To Kill A Mockingbird Essay On Courage

Words: 1040
Pages: 5

Plato once explained that courage is not only to resist fear and pain, but to keep in control of your desires and pleasures. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel that takes place in Maycomb county during the 1930s. Racial segregation is in full effect during this time period. The novel is narrated by Scout Finch who encounters many acts of courage with company of her family and neighbors. Atticus Finch, Scout’s father, makes his definition of true courage clear to his own children and the rest of the town when he is defending an African American man in court. Courage and cowardice are the two main subject matters in this novel. Both of these subject matters involve fear. However, courage involves confidence in yourself and defending …show more content…
Bob Ewell is a very clear example of this trait. Two examples of cowardice being portrayed by Bob Ewell, are when he attacks Scout and Jem in the dark, and when he tries to accuse an innocent man of rape. By attacking two children, in the dark, while they have no protection, is an act of cowardice. Attempting to escape your fears is one of the most cowardly ways to act. This action is portrayed multiple times by Dolphus Raymond. He tries to escape the realities and hardships of life by drinking. Even children see that what he is doing is not right, “As Mr. Dolphus was an evil man I accepted his invitation reluctantly.” Mr. Dolphus is a man that no one is able to trust. All he knows how to do is drink to get himself through life. The final character that illustrates the trait of cowardness is Dill. Although he is a very strong kid mentally and physically, he is unable to control one main thing and that is fear. One action that prove this is when he runs away from home. Because of the problems that he was encountering with his parents, Dill is scared to confront them, so he runs away. The way that he runs away without even trying to step outside of his comfort zone and talk to his own parents is a clear flaw that shows his cowardness. Not being able to control your fears is a clear trace of cowardice in ones