Theme: Courage, Essay Example

Several characters in the novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird have portrayed courageous attributes. The first character to show courage in the novel is Atticus. His children Jem and Scout, also showed courageous traits. Other characters include Mrs. Dubose.

Atticus is a courageous man willing and ready to defend Tom Robinson despite understanding the consequences of his decision both to himself and the rest of his family members. On top of the dangers he presented to himself and the family by defending a negro, Tom Robinson, Atticus at the back of his mind knew that he had close to no probability of winning the case lodged against the accused. He was also courageous enough to single-handedly guard Tom Robinson’s prison cell against the lynch mob that could whisk him away in the covers of darkness and lynch him before anybody could save him. Apart from this incident, throughout the novel, Atticus showed courageous traits as he selflessly and openly denounced the racist acts in American societies. For instance, in one of his discussions with Scout, he encouraged her to stop saying, nigger claiming it was a common term among the whites, and he was positive that Scout would heed his call and stop using the term. “Don’t say nigger, Scout”   was his response to his daughter (Lee 75). He also constantly encouraged his children to raise their voices against racism as every dissenting opinion counted in the fight that seemed impossible to win.  Scout and Jem learned from their father, Atticus, that it takes courage to stop behaving like the rest of the whites who practiced racism against the blacks.

In another incident, as captured in the novel, Atticus shot a mad dog, which could cause havoc in the neighborhood despite not having used a gun in a period not less than 30 years as show of courageous act. The situation called for both precision and bravery. Failure to hit the dog at once with the bullet would mean it could escape to the neighborhood and cause bodily harm to the rest of the members. Atticus remembered people referred to him as “one-shot finch” (Lee76) when he was younger due to his sharp shooting ability. Few people could attempt to do what Atticus did, knowing the consequences of imminent failure. He does not tell his children Scout and Jem that he lacks experience in using a gun but goes ahead to shoot anyway. And, as luck could have it, he managed to kill the mad dog with a single shot. That what courage looks like in action, his children Jem and Scout later learned that their father had not used a gun in 30 years but still went ahead to kill the mad dog in a bit to ensure safety for their neighbors.

Mrs. Dubose is another character in the novel that expresses courageous traits. She dedicated herself to fight her addiction to morphine, a painkiller, before she died.  Mrs. Dubose’s death was inevitable, given her health condition, but that did not stop her from fighting her worst fears. She feared living free from morphine, as her system depended on it for proper functioning. However, she was determined to change the prevailing situation and resume a normal life free from drug dependence. Only Jem and Scout understand Mrs. Dubose’s dedication to dying a drug-free person. They unknowingly helped her fight her addiction. And the experience prepared them for the tough fight against racism. Jem and Scout fiercely defended Tom Robison during his trial.

In summary, Atticus, Mrs. Dubose, Jem and Scout are the few characters in this novel who pronounced the theme of courage.  All these characters faced different struggles throughout the novel. However, they courageously achieved their objectives despite all the obstacles they faced. They are the true representation of courage and its outcomes.

Work Cited

Lee, Harper. To kill a mocking bird. Random House, 2010.