Harper Lee leads the reader on a journey of courage through Atticus Finch, who demonstrates courage on many levels throughout the novel. He is a single father raising two young children while fighting racism and injustice in a small town in the South in the 1930s. Atticus demonstrates courage daily and teaches his daughter Scout how to quietly but steadfastly make changes in the world around her.
He obviously demonstrates courage, when he actually puts forth effort and works at defending Tom Robinson. The town did not expect him to present a thoughtful, well-prepared defense, nor did they want him to, rather they expected him to simply go through the motions of defending Tom Robinson to ensure the trial was "legal."
Atticus demonstrates another type of courage, when he shoots the rabid dog in the street with one shot. Scout was surprised by Atticus' ability with a gun, because he never talked about it. She learns that we do not always know as much about people, as we think we do, and the most courageous are often the quietest among us.
Throughout the novel, Harper Lee explores the theme of courage through Atticus's lessons and actions. In Chapter 11, Atticus makes Jem read to the racist Mrs. Dubose, who has a chronic illness, in order to help her conquer her morphine addiction. Following Mrs. Dubose's death, Atticus tells Jem that she was the bravest person he ever met. Atticus then explains her situation and shares his definition of "real courage." Atticus says,
"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. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do" (Lee, 116).
Atticus proceeds to demonstrate "real courage" by defending Tom Robinson in front of an all white jury. Atticus realizes that he has no chance of winning the case but valiantly defends Tom because it is the right thing to do. Atticus not only risks his reputation but also his well-being by defending a black man in a prejudiced town. Scout and Jem learn from their father that courage is how a person behaves in the face of adversity.
No comments:
Post a Comment