To kill a Mockingbird

In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, author Harper Lee illustrates courage through

many different examples and situations. Atticus exemplifies courage more than once

throughout the book, by shooting a rabid dog, and by defending Tom Robinson, even though

he knows that he has no chance of winning the case. Jem displays courage by standing up to

Atticus and refusing to go home when he believed his father to be in physical danger. Mrs.

Dubose demonstrates courage by attempting to overcome her addiction to painkillers before

her death, rather than just take the pills to make her death as painless and easy as possible.

Each of these characters displays courage, but each in a different way, thus showing that

courage can assume many forms.


Atticus Finch is perhaps courage personified. He first shows courage by shooting a

rabid dog which is wandering throughout Maycomb. He’s given the responsibility of facing

the dog, and he doesn’t fal...