There are many themes in the book To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee. However, one of the most predominate is courage. This theme is shown by almost all of the characters in the novel.
Atticus has strong views on courage. He shows this when he taught Jem and Scout to be brave; for instance, when he told Scout to stop fighting the people that mock her Scout had to be brave enough to ignore the harsh remarks and put herself above them. One person that Atticus admired for having real courage is Mrs. Dubose. When Jem ruined her camellias because she verbally hurt him, he made Jem go and read to her. He did this not only because it was a punishment but because he wanted Jem to learn from her. When Atticus said, “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” This showed how much Atticus respected Mrs. Dubose for trying to overcome her addiction. He also called her “the bravest person I ever knew”. Atticus wanted Jem and Scout to know that he was not courageous for being able to shoot a crazy dog dead with one shot; but he is courageous for defending Tom Robinson even though he knew he had lost before he started. He teaches them that being courageous is standing up for what you think is right no matter what others believe.
Courage is also shown within the community. When there is a fire at Miss Maudie’s house, the book says that, “The men of Maycomb, in all degrees of dress and undress, took furniture from Miss Maudie’s house to a yard across the street”. The most important part of this statement is, “in all degrees of dress and undress”. This shows that the people that came to help, came straight away. If the men would have dressed first, then they would have thought about whether to help or not, but they came straight from their beds to help.
The Essay on Boo Radley Jem Atticus Scout
The novel To Kill a Mockingbird begins with narrator, Scout Finch, introducing to the reader her brother Jem, her father Atticus, and her town, Maycomb, Alabama. She tells us a little of her family history, and then begins her story: It is the summer of 1933. Scout is five, and Jem is nine. They pass the summer happily with their new friend Dill, a six-year-old boy who has moved into their ...
Boo’s most courageous act was when he saved Jem and Scout’s lives when Bob Ewell attacked them. When Boo saw that “his children needed him,” his courage overrode the town’s prejudice and he risked his own life to save Jem and Scout’s lives. He was rewarded in his acts by Heck Tate. Everyone in that house knew that it was Boo who actually killed Bob Ewell, but it was Heck Tate that said Boo was innocent. He did this because he knew what Mr. Ewell did was wrong. This was his way of thanking Boo for saving Atticus’ children. Many people showed courage in this book, but ultimately it is Atticus that teaches us that, “Courage is knowing you’re licked from the start, but starting anyway.”
