To Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee: Character Analysis

There are many ways to be brave and bold, and many people illustrate it in their own way. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee many of the characters show courage. In the 1900s, being a lawyer in the south and defending an African American is considerably an unfavorable situation to be in given the racial and political views of the early 20th century. If it was time for a trial with an African American, in this case, Tom Robinson, being accused, you could immediately predict the outcome to be against him. There was a lot of discrimination against people of color. Similarly, the one who defends the person of color is also shown the same discrimination. . Other than the African Americans, there are very few who would side
Like how Bob Ewell threatened Atticus for defending an African American. Instead of threatening Bob back, or being mean, Atticus just said to Jem, “Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell’s shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take” (218). Atticus shows his courage by believing in himself, even if nobody else does. . While Jem was growing up in Maycomb County, he believed that everyone was friendly to each other, but as he grew older, he was conflicted by the racial views of his peers. “Jem turned and punched his pillow. When he settled back his face was cloudy. He was going into one of his declines, and I grew wary. His brows came together; his mouth became a thin line. He was silent for awhile” (227). Jem’s internal conflict was about his personal views, and the views of his peers.. Jem shows courage in his actions by dealing with his confusion to the best of his abilities. Having different views than those of your peers can be extremely difficult, but these conflicts can give a new perspective to
For instance, Atticus talks about his court case and his reason to accept it,"But do you think I could face my children otherwise? You know what’s going to happen as well as I do, Jack, and I hope and pray I can get Jem and Scout through it without bitterness, and most of all, without catching Maycomb’s usual disease. Why reasonable people go stark raving mad when anything involving a Negro comes up, is something I don’t pretend to understand... " (88). Atticus hoped that he could raise his children to stand up for what they believe in, not just the views of their peers.. By going against the majority of Maycomb County, and believing Tom is innocent, Atticus shows bravery. Also, when Scout and Jem receive air-rifles as gifts, Atticus does not teach them to shoot, but uses imagery to show that joyful things will not always last, “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird” (90). The nice things in life do not always stay if you do not protect and treasure them. Because Atticus is against violence, he tells Jem and Scout not to shoot mockingbirds. To get his point across, after Mrs. Dubose dies,