...Dictionary defines courage as, “the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation.” Harper Lee agrees with this statement in her own way by having Atticus tell 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 anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do. (Lee 112) She also agrees with this definition by demonstrating courage in these ways throughout the novel. In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the three characters that demonstrate outstanding courage are Boo Radley, Mrs. Dubose, and Atticus. Boo Radley demonstrates noteworthy courage by making himself vulnerable to save Scout and Jem from Mr. Ewell’s attack. He makes himself physically vulnerable since he could have also been attacked, but exposes himself to save the children. He does not want to be seen or known, but briefly overcomes that fear when he hears the cries of trouble. This makes him feel emotionally vulnerable. He also indicates his courageousness by staying in the Finch house after the attack. He feels insecure around people but stays to ensure Jem’s safety. Finally, Boo expresses courage by admitting he was uncomfortable...
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...Standing by ones morals and acting against ones fears represents true courage. In To Kill a Mockingbird, true courage can be shown through moral courage, mental courage, and physical courage. In To Kill a Mockingbird, standing up for what one believes in shows moral courage. Firstly, Atticus defending Tom Robinson even when he knew he would lose shows moral courage. Atticus is a well-known and respected figure in Maycomb. Choosing to defend a...
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...town of Maycomb, Alabama. Courage is constantly shown to be the best way to combat injustice. Characters Atticus Finch, Boo Radley and Link Deas display courage during the difficult times in Maycomb Alabama. Atticus Finch defends Tom Robinson even when failure is inevitable so he can live up to his personal morals. Atticus is the most courageous character in To Kill a Mockingbird because he is aware of the repercussions of this trial and the dangerous impact it could potentially have. Tom Robinson is a black male wrongfully...
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...time of increasing civil rights unrest (Johnson). It was also a time of great social change in the United States, and a novel about the racial injustices of 1930s Alabama carried a powerful message to its readers. After the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, literature and literacy were used to expose and educate on racial injustice (Prendergrast 2). The dominant theme of the novel is prejudice and ultimately the courage needed to overcome prejudice. There are three main types of prejudice that are explored in the novel; racial prejudice, social prejudice and fear of the unknown. Racial prejudice is present throughout the novel in the people of Maycomb’s everyday life, as it is a novel set in the ‘deep south’ of America in the 1930’s. This period is not so long after the American civil war, so slavery’s abolishment had occurred not all that long ago, and the horror of slavery was still on the mind of many black people at the time (Brundage 86). Because of this, most people’s attitudes towards black people had not changed very much. The situation that shows the best examples of racial prejudice is the trial of Tom Robinson. In his trial, Tom Robinson is misjudged and mistreated because he is black. One of the clearest examples of this is the way in which Mr. Gilmer, Tom’s prosecutor, calls Tom “boy.” He uses a tone of voice towards Tom, which one would use when talking to a child. This makes Tom look very foolish. The only reason Mr. Gilmer speaks this way, is because...
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...Great Depression - the years when this novel is set - racism had been an attitude many southerners followed. Atticus, Jem and Scout's father and also a respected lawyer, is appointed to take part in a controversial trial: he is to defend Tom Robinson, a poor negro laborer charged with raping Mayella Ewell, the nineteen year old daughter of the impoverished Bob Ewell. Jem and Scout are shown going through a tremendous amount of growing up in this novel - not only physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and morally. The children learn more about the real world in brushes with the outside world, such as at school. They are also intrigued by their mysterious neighbor Boo Radley, who had been locked up in his house for a petty crime as a teenager, as he had not been outside his house for decades. Arthur "Boo" Radley is an object of great wonder and speculation for the children, who imagine him to be a savage. They have many opportunities for life lessons in observations of their neighbors like the kindly Miss Maudie, a confidante for the children, and the mean old Mrs. Dubose, imagined to be the meanest person alive. Jem and Scout gain much insight into the workings of the society in which they live through Tom Robinson's trial, and ultimately shed their childhood innocence at that point. When Dill Harris, a little boy only a year older than Scout, comes to Maycomb, Jem, Scout and Dill indulge in play together, enacting scenes from Tarzan, Tom Swift and such, until "by the end...
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...their lives to protect others. There are always people who show this kind of courage during harder times. Challenging times brings out the best in certain people. As Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird illustrates, when times are dark and people behave with injustice, others step forward and show tremendous courage. Although Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930’s is a racist town, some characters such as Atticus...
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...while they’re walking home, a figure appears to save them from death. While in the hospital with Jem, Scout sees the person who saved them, and simply sees him as another townsperson; however, after careful observation, Scout realizes this person is Boo Radley. Boo Radley, at first being seen by Maycomb’s youth as a monster, is a illy-viewed figure, but after witnessing Boo Radley’s sheer kindness, Scout begins to feel empathy towards him. On page 320, Scout narrates, “Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return; we never put back into the tree what we took out of it: We had given him nothing, and it made me sad....” Scout realizes that Boo Radley’s gifts that he offered made him not a monster, but a neighborhood friend. Being trapped inside his house, with little to no outside contact, the gifts Boo gave to the children are obviously most of what he had. Scout feels tremendous guilt after realizing that Boo only gave, and Scout only took what he gave. Instead of seeing this figure as a monster, Scout sees him as a selfless human being, and shows great empathy for him being...
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...around her. Scout Finch matures and changes her perspective on people, prejudices, and Boo Radley. People can have many different sides and opinions that can change and show at only certain times. While in the process of growing up and maturing, Scout realizes and experiences this in many people, specifically her aunt, her father, and Calpurnia. One thing that Scout...
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... Block C To Kill a Mockingbird Essay How does the theme of “appearance vs. reality’ play a role in this story? Have you ever heard of the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” Many people have, yet they still treat people unfairly without getting to know them. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the author is able to use the theme of appearance vs. reality to portray many characters in the book in a relationship that can give readers two different sides of a person. For the residents of Maycomb County, Boo Radley is rumored to be a malevolent phantom that mutilates animals, stalks people at night, and runs with the rebellious crowds before he was locked up in his room. Although, the children have never seen Boo Radley, Jem speculates that “Boo was about six and a half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels… that are why his hands are bloodstained… There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time (pg 16).” This description shows how misguided they are due to the outrageous myths about Boo spread around town by adults. However, as the story moves forward, more insight on the real character of Boo is revealed through various incidents. When Jem and Scout were walking home one day, Jem finally confesses what happened to his pants that night when they tried to sneak a peek at Boo Radley. “When I went back, they were folded across the...
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...way out. You realize that you'll have to jump out a window. You eventually find one. You're hesitant, but you think that a two story fall shouldn't be too bad. Besides, you've got to get the baby and yourself out of this burning inferno. You take a running start and leap out of the window. When you land, the wind is knocked out of you. As you get up, a news van that came to film the fire decides they should get the story of the baby's rescue. You appear on the news and become a hero in your neighborhood. Then you wake up. You've been daydreaming. Dreaming that you were a great hero who accomplished an amazing feat; a Champion who has completed what most others would fear to have done. Most everyone longs for an opportunity to prove how courageous they are. They long to receive fame and glory for their...
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...In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Jem is a young boy who faces several dilemmas while growing up in a small town Although Jem is unaware, the influence of Maycomb’s narrow-minded and racist culture is inevitable. In various ways, Jem demonstrates the moral development of courage and responsibility that comes with age, examples, and experience. As a result of Jem facing difficult situations, his preconceived notions of society shatter, and he begins to develop an increasingly mature sense of courage and caliber. For example, as an attempt to lure Boo Radley outside, Jem accepts Scout and Dill’s dare to touch the side of the Radley house(19). Because of the unrealistic understanding he and children his age have of mettle, Jem...
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...offers. People look out for one another, the people have and show respect to others, and people show character in more ways than one. What makes up character exactly? Character is made up of different traits that people carry such a respect, dignity, and most importantly; courage. Courage is how a person feels in any situation whether good or bad. The people of Macomb have a great deal of courage that engulfs the town. Most people in the town believe in helping out one another. In chapter eight of “To Kill a Mockingbird” the town helps to put out a fire...
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...Lee it makes people think of many characters. When answering the question who could be considered a mockingbird, people may think of three characters. Those characters are Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Tom Robinson. Readers can see this through the towns people actions, and beliefs. Many believe and consider it a sin to kill a mockingbird. This is because mockingbirds do nothing wrong. They do not hurt anyone, or hurt plants. They are simply here to give you pleasure. It is a sin to kill one because they cause no harm just like these characters. They give you pleasure and happiness and stand up for what they believe in....
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...THE GLENCOE LITERATURE LIBRARY Study Guide for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee i Meet Harper Lee at the same university. In 1949, however, she withdrew and moved to New York City with the goal of becoming a writer. While working at other jobs, Lee submitted stories and essays to publishers. All were rejected. An agent, however, took an interest in one of her short stories and suggested she expand it into a novel. By 1957 she had finished a draft of To Kill a Mockingbird. A publisher to whom she sent the novel saw its potential but thought it needed reworking. With her editor, Lee spent two and a half more years revising the manuscript. By 1960 the novel was published. In a 1961 interview with Newsweek magazine, Lee commented: Writing is the hardest thing in the world, . . . but writing is the only thing that has made me completely happy. To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate and widespread success. Within a year, the novel sold half a million copies and received the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Within two years, it was turned into a highly acclaimed film. Readers admire the novel’s sensitive and probing treatment of race relations. But, equally, they enjoy its vivid account of childhood in a small rural town. Summing up the novel’s enduring impact in a 1974 review, R. A. Dave called To Kill a Mockingbird . . . a movingly human drama of the jostling worlds—of children and adults, of innocence and experience, of kindness and cruelty, of love and hatred, of humor...
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...Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum." Page 5 Analysis The descriptive detail paints a vivid picture of the town of Maycomb, which provides some insight on Scout's feelings about Maycomb. In addition, the narrator provides the setting for the story and sets the mood for a quiet and somewhat dull town, which sets the stage for the conflict of Tom's trial. Chapter 2 Quotation "'Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now.' I mumbled that I was sorry and retired meditating upon my crime." Page 17 Analysis Scout's first grade teacher makes her feel bad about being able to read, when she should feel proud that she can read and write at such a young age. Scout even apologizes and referred to her ability as a crime. This exchange demonstrates how many people in Maycomb are very small minded in their views. Chapter 3 Quotation "'First of all,' he said, 'If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you'll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-' 'Sir?' '-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.'" Page 30 Analysis This passage exemplifies the special bond between Atticus and his daughter, Scout. Throughout the novel, Scout learns more from her father than anyone else. Atticus...
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