To Kill A Mockingbird Quotes Heroism

I believe that a hero is made, not born. Nobody is born with characteristics of a hero, such as: fortitude, benevolence, vigor, or empathy. These characteristics blossom inside a person over time and life experiences. The quote, “Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion.”, by Calvin Coolidge tells us that heroism is something that is shown when a specific person is thrown into a situation. The book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee clearly denotes that a person’s life events evolve them into a hero rather than being born a hero. This is demonstrated in the actions of the characters Calpurnia, Atticus, and Boo Radley. Calpurnia is a prime example of a hero. She was raised to be a respectful, humble woman and she was always loyal to the Finch family. One undeniable act of heroism she executed was when she defended Scout and Jem against Lula when Calpurnia took them to church. “When Lula came up the pathway toward us Calpurnia said, “Stop right …show more content…
He did not speak for a moment. “Tell them I’m very grateful,” he said. “Tell them—tell them they must never do this again. Times are too hard...”” (Lee 217) Atticus didn't care what helping Tom did to his reputation because he knew that what he was doing was the right thing and he was willing to sacrifice his reputation in the cause of helping the innocent. Atticus wasn't born a lawyer, and being a lawyer gave him the characteristics to become a hero. Boo Radley is probably most identifiable as a hero in the story. He grew up in constant isolation, yet was still a genuine, good person. His most heroic act was when he saved Jem and Scout. Lee doesn’t tell us directly what happened, but Scout hints to us that he saved them. “Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives.” (Lee 282) I think that by “lives” she could either be hinting to him saving her or giving her a sense of wonder as she grew