The Crucible

To Kill A Mocking Bird
Courage is a characteristic that all great heroes need. However, real courage takes more than showing off or overcoming of a fear; there are several meanings of the word. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the idea of courage can be seen in many forms, which are demonstrated through different characters. The book is set in the early 1930s, a time of racial segregation and the Great Depression in a small Alabama town called Maycomb. The main characters, Scout, Jem, and their father Atticus, experience many life lessons, make new friends and enemies, and gradually mature in the course of the story. Three of the main aspects of courage seen in To Kill a Mockingbird are fighting until the end, overcoming difficulties, and sacrificing for others. These types of courage are displayed through several characters including Mrs. Dubose, Atticus, Boo Radley, and Ms. Maudie.
One of the first forms of courage that is witnessed in To Kill a Mockingbird is the will to fight. Mrs. Dubose is a cranky old woman, with wrinkles and liver spots, who Jem and Scout are forced to read to by Atticus. She has a nasty attitude towards the children, and constantly criticizes Atticus' parenting style and kindness toward the Black people. After Mrs. Dubose's death, it is revealed that she was a morphine addict, and Jem's reading to her helped her with overcoming that addiction. She decided she didn't want to die with her addiction, so she attempted to break free, even though she knew it would kill her. Atticus explains it as such: "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 that you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what" (Lee, 112).
Atticus himself exemplifies this idea of courage by taking the case of Tom Robinson, a Black man, who is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell. Because of the racial segregation in Alabama during the 1930’s, Atticus knows that it is nearly impossible to win the case. He explains to his brother, "It couldn't be worse, Jack. The only thing we've got is a Black man's word against the Ewells'...The jury couldn't possibly be expected to take Tom Robinson's word against the Ewells" (Lee, 88). However, Atticus fights as hard as he can for Tom Robinson. Even after the trial, he tells the children, "We're not through yet. There'll be an appeal, you can count on that." Despite certain defeat, Atticus battles until the end, like Mrs. Dubose.
Boo Radley also embodies this form of courage. He is a mysterious character who never leaves his house, raising the curiosity of Jem and Scout in the beginning of the novel. When Jem and Scout are attacked by Bob Ewell, in his revenge of Atticus, Boo Radley at last comes out his home and kills Bob Ewell to save the children. In this courageous act, he sacrifices his mystery and shut in, and decides to steps back into the world, even though he risks being put on trial for murder
Another kind of courage seen in the story is overcoming obstacles with a positive attitude. Ms. Maudie is a middle aged lady who is neighbors and friends with Scout and Jem. She demonstrates this form of courage by her optimistic attitude, even after her house has been reduced to ashes. Her house burns down in the middle of the night and is forced to move in with someone else until she can rebuild it. Ms. Maudie cheerfully finds the positive things about her house being destroyed. She tells Jem and Scout, "Always wanted a smaller house, Jem Finch. Gives me more yard. Just think, I'll have more room for my azaleas now...Why, I'll build me a little house, take a couple roomers and-gracious, I'll have the finest yard in Alabama" (Lee, 73).
Courage is a quality that is seen in both literature and with real-life heroes. Harper Lee expresses in this story that courage can be conveyed in a variety of forms. Lee shows that small things like optimism during difficult times, to large things, like sacrificing one's reputation or life for another, or finishing a battle, even if defeat is certain, are things that identify heroes, in both this book and in life.

Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird . New York : Grand Central.
1960. Print