Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 830 Words

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is the story of two children coming of age and learning about their hometown and the whole world. The two children in the story are Jem and Scout Finch. Jem and Scout live with their father, Atticus, in Maycomb County. Throughout the story, many problems arise which teach both children about bravery. The three bravest characters in the novel include their neighbor Mrs. Dubose, a convicted black man named Tom Robinson, and their father Atticus. Mrs. Dubose is an old, irritable, and morphine addicted neighbor of the Finch’s that lives down the street. The children get to know her by reading to her everyday after school. Mrs. Dubose is the perfect example of a brave†¦show more content†¦He decides to make his own decision, and courageously climbs over the fence at the prison. He shows emotional bravery by making his own choice, even if the consequences are brutal. â€Å" ‘They shot him,’ said Atticus. ‘He was running. It was during their exercise period. They said he just broke into a blind raving charge at the fence and started climbing over’ † (Lee, 315). It took Tom a great deal of bravery to climb the fence knowing he would be shot. Tom makes this decision because of the slim chance he could get away and run. Tom knew it was inevitable he was going to be sentenced guilty and sent to death. He had two options: continue waiting for weeks for his inescapable death sentence or, bravely make his own decision by jumping the fence. Tom’s actions teach the Finch children and the readers to always take a risk no matter how terrifying it may be. It may not have worked out for Tom, but at least he made his own choice instead of allowing others to decide his fate for him. Lastly, Atticus Finch shows both physical and emotional bravery multiple times throughout the story. He first exhibits his physical bravery by shooting down a rabid dog. â€Å"With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus’s hand yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder. The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk in a brown-and-white heap. He didn’t know what hit him† (127). The towns own sheriff