The Case of Moral Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Moral courage by definition is the courage to do the right thing despite the opposing risks or fears that lies ahead, American novelist Harper Lee once wrote “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 it through no matter what.” (112) When composing her book “To Kill a Mockingbird” in it Lee expresses the coming of age of the main protagonist Scout through instances of corruption and moral courage that took place amidst the Great Depression during the chaotic 1930’s in Maycomb Alabama. In the novel, Harper Lee exemplifies moral courage through elements of theme and conflict
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Dubose fighting and resisting her addiction with drugs. In chapter 11 Jem and Scout are found walking home when Mrs. Dubose, a cankerous old woman who lives near the Finches, insults Atticus saying he is no better than the “niggers and trash he works for”. In consequence of this Jem then damages Mrs. Dubose’s flowers for insulting his father, as a result Jem is forced to read to Mrs. Dubose for a month. Scout follows Jem and both endure the punishment for a month with every session being longer than the one before. It was then revealed that Mrs. Dubose died sometime after the completion of Jem’s punishment, and that she was a morphine addict. Although she died Mrs. Dubose still displayed moral courage, this could be justified as she used both Jem and Scout to prolong her fight of her addiction. Therefore she knew she was going to die, but she decided to die addiction free and because of this it shows that she has moral courage. Furthermore before her death Atticus says “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.” (Lee 112) By this context Atticus refers to when he shoots the rabid dog, explaining that you don't need a gun to have courage, you could be a frail elderly woman begging for a drug free
Dubose fighting and resisting her addiction with drugs. In chapter 11 Jem and Scout are found walking home when Mrs. Dubose, a cankerous old woman who lives near the Finches, insults Atticus saying he is no better than the “niggers and trash he works for”. In consequence of this Jem then damages Mrs. Dubose’s flowers for insulting his father, as a result Jem is forced to read to Mrs. Dubose for a month. Scout follows Jem and both endure the punishment for a month with every session being longer than the one before. It was then revealed that Mrs. Dubose died sometime after the completion of Jem’s punishment, and that she was a morphine addict. Although she died Mrs. Dubose still displayed moral courage, this could be justified as she used both Jem and Scout to prolong her fight of her addiction. Therefore she knew she was going to die, but she decided to die addiction free and because of this it shows that she has moral courage. Furthermore before her death Atticus says “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.” (Lee 112) By this context Atticus refers to when he shoots the rabid dog, explaining that you don't need a gun to have courage, you could be a frail elderly woman begging for a drug free