DeGruccio 1 Lauren DeGruccio English 1 13 March 2014 Are You Courageous Every Day?

Do you think you are courageous every day? In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, courage is frequently shown throughout the book. The novel, set in Alabama in the 1930s, gives the reader insight into the racism and stereotyping of that time period. Courage, standing up for what is right even if it means you are the only one standing, is best exemplified by Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Scout Finch. Throughout the novel, Atticus Finch shows continuous courage through his words, actions, and thoughts. An example of his immense courage would be when Atticus made the choice to defend Tom Robinson, even though it could ruin his reputation and no one would hire him. When Atticus says Tom Robinsons case is something that goes to the essence of a mans conscience I couldnt go to church and worship God if I didnt try to help that man, he reveals that he thinks someone needs to help Tom Robinson, and hes the man to do it (104). This quote is important because it shows that Atticus isnt afraid to do whats right, even if it costs him something or if it means hes the only one willing to do whats right. Another example of the courage portrayed by Atticus Finch is when he shot the dog Tim Johnson. When Miss Maudie says I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldnt shoot till he had to, and he had to today, she reveals the courage Atticus had when he stepped up and did the right thing (98). This quote is important because it reveals a skill that Atticus had that he didnt want the kids to know about so he didnt give them the wrong idea of courage. One last example of the

DeGruccio 2 courage shown by Atticus is how he teaches the kids not to be racist and raising them to treat everyone as equals. Atticus acceptance towards racial equality is shown when he says some Negroes lie, some Negroes are immoral, some Negro men are not to be trusted around womenblack or white. But this is a truth that applies to the human race of men. There is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire (204). This quote is important because he says that white men are no better or more innocent than black men and he makes it clear that he is not a racist man or a man of discrimination and he implies that he intends to have children who feel the same way. Atticus Finchs unforgettable actions define him as an excellent example of courage and a great role model. Similarly, Boo Radley is a magnanimous example of courage throughout the novel. To attest for this courage is when Boo Radley left his house to go save Jem and Scout when they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Scout describes the night she was attacked when she says then somebody yanked Mr. Ewell down Somebody was staggerin around and pantin andcoughing fit to die. I thought it was Jem at first, but it didnt sound like him (279). This quote is important because it reveals that Boo Radley was willing to risk his life to save Jem and Scout, and this was a very courageous thing to be willing to do. Another example of the outstanding courage shown by Boo Radley would be how he never defended himself from all the rumors and lies about him that the town assumed to be true. When Scout and Miss Maudie are discussing Boo Radley, Miss Maudie tells Scout that the rumors about him are just lies and that theyre threefourths colored folks and onefourth Stephanie Crawford (45). When Miss Maudie said that, she helped Scout to understand that the things said about Boo Radley are just lies and that Boo doesnt fight back against the rumors because he didnt want to go through the struggle of

DeGruccio 3 trying to convince people who would rather believe lies over the truth. One last example of the tremendous courage shown by Boo Radley is how Boo would leave small gifts for the children in the knothole of the old oak tree. When Scout says, He gave us dolls a broken watch 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, she reveals Boos generosity and kindness towards the children from the goodness of his heart (278). Boo was courageous because when he did those things for the children, he was going against his parents wishes to not leave the house, just to try to reach out and connect to the children. Boo Radley is an excellent example of courage because he was willing to risk a friendship, to see if the kids wouldnt believe the rumors, through his altruistic outlook on situations. Finally, one last substantial example of the courage demonstrated throughout the novel would be Scout Finch. An example of Scouts courage would be when she stood up for the class to Miss Caroline and tried to help her understand Walter Cunninghams and Burris Ewells situations. Scout was pressured into explaining to Miss Caroline when she, turned around and saw most of the people looking at me in the innocent assurance that familiarity breeds understanding. I rose graciously on Walters behalf, she was courageous to be willing to speak in Walter and Burris defense (20). This quote is important because it shows Scouts inclination to stand up and speak up when she needs to. Another example of the great courage shown by Scout is when she broke up the mob mentality of the mob that was trying to take Tom Robinson. She was able to do so by asking Mr. Cunningham a simple question Hows your entailment getting along?(153). This question was important because it singled out Mr. Cunningham from the mob, turning him into an individual. This took courage from Scout even though she was just being herself. One last example of the courage demonstrated by Scout is how she honors her

DeGruccio 4 fathers words and walks away from fighting Cecil Jacobs because Atticus had asked her to keep her head up (76). She didnt fight him because she would have let Atticus down, and Atticus rarely asked Jem and Scout to do something for him. She shows courage as well as selfcontrol and a new way for her to deal with conflict because she had the ability to walk away from her personal matters to honor her fathers words, which mattered more to her. Scout is a fantastic example of courage because she had the ability to do what was right and be courageous at just the right time. Courage, possibly one of the most important things we have when it comes to coping with life, is the main idea that was demonstrated in To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, Boo Radley, and Scout Finch were great examples of the courage that was exemplified throughout the novel. When the time comes for me to be courageous, I will always look back at this book as a great example. But the question is, will you?