Courage Within To Kill A Mockingbird Throughout the story, Jem and Scout go around and learn several different people showing courage. In Harper Lee’s story, To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem and Scout find courage with Mrs. Dubose fighting to escape her addiction. Also, they see it with Boo Radley coming out of his house.
Through the stories of Tom Robinson's trial, Jem and Scouts journey to Calpurnia's church, and Mrs. Dubose's commentary to Jem, the theme of racism remains. For instance, in Tom Robinson's trial, the jury consisted of fellow townspeople who obviously had a racial opinion. Unfortunately, the people of the jury never accepted the words of a black man over a white man.. In fact, Atticus told his son that “In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins.”
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. Jem shows his courage in trying to protect his sister. Harper Lee believes that courage requires perseverance and fearlessness in risking a life to save another.
As well the adventures of Jem and scout Atticus’s children. This book conveys Harper Lee's message in To Kill a Mockingbird that discrimination can affect
Scout and Jem both learn most of their knowledge from, their father Atticus, their maid Calpurnia, and their neighbors. The people that are present in their lives shape Jem and Scout into the people they are becoming. Education from school helps Jem and Scout advance, but the information they learn from life allows them to mature. Scout learns a major lesson about empathy towards others when she invites Walter Cunningham, a boy she goes to school with, over to her house. Scout does not realize that she is disrespectful to him when she makes mean comments.
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.
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 To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus explained to us a type of courage that was shown in Ms. Dubose. These attributes were also apparent in a man named Liu Xiaobo. Both Ms. Dubose, and Mr. Liu, rose above social views to fight for their beliefs, did not give up in times of trouble, and had the audacity to face demons that were far more powerful than themselves.
Racial inequality was a problem in the time period of Scout and Jem. Now a days though, it has cleared up and everybody is treated about the same. There are still some people who do not like different races. To Kill a Mockingbird is important because it shows how grievous things were back then. It shows that the African American community was super poor compared to white people.
As can be seen, Lee’s usage of Tom Robinson’s trial and the racial discrimination and prejudice seen throughout it helps reinforce the theme of social injustice throughout To Kill A Mockingbird. Another encounter that the
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.
In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Jem grows from a little boy to an intelligent young man. Throughout the book, he discerns many things that shape his personality. As Jem grows, he learns how bad society is and that not everyone is perfect. Fortunately for Jem, this ends up helping him and he finds out that Atticus is a hero and that he should look up to Atticus. Through Atticus and the trial, Jem loses his innocence by learning about prejudice, bravery, and that the justice system is crippled.
Despite this, Atticus has knowingly chosen this hopeless undertaking as an example to his children and the town. Over time, Scout’s mentality toward others changes from being strongly influenced by mass populous, which includes her aunt and peers, to reaching conclusions about morality on her own. This is based on Atticus’ strong assertions concerning the obvious innocence of Tom Robinson, choosing to defend him regardless of the bias of the town because he knows it is the “right thing to do,” as well as her own experiences where she drew the wrong conclusions about others based on town
Scout and Jem are continually made fun of by their peers who call them and Atticus “nigger lovers”. People who were friends now hate them(new subproof), their friends from school now make fun of them because Scout and Jem’s Father is siding with a black man on the case. Some say it was good for Scout and Jem to learn to stand up for their morals at a young age(antithesis), but it was not healthy for Scout and Jem to experience such social loss. They are impressionable children who definitely could have sided with their peers on the issue of segregation. It was Atticus’s reasoning, Calpurnia’s kindness, and the black community’s love that allowed the children to stand with them.
Maycomb, Alabama is a motionless community where life is still, those who were there, lived there for generations, rarely did anyone move into or out of this paralyzed town. The town follows the 1930s stereotypical lifestyle where racial discrimination is clearly visible, as proven in the Tom Robinson court case. In this quiet town, the only thing that seems out of the ordinary is the Radley Place, from the outside, the house appeared almost vacant with rarely any sound. The neighborhood children made horror stories about Boo Radley who never left his house, in fact, only Mr.Radley, Boo’s brother, occasionally came out of the deserted house. In To Kill a Mockingbird, various events happened that showed the courage of the community. Courage
Jem and Scout are also bugged at school, for example Cecil Jacob’s makes fun of Atticus for defending Tom. “He announced in the school-yard the day before that Scout Finch’s daddy defended negros.” ( 85) Atticus and his children are affected by this for the majority of the story, and it is what sparks Bob Ewell’s revenge of trying to kill Jem and Scout. Prejudice is common with them, as people like Cecil Jacobs and Bob Ewell just assume Atticus choose to take the Tom Robinson case, however he is simply doing his job as a lawyer to defend them whether he thinks they are guilty or