Definition Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

The definition of courage as stated on the internet goes like this, “Is one’s ability to do/face something that frightens ones-self.” In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, courage has a different meaning. To this book courage means having the backbone to start something knowing it will be well near impossible to finish it. Now this is one person’s view on the subject of courage but it fits very well with the story and the characters this book portrays. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper lee courage is shown by Atticus Finch, a lawyer and the father of Jem and Scout as well as a respected figure in the society of Maycomb. Mrs. Dubose, a decrepit old woman who is on the verge of death and is suffering from a very dreadful addiction to …show more content…
Dubose displays courage when she is trying to kick her morphine addiction before her inevitable departure from this world. Atticus is telling Jem about how brave and great a lady Mrs. Dubose was. Jem blatantly disagrees with Atticus’ view on Dubose, because of the callous things she had said about himself and the Finches. Atticus then says, ‘“Mrs. Dubose won. All ninety eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobofy. She was the bravest person I knew.”’ (Lee 149) Due to Mrs. Dubose’s ideals and conviction she was able to snuff out her addiction towards morphine, and dies knowing that she freed herself from the abhorrent grip of addiction. Even though many of her views in life were distorted by the warped ideologies of that time, nevertheless, she had the courage to face the pain of quitting her addiction and the determination to see it through. A second example of Mrs. Dubose’s courage is revealed when she persists in abusing the children with her words. Mrs. Dubose is once again shrieking at Jem, in particular, about him mumbling in resentment in regards to his current predicament. Scout then notices a significant change in Jem’s behavior in regards to Mrs. Dubose unpleasant comments when referring to him and his family ‘“Jem’s chin would come up, and he would gaze at Mrs. Dubose with a face devoid of resentment. Through the weeks he had cultivated an expression of polite and detached interest, which he would present to her in …show more content…
Jem and Scout are speaking to each other trying to decipher why people inherently hate each other because of their differences. They question what their legacy actually means, and the number of “folks” they have in Maycomb County. They both settle on the idea that there are just people in general, and that there is no need to differentiate because of peoples differences. Jem questions this though, because if all people are fundamentally the same why do they hate each other so? Jem then says, ‘“Scout I’m beginning to understand something. I think I’m beginning to understand why Boo Radley’s stayed shut up in the house all this time… it’s because he wants to stay inside.”’ Boo Radley for his own reasons wishes to remain ostracized from the Maycomb community. He wants nothing other than privacy, to the extent that he has sheltered himself in his house for more than 15 years. Courage is shown in Boo Radley when he puts objects in a tree for only Atticus’ children to find, because the children are smart enough to infer that he was the one putting treasures in the tree, and could have told everyone they knew that in no uncertain terms Boo Radley was revealing himself to them. It took courage on Arthur’s behalf present himself to the children in that way because he treasured and guarded his privacy fiercely. Arthur again reveals