-
Essay / The theme of courage in "To Kill a Mockingbird"
In history, there have been many courageous figures who can be admired, such as Martin Luther King Jr., a man who, with all the odds against he found a voice and was able to build relationships and communicate with hundreds of people. The theme of courage is also found in literature. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee touches on many themes, but the one she describes well is courage and how it can take many different forms and yet be the same, all at the same time. Harper Lee uses Mrs. Dubose, Atticus, and Boo Radley to demonstrate his view of courage, which is doing something for the greater good, even if it means risking something valuable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the book, Mrs. Dubose shows courage in overcoming her addiction to morphine. Even though she knew she was at the end of her life, Ms. Dubose promised herself she would die without addiction. “According to her opinions, she died without owing anything to anyone. She was the bravest person I ever knew." Even though no one would ever find out or it would matter to anyone, she still did it. She proved to herself that she didn't belong to anything or anyone. Atticus uses this situation to teach the children what courage really is and what it looks like "I wanted you to see something about it - I wanted you to see what it was. "That's real courage... It's when you know you've licked it before you start but you start anyway and you see it through no matter what." Through Ms. Dubose, Harper Lee illustrates her vision of courage and its connection to the real world. True courage is when you are at the bottom, it is when life goes through the most difficult times. That is when true courage and true character appear. shows courage in multiple ways First, in chapter 10, Atticus is chosen by Mr. Tate to put down the rabid dog before he can hurt anyone. While this is courageous in itself, by not boasting of his natural talent and choosing to live in peace, he demonstrates that "courage is not a man with a gun in his hand." Throughout the book, Atticus repeatedly shares his ideas about courage with his children to help them understand what it really means. There are many examples of what he does throughout the book. One of, if not the most influential case was when Atticus decided to defend Tom Robinson; a true act of courage as he completely defied cultural norms and put himself and his children in danger for the greater good. Plus, even though his chances of winning were slim, he still did it because it was the right thing to do. “Just because we were licked a hundred years before we started doesn’t mean we’re not looking to win.” Throughout the history of the United States, African Americans have always been disadvantaged, particularly in the justice system. Tom Robinson will face a totally biased jury with almost no chance of winning. Atticus fully understands that the odds are against him, but he does it because he must set a good example for his children and stand up to Maycomb's racism. At the end of the book, Jem and Scout are walking home from school. at night when they start to hear something behind them. They ignore him until suddenly Bob Ewell walks in on them. After the trial, he told Atticus that he would get him back for what he did. He does this by trying to kill his children, a truly cowardly act. During the struggle, Jem's arm is broken and he passes out while.