Atticus Courageous
Courageous Doesn’t Mean Fearless One of the themes of To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, is courage. Many people confuse courage with fearlessness. The difference between the two is that courageous people fear what lies ahead of them, but face it anyway, while fearless people do not worry about anything; they jump into danger blindly. Atticus Finch knows that courage is being afraid of problems ahead and powering through this fear. On page 149, Atticus explains this difference. He states, “[Courage is] when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.” By this he means that courage is when one knows the danger that lies ahead, and they know how bad it could be, but they are determined enough to reach their goal. When Atticus
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explains this to Scout, he wants her to think that he wasn’t courageous for shooting the rabid dog, Tim Johnson, but that Mrs. Dubose was courageous for knowing her impending death, and embracing it. She embraced death the way one should embrace life. Atticus tries to live his life fighting not with his hands, but with his mind, which he taught to Scout not only through advice, but example. Scout’s peers had been harassing her about her father taking on the case of defending a black man. When she wanted to fight them physically, Atticus gave her this advice: “...You just hold your head high and keep those fists down” (Lee 101). His teachings tie into the theme of courage; no matter how much the things in life hurt, one has to be courageous enough in order to live through it. He never gives advice without following it himself.
Not only did Scout’s peers insult Atticus, but even the elders of the town ridiculed him.
One of these people was Mrs. Dubose, who was one of the eldest and most sick of the town. She was extremely prejudiced against black people and deeply despised Atticus for defending a black man in court. However, Atticus was polite and respectful to her no matter how many slurs she threw at him, and Scout took notice. She said, “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (134). Scout thought Atticus was brave for taking on this bully, not by revolting, but by means of respect. He faced Mrs. Dubose with pride and brushed off any taunt she had for him. Scout held this characteristic in high esteem and knew he was a courageous man.
Throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, courage is a revisited topic. Atticus Finch shows courage through example as a way to teach his children this meaningful attribute. A large amount of the town he takes residence in dislikes him, but Atticus still treats everyone respectfully and equally. Jem and Scout learn to do the same thing, as every reader of this book should
do.
explains this to Scout, he wants her to think that he wasn’t courageous for shooting the rabid dog, Tim Johnson, but that Mrs. Dubose was courageous for knowing her impending death, and embracing it. She embraced death the way one should embrace life. Atticus tries to live his life fighting not with his hands, but with his mind, which he taught to Scout not only through advice, but example. Scout’s peers had been harassing her about her father taking on the case of defending a black man. When she wanted to fight them physically, Atticus gave her this advice: “...You just hold your head high and keep those fists down” (Lee 101). His teachings tie into the theme of courage; no matter how much the things in life hurt, one has to be courageous enough in order to live through it. He never gives advice without following it himself.
Not only did Scout’s peers insult Atticus, but even the elders of the town ridiculed him.
One of these people was Mrs. Dubose, who was one of the eldest and most sick of the town. She was extremely prejudiced against black people and deeply despised Atticus for defending a black man in court. However, Atticus was polite and respectful to her no matter how many slurs she threw at him, and Scout took notice. She said, “It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived” (134). Scout thought Atticus was brave for taking on this bully, not by revolting, but by means of respect. He faced Mrs. Dubose with pride and brushed off any taunt she had for him. Scout held this characteristic in high esteem and knew he was a courageous man.
Throughout the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, courage is a revisited topic. Atticus Finch shows courage through example as a way to teach his children this meaningful attribute. A large amount of the town he takes residence in dislikes him, but Atticus still treats everyone respectfully and equally. Jem and Scout learn to do the same thing, as every reader of this book should
do.