Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird How courageous are you? Many people have courage they don’t know about or don’t recognize. To Kill a Mockingbird illustrates unexpected courage in unsuspecting characters. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of courage is shown in the characters Jem, Boo Radley, and Atticus. The theme of courage is certainly apparent in Jem, a young boy from the Finch family. In the book, the Radley’s place (the Finches’ neighbors) was feared by all children, and nobody dared go near their property. Supposedly, the dangerous Boo Radley lived in there and came out at night to spy on people. When he was thirty three, he stabbed his father in the leg, sent to jail, and then sent back to his father’s custody. “When Jem put his
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Atticus is the father to Jem and Scout Finch and a single man since his wife died. He is an amazing marksman, but gave up shooting game because he decided that his ability to shoot well was an unfair advantage over other living things. When a mad dog began walking down the street, Atticus took the call to action, even though he hadn’t touched a gun in over thirty years. “Mr. Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus. “I’d feel mighty comfortable if you did now,” he said. … With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus’s hand yanked a ball tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson [the mad dog] leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap. He didn’t know what hit him.” (Lee, 99). In addition to that, Atticus Finch was also a supporter of black people. Most people in his time were racists, and it wasn’t socially acceptable to like black people. ““Scout,” said Atticus, “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything—like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It’s slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.’” (Lee, 112). Here, Atticus is conveying his views to his daughter. When he was assigned to the case of Tom Robinson, (a black man accused of rape) Atticus did his
Atticus is the father to Jem and Scout Finch and a single man since his wife died. He is an amazing marksman, but gave up shooting game because he decided that his ability to shoot well was an unfair advantage over other living things. When a mad dog began walking down the street, Atticus took the call to action, even though he hadn’t touched a gun in over thirty years. “Mr. Tate almost threw the rifle at Atticus. “I’d feel mighty comfortable if you did now,” he said. … With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus’s hand yanked a ball tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson [the mad dog] leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap. He didn’t know what hit him.” (Lee, 99). In addition to that, Atticus Finch was also a supporter of black people. Most people in his time were racists, and it wasn’t socially acceptable to like black people. ““Scout,” said Atticus, “nigger-lover is just one of those terms that don’t mean anything—like snot-nose. It’s hard to explain—ignorant, trashy people use it when they think somebody’s favoring Negroes over and above themselves. It’s slipped into usage with some people like ourselves, when they want a common, ugly term to label somebody.’” (Lee, 112). Here, Atticus is conveying his views to his daughter. When he was assigned to the case of Tom Robinson, (a black man accused of rape) Atticus did his