Courage In A Time To Kill A Mockingbird

Words: 1800
Pages: 8
Open Document
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of it.” - Mark Twain. In To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and the film A Time to Kill, directed by Joel Schumacher, many characters express courageous actions when faced with frightening situations. Courage is the main factor that sets individuals apart, it is the audacity to do what is right, and to do so while standing alone to change the views of both men and women. Many characters in these two works expressed great deals of courage. This courage is demonstrated when two caucasian lawyers choose to defend African American men in prejudice times, when two brave women work for the greater good, and when two characters endanger their own lives to save that of others. Altogether, though …show more content…
In addition, Atticus demonstrated strong courage when the town people judged him for his actions. Scout and Atticus say; “ “most folks seem to think they’re right and you’re wrong…” “They’re certainly entitled to think that [...] but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience” ” (Lee 139). Atticus felt morally compelled to defend Tom Robinson and he wanted his children to see why he is doing it. This quotation reveals Atticus’ courageous decision to defend Tom to the best of his ability. Although Atticus did not win this case in a court of law, he had some sort of a victory. Not only were his children able to comprehend the injustice of the situation, they were able to understand why. In addition, the jury took a long time to decide Robinson’s verdict, Miss Maudie said that in some essence Atticus did have a victory because the town of Maycomb took a baby step toward equality. Similarly, Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill stood alone through courage to change the opinions of others. When African American man, Carl Lee Hailey, killed two caucasian men for raping his daughter, attorney Jake Brigance was eager to defend
Show More

Related Documents: Courage In A Time To Kill A Mockingbird

Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird Many people have different definitions of what courage means. Courage is displayed many times throughout the story. Many of the main characters such as Atticus, Tom, Scout and Jem show signs of courage in the story. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee argues that courage is one of the most important character traits to have in real life. She argues that courage is making the right decision by confronting a problem head on, regardless of what everyone else believes…

Words 573 - Pages 3

Atticus Courage

definition of courage. In the book, To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee the book sets back to the time of the Great Depression. The book is placed in the small made up town of Maycomb, Alabama. This story is about two young children who go through a lot and learn a lot while doing it. It goes through the ways of inequality in the down and the diversity of races. The town isn't always getting along perfectly but that's why there are some mockingbirds to help. Throughout To Kill A Mockingbird there are…

Words 701 - Pages 3

Atticus Being Courageous

In our everyday lives, there is always someway or somehow that we can show courage. Being courageous can sometimes mean you're doing something that not everyone agrees with. Today we find it hard to defend people because it goes against the public eye, or your friends may not like it. Lee tries to relay a message in this novel. Her message is saying that it's time to stop cowering behind the wrong beliefs of society and stand up for what's right. Atticus demonstrates Lee's message by boldly defending…

Words 586 - Pages 3

To Kill A Mockingbird Moral Courage Essay

Moral courage ~ To be or not to be What is the right thing to do? The “right thing” to do is often times, very subjective. It’s evident that the concept of right or wrong varies from person to person and it should be. It’s apparent that we all have our own unique individual mindsets that enable us to embody our thoughts into reality. Moral courage in its purest form, is having the courage or strength despite certain obstacles to do the right thing. Likewise, in the tale of “To kill a mockingbird”…

Words 688 - Pages 3

To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

In To Kill A Mockingbird One can learn many lessons from the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. The theme revolving around the mockingbird represents innocence and how it is wrong to destroy it. The characters of Jem, Atticus, and Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley demonstrate courage in situations that would be easy to shy away from. Many of the characters in this novel grow up in some way, whether it is learning or accepting something new. Three essential themes in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird are innocence…

Words 1002 - Pages 5

Examples Of Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

Courage What is Courage? What does it mean to you? Courage can be shown in many ways, such as in overcoming something, facing a fear, and just going for something. There were many ways that courage was shown in “To Kill a Mockingbird”. During the adventure of this essay there will be many ways shown such as cases, killings, and just doing the right thing. The real meaning of courage is the ability to do something that frightens one strength in the face of pain or grief. First off showing courage…

Words 792 - Pages 4

How Does Lee Present Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

In To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents the idea of overcoming the boundaries of courage and innocence. Courage is one of the main themes in the novel. At first Scout saw and confused courage with strength. She thought that courage is the ability to use strength to get your way but in ‘’To Kill a Mockingbird’’ courage is actually about thinking about what’s right instead of depending on their gut reaction, Scout crosses the boundary when it says on page 102‘’I drew a bead on him…

Words 957 - Pages 4

To Kill A Mockingbird Research Paper

Many people in both To Kill A Mockingbird and in reality have been affected by courage in many positive ways. Courage allows people to follow through on things that need to be done, that would not otherwise be done. A world with the absence of courage would be a very dull world where everyone is alone and the same. Courage has allowed people to do the right thing without thinking and to do what they believe in. Courage has allowed people to stand up for the right thing rather than be afraid and…

Words 661 - Pages 3

Similarities Between To Kill A Mockingbird And The Help

Racism By Using Courage and Understanding Are indifference and fear major factors of racism, courage, and understanding? The novel To Kill a Mockingbird and the film The Help both illustrate how fear and indifference fuel racism while killing courage and understanding. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, an African-American man named Tom Robinson is put on trial for the rape of a 19 year old girl named Mayella Ewell. The narrator’s father is the lawyer for Tom, and during this time our narrator witnesses…

Words 1490 - Pages 6

How Does Atticus Change In To Kill A Mockingbird

In the story To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the main character in narrator, Scout was taught and learned valuable lessons from her father. This book takes place during the 1930s in a town called Maycomb. Scout’s father Atticus is a huge, positive influence on her and her brother Jem's lives because of his happy and inspiring nature. They learned about topics such as empathy, personal integrity, courage, parenting and about racism relating it to mockingbirds. In the town of Maycomb, racism…

Words 1332 - Pages 6