s older brother, and even though they fight sometimes, he would still do anything to protect her. At one point in the story, there was a rabid dog on the loose in the neighborhood. Jem steered Scout inside of their house and stayed with her there until Atticus shot it. Jem was taking Scout into account before himself, and immediately took her to safety. After the trial, Jem and Scout were having a conversation about how many types of people there were. Scout said, “I think there is only one type of folks. Folks,” (Lee 227). Jem replied with, “If there’s just one kind of folks, why can’t they get along with each other? If they’re all alike, why do they go out of their way to despise each other?” (Lee 227). In saying this, Jem was trying to bring back to the point that we are all equal, so why aren’t we treating each other that way? Another way that Jem shows heroism is when he and Scout were attacked by Bob Ewell, and Jem was trying to fight him off the get him away from Jem. Jem managed to fight him off until Bob Ewell broke his arm, and then he fell unconscious. In the moments before he blacked out, Jem showed heroism by protecting
Every day in our lives, heroes are all around us. They may not be what society tells us is a hero, like Superman or Batman. They do not wear fancy costumes or have super powers. But these heroes change the lives of the people around them, for the better. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird is the charismatic, understanding father of Scout and Jem Finch as well as a hard working lawyer in Maycomb County, Alabama.
In the beginning of, To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout is very small ant very knowledgeable about things Scout doesn’t even pay attention to what’s happening in Maycomb county. She doesn’t know that practically everyone hates each other. “When a child asks you something, answer him, for goodness’ sake. But don’t make a production of it. Children are children, but they can spot an evasion quicker than adults, and evasion simply muddles ‘em” (Lee 9).
This quote essentially says that overcoming extreme obstacles makes you a hero in your own right. This implies that you can be a hero in others’ eyes even if you’re an ordinary person.
Throughout the story, Jem (taken from the word gem meaning a cherished and prized person) is used by Harper Lee as a representation of courage. In the beginning, Jem’s first act of courage occurs when Jem accepts Dill’s provocation to go and touch the Radley house. In the story, Scout says, “In all his life, Jem has never declined a dare” (Lee 16). This quote shows how Jem would never demur any sort of challenge, even if it involved stupid or childish acts like going to a forbidden place. Scout also shows how Jem even accepted a dare from her to jump off the roof of the house as a kid.
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.
Jem is Shaped and Influenced by Society Jem, Scout's brother, from To Kill A Mockingbird is shaped and influenced by his society around him. Jem lives in the small town of Maycomb which is deeply rooted in racial injustices. Jem is initially unaware of the racial division but quickly sees the harsh reality of the world. Jem tells Scout, “There are just some kind of men who-who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one” (Chapter 23).
To Kill A Mockingbird In the novel, “ To Kill A Mockingbird” the author Harper Lee uses conflict to express the idea that it takes courage to stand up for injustice just because of racism. “Tom was dead man the minute Mayella Ewell opened her mouth and screamed.” What this quote is basically is trying to say that Tom Robinson is being accused of something he did not do. "Yeah suh i felt right sorry for her she seemed to try more’n the rest em.
The Mighty Little Scout Did you grow up in a racist community where the blacks and whites did not get along at all? To Kill a Mockingbird is by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird is about how 2 children are growing up in a very racist community.
“Heroes are made in the hour of defeat.” This quote, by the late Mahatma Gandhi, who was an Indian activist, perfectly encapsulates the meaning of a hero. A hero is someone who stands up for what he or she believes in, and confronts the evils that the person may face, no matter how big or small those evils may be. This is exhibited in both Harper Lee's Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird, and Markus Zusac's Hans Hubberman and Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief. Just like the quote eludes to, these characters stay resilient even when there seems to be no hope.
Courage has gone through many changes. It has been altered throughout races, cultures, religions, sex, and time. However, the core values of courage has always remained parallel. It is difficult to explain in words the meaning of courage, like describing a color, but everyone knows what courage is, how it feels, and how to perform it. In Harper Lee’s
The qualities of a hero may be being able to fly like Superman or shoot webs like spiderman but Atticus Finch has many heroic qualities of himself. Atticus is a hero because he never backs down from doing what's right, He defends and stands up for Tom Robinson, and finally he teaches his kids lesson that they will use for the rest of their life. My first reason that Atticus is a hero is that he never backs down from doing what's right. For example Atticus says "Come here...
In the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Power can be refer to as the ability to influence or change one’s opinion base on how an individual is being viewed by the human specie. The book, To Kill a Mockingbird, is simply about a girl, Scout, whose life is influenced both positively and negatively as a result of how society was created. In this book there is a side character, Mayella,; and because of her class and gender, she is powerless, but her race makes her powerful. With this in mind, powerless is a result of poverty, the reader can understand how Mayella’s class makes her powerless; she cannot not fit in due to her lack of money and her lack of hygiene and that makes everyone want to avoid her thus, makes her powerless. “Maycomb’s Ewells lived behind the town dump the town dump in what was once a Negro cabin….(Document
Jem can not accept Scout’s opinion that there is “just one kind of folks-folks.” because, although he used to believe in Scout’s opinion, he now thinks that there are four different types of people. "There’s four kinds of folks in the world. There’s the ordinary kind like us and the neighbors, there’s the kind like the Cunninghams out in the woods, the kind like the Ewells down at the dump, and the Negroes." (pg.302)
Courage is strength in the face of physical pain, hardship or death. It is also the choice and willingness to confront shame and personal loss. In Harper Lee's novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird', people demonstrate courage by standing up against prejudice, and overcoming their own loneliness and fears to live a good life. Mrs Dubose faces up to her morphine addiction. Atticus faces down the racism of the town.
“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. ”- Christopher Reeves. This represents how in life a regular person can turn into a hero just being able to find strength within themselves and “endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” The author is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.