A Step of Courage What is courage? Courage is the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Scout learns about courage from Atticus, Boo Radley, and Mrs. Dubose. Before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience,” said Atticus. (Lee 105). Being proud of yourself and having your own believes and standing strong with them will make you courageous. Atticus teaches Scout about courage here by telling her you can be courageous in many ways. Atticus knows he isn’t going to win the trail, but he is courage and fights for Tom Robinson with a lot …show more content…
Scout never understands Boo Radley until one night she is standing on his porch from his point of view. Boo is scared of people and never comes out of his house until one Halloween when Mr. Ewell went after Jem and Scout. Guess who saved the day? That’s right the very courageous Boo Radley. He showed a lot of courage coming to save the children. Not only did he save the children, he also killed Bob Ewell. “I never heard tell that it’s against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he did… Mr. Finch, taking the one man who’s done you and this town a great service an’ draggin’ him with his shy ways into the limelight--to me, that’s a sin,” said Heck Tate. (Lee 276). Although a very courageous man, he is shy. He doesn’t want to be rewarded for what he did. He has been watching Scout and Jem grow up and is almost like a father. He watches them go by everyday and makes sure they are protected. In my opinion I think Boo Radley is one of the most courageous people in this
Twenty burly men stealthily encroached upon a man. Soon, the outnumbered man was surrounded and encircled by these men, and due to his courage and bravery, he battled every single one of his assailants and knocked them out. In our complex and technology-based world today, the above scenario depicts our typical understanding of courage, a word we all know are familiar with. But, what is the more unfathomable meaning of courage? Is it just simply a man with a gun…?
(Lee 139). Throughout the book, Boo Radley is an illusive character, never seen outside his house. However, not only did he come out to watch Jem and Scout, he also fought off Mr. Ewell to save the kids. Boo Radley demonstrates his love for these kids by coming out of the safety of his house to heroically save Jem and Scout. Like Boo Radley protecting Jem and Scout, Heck Tate put his reputation in jeopardy to protect Boo Radley.
Courage throughout history has always been interpreted in many different ways; cowardice, defiance, and even idiocy. Often it is hard to recognize true courage until many years have passed. True courage is showing bravery and standing up for your beliefs and principles in times of strife. “Courage isn’t a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin
Courage is a constant theme throughout Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Taking place in Maycomb County during the 1930’s , the novel deals with the racism of the time period as well as what the true meaning of courage is versus the conventional. Although many characters portray courage throughout the novel Scout Finch, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley are the best examples of courage. Scout, the narrator, is the most obvious example of courage.
After struggling for a few minutes, someone finally came to their rescue and carried Jem home. Little did they know, their hero was someone they’ve been trying to see for years, Boo. He came out of nowhere, took down Mr. Ewell and carried Jem home to seek help because he was badly hurt. Scout was present and conscious for all of this and didn’t know it was Boo till she saw him quietly standing behind the door, "He was still leaning against the wall. He had been leaning against the wall when I came into the room, his arms down and across his chest.
“I want you to understand that courage isn’t a man with a gun in his hand,” (Lee 112). This is a quote spoken from a courageous man who put himself in other people’s positions and did not believe he was superior to African Americans like many in that time period. Atticus Finch is a lawyer, and also the father of Jem and Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The finches live in a small town called Maycomb during 1933, also known as the Great Depression era. Throughout the book, the town faces many racial discrimination issues, especially when an African American man named Tom Robinson is falsely accused of rape of a white female.
He is a kind, innocent man that loves Jem and Scout as if they were his own. The town views Boo as a monster, but as he leaves gifts for the children and mends Jem’s pants, the reader begins to see his true nature and learns that he is misjudged by society. Boo also saves the lives of Jem and Scout. In the process of saving the kids, Boo had to kill Bob Ewell. By killing Mr. Ewell; Boo Radley killed his innocence.
In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus tells Scout that courage is “when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” Atticus has shown a lot of courage to his kids. Atticus showed courage by accepting the Tom Robinson case, by standing his ground at the jailhouse, and by standing up to Aunt Alexandra about Calpurnia. He even tries to get his kids to follow in his footsteps. What Atticus meant when he told Scout what courage was, was that even if you know that you're going to lose something it doesn't mean you shouldn't try.
Finally, they find courage through Atticus taking the case of Tom Robinson. Jem and Scout discover courage through Boo Radley coming out of his house, Mrs. Dubose trying to get off of her addiction, and Atticus fighting the case for Tom Robinson. During the novel, they find courage with Boo Radley coming out of his house. After Scout had taken Mr. Arthur home, she said, “One time he said you never really know a man until you stand
In the story Boo Radley plays the role of Scout and Jem’s guardian angel. He watches over them and helps them when they get into trouble. In the first chapters, the kids make fun of Boo, they taunt him. All they know about him is what they have heard, that he is a crazy man. Throughout the story though, Boo proves them wrong.
Scout understood Bob Ewell, being as crooked as he was, needed to hunt out of season in order to be able to survive. Finely Scout showed empathy to Boo Radley. She sees that Boo Radley was not a bad man. All Boo wants to do is to be forgotten about. He is a shy man and does not want any more attention to be drawn to him of fear of what people will think of
Having courage opens a window of infinite possibilities. Courage is maybe doing something that others will not do, or pursuing dreams no matter what obstacles stand in the way. Atticus, Jem, and Scout, all show great courage for the situations they are put in. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view … until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” A quote by Atticus Finch.
*MOUTH* Harper Lee’s interpretation of Boo Radley’s philosophy illustrates his courage. At times when Boo leaves his home he doesn't harm anyone instead, he leaves Jem and Scout presents, covers Scout with a blanket during the fire, and eventually saves the children from Bob Ewell. Despite the pureness of his heart, however, Boo has been damaged by an abusive father. In Chapter 30, Scout tells Atticus that hurting Boo Radley would be “sort of like shootin’ a Mockingbird.” think it will be important for you to show the theory of Boo's character and what we come to find out is his actual character as you develop this theme of Boo's courage.
At home in the room lies unconscious Jem, who will be okay. Scout saw the rescuer in the corner of the room, but had no idea who it was until she realized it is Boo Radley. Scout said, “As I gazed at him in wonder the tension slowly drained from his face. His lips parted into a timid smile, and our neighbor’s image blurred with sudden tear” (Lee 270). Boo is actually kind hearted, he is not really the person that society sees.
"Jem, 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. It 's when you know you 're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what. " This insightful statement was told by Atticus Finch to his son, Jem Finch. Many people in Maycomb had to deal with racism, hatred, and discrimination because of their skin color or because of the court case.