Theme Of Heroism In To Kill A Mockingbird

“I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people” said Maya Angelou, poet and social activist. This quote by Maya Angelou helps to explain many of the characters in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. I feel that this quote really helps explain that everyone can be a hero, and that it doesn’t matter if you’re a black man fighting the Jim Crow laws, or a young boy trying to protect his sister. In To Kill a Mockingbird, the theme of heroism is illustrated through Tom Robinson, Jem, and Boo Radley. Tom Robinson is a hero, because he tries to make the world a better place. First, in general he is a good person, from what we can tell in the book. He has a wife, kids, and works to make their life easier …show more content…
Some might think that Boo is not a hero, because he never left his house, because was basically afraid to leave his house. The definition of a hero is a person, typically a man (though not always), who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. This shows that Boo is a hero, because he has noble qualities, outstanding achievements, and, though it doesn’t seem like it, courage. Boo has courage, because he leaves his house, after fifteen years, though he is terrified. “Summer, and he watched his children’s heart break. Autumn again, and Boo’s children needed him. Atticus was right. One time he said you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. Just standing on the Radley porch was enough.” (Lee 374) This shows how Boo thinks of them, and some of the noble qualities he has, because he will do anything to protect “his” children. He shows this again when Bob Ewell attacks the kids, and he goes out of his house to help them. “A man was passing under it. The man was walking with the staccato steps of someone carrying a load too heavy for him. He was going around the corner. He was carrying Jem. Jem’s arm was dangling crazily in front of him.” (Lee 352). Boo Radley is a hero because he did the one thing that terrified him the most, because he knew it was the right thing to …show more content…
Tom Robinson is a hero because he tried to make Mayella’s life better, even if it didn’t end well for him. Jem is a hero because he didn’t just save himself when he had the chance. Boo Radley is a hero because he does the one thing that terrified him the most, because he knew it was the right thing to do. Today, everyone wants to be remembered as a hero, whether it’s as simple as helping someone up or saving a life, and in To Kill a Mockingbird, these three were definitely