In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee published in 1960 there are many different themes throughout the entire story. A theme that really stood out to me was bravery and courage. There are so many different ways that bravery and courage were demonstrated, and shown by different characters.
To begin with, bravery is shown by Atticus towards Tom Robinson.” It’s when you know your licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what, you rarely win but sometimes you do”. (116)What that is saying is that Atticus knew Tom Robinson was going to be convicted guilty because he was black but Atticus was brave enough to speak out in his defense because it was the right thing to do. Additionally, Atticus is brave in the face of danger, when he kills the rabid dog with a single shot. “In a fog, Jem and I watched our father take the gun and walk out into the middle of the street.” “The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk; He didn't know what hit him” (127). Atticus showed courage and bravery for being the one who took the rifle and shot down the mad dog.
In addition, Atticus waited outside Tom Robinson’s jail cell. He knew that there would probably be a mob, and he even later told Jem that they might have hurt him a bit, but he knew that he couldn’t leave Tom alone. His sense of justice was stronger than his fear for himself, so he sat with Tom, prepared to defend him from whoever would punish him for a crime he didn’t commit. His action show bravery because he knows there is a mob coming to try and kill Tom Robinson before he is tried but he still stays to do his best to protect him.
In conclusion the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a story with many different themes. All these different themes recurred many times throughout the entire story through all of the characters. The theme of bravery and courage stood out the most to me and I thought bravery and courage were some of the most important themes in the novel.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
In the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, courage is a theme shown by many characters in…
- 330 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In Harper Lee’s phenomenal story “To Kill a MockingBird” we see a tale of three young kids, and their struggles and experiences throughout their time period. We were also able to see a lot of courage shown from our characters. Without this bravery the story would’ve had a different tone and feeling.…
- 440 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
An example of Atticus displaying courage is when he was left alone in the police station, guarding Tom Robinson, and the lynching mob came. When they asked if Tom was in there, he answered, "'You can turn around and go home"'(151). Having no fear for his own safety, he remained calm and tried to avoid the horrible future that awaited Robinson. It took a lot of bravery, physical and emotional, because Mr. Finch knew that he did not have a chance of going against all those people. He also demonstrated his valor when Tim Robinson, Tom's dog , was suspected to have rabbis and quick actions had to be taken. Knowing that they only had one chance of killing it, the sheriff handed over the gun to Atticus. Scout narrates, "The rifle cracked ..He didn't know what hit him"(96).Even though he hadn't touched a gun in years, he had to put his fears aside and prepare to kill it. He knew that if he didn't, people would be in danger of getting bitten by the mad dog, It took a lot of guts because it was really risky, if he missed and the unwanted occurred, people would blame him for it. But Atticus managed to control his fears, making him a great candidate for the Lion o' Courage…
- 895 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel threaded with many powerful themes, morals and ethics. These controversial themes resonate with the setting of the American South in the 1930’s. The most prominent themes in the novel are cowardice, courage and prejudice. These themes recur consistently and are highlighted through context in the novel.…
- 887 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, I believe courage is a main point in the story. Courage is strength in the face of pain or grief. Sticking up for others, helping others that are in danger, and sticking up for yourself. To Kill a Mockingbird, has many examples of courage and they all show different meanings of what courage can do and how people show it during different events that happen. Having courage can cause something very succesful to happen without you knowing.…
- 650 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Being an adept lawyer, Judge John Taylor gave Atticus the choice to defend a black man named Tom Robinson. For Atticus, making that choice would have taken a staggering amount of courage because he would be defending a black man against a white family and therefore would have no chance of winning the case. In addition, he would give the people of Maycomb a chance to ridicule him for going against their natural practices. Also, Atticus knew that not only himself, but his family would face hardships because of him taking the trial, which could have made the decision even harder to make. However, in the end, Atticus did the righteous thing and took the trial because he knew that if he did not, it would be impossible to hold his head high knowing he made such an appalling choice exclusively based on the fact that the defendant was black. As Atticus explained his final choice to his daughter, she asked him if he thought he might win, and his response was “No, honey … Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started.”(Lee, 101) and this shows that he knew that he had no chance of winning, but he took the trial anyhow, in turn jeopardizing his current social status and even the safety of his own children, solely in order to teach them the wrongness of being a prejudiced person. Doing so, he showed great courage that resonates with the reader throughout the book. However, Atticus is not the only adult forced to show courage in relation to the trial. Defendant Tom Robinson also shows an immense collection of courage through the course of the trial and the…
- 1048 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout the text there are many situations where Atticus shows gallantry. Atticus, a lawyer, was appointed to represent Tom Robinson, an African-American man falsely accused of rape by a Caucasian woman, during a time when he and his family would face scrutiny for his doing so (100). During the 1930s racism was prevalent in the southern United States, for Atticus to defend an African-American man knowing the struggles that he and his children would face was extremely gallant. Later on in the novel, Tom was moved to the local jail the night before his trial, Atticus put his life in danger…
- 650 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
A theme used often in To Kill A Mockingbird is, bravery. At some point in the novel, most…
- 521 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Most people may not know this book was based off some of Harper Lee's childhood experiences. The theme is based off many things but main thing is moral courage and how it is used in conflict and characterization. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee shows how conflict and characterization reflected this theme of moral courage through many problems that happened and through many of the characters actions in this novel.…
- 654 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
For a younger character, like Scout, courage is most often associated with a physical act that is usually dangerous. It is hard for young children like that to realize that greater courage can be shown in other aspects of life. Scout sees an example of courage in her father when he shoots the mad dog. Although Atticus does not think of it as very courageous, Jem and Scout are proud of their father and the courage he showed in the dangerous situation. Atticus knows that the dog did not stand a chance; it was delirious so therefore could not think straight. In addition, he was holding a gun; the odds were stacked too highly on his side for his liking. He was not trying to prove a point, he was merely fulfilling his civic duty, yet they were still…
- 343 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus is courages. He is courageous when he decided to defend Tom Robinson even though he thinks he is going to lose (100). He is defending a black man, putting his family in bad reputation. Also, when Scout observes, “ the rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped and and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white leap ”(127). Atticus is courageous because he was putting his life in danger and he only had one shot hit the wild dog . Again, he shows courage when he stays the night at jail to protect Tom Robinson from getting killed by the town men (204). Courage is shown here because he is risking his life for a man who never did anything for him. Atticus is a courageous men.…
- 516 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
“The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience”(Harper Lee). In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee shows many great examples of themes. A lot of life lessons can be taken from the novel. In the 1960s in the south much discrimination against race was happening. Throughout time things have gotten progressively better. In To Kill a Mockingbird relationships for family, the perspective, and racism are all immense themes being portrayed in the novel.…
- 665 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Courage is a universal theme that can mean and be displayed in numerous ways. Atticus displays his courage through the way he handles the obstacles that are thrown at him throughout the book. The showcasing of Atticus’s courageousness is put in place to be an example to his children. He wants his children to see the correct conducts of life by what he beliefs and how he stands for it. As the progression through life goes on, the idea of personal beliefs come into play, but the main focus is how it is integrated and supported in the everyday…
- 743 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Atticus demonstrates bravery by being true to himself and being a great role model for his kids. On page 99, Atticus tells Scout, “Of course I do. Don’t say nigger Scout. That’s common.” By what Atticus says, the reader can presume that Atticus didn’t care about what other people thought about him. He isn’t a racist unlike the rest of the citizens in Maycomb County. Atticus is like this for one reason; it’s not fair and Atticus’ duty as a lawyer and it’s just the way he is. Atticus lives a life of integrity and with morales. He is brave enough to face other people and doesn’t let them affect him and his values. Atticus also says to Scout, “Scout, I couldn’t go to church and worship God if I didn’t try to help that man.” (pg. 139) Atticus stays true to himself and doesn’t let other people’s beliefs affect his own beliefs. He helps Scout understand that everyone should be treated equally.…
- 827 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Racism, education, justice and courage are all themes of Harper Lee’s book. One of the main theme that is shown throughout the novel is parenting. A statement Harper Lee once made about To Kill a Mockingbird, is that this novel is a love story. The Theme parenting is shown through Atticus’s love for his children, Scout and Jem.…
- 825 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays