To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, paints a stark image of actualities in the South during the depression. A small town in Alabama comes to life via the fanciful, inquisitive, and fair-minded perspective of a young girl named Scout Finch. As her vivid character matures, many changes unfold within the Finches community and family. Maycomb’s cowardice, courage, dignity, biased customs, and iniquitous legal proceedings are all disclosed to the reader through the veil of youthful curiosity and innocence. Courage, as related to the classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, means fighting for what is honorable, even if you know you have a very slender chance of success. Facing life without the diffident shield of assumed dominance, persevering in order to prove yourself, and defending justice in the face of infinite adversity are all ways in which the theme of courage is illustrated in To Kill A Mockingbird. Scout’s father, Atiicus Finch, resolved to neglect his exceptional command over marksmanship in an attempt to equalize his supremacy over smaller beings. He shot many defenseless creatures in his youth, but, as he evolved into a compassionate adult, he committed himself to revoking his depraved control by discarding his weapons, and all of the vain authority that went along with them. This is why, when faced with a mad dog, Atticus was very apprehensive to shoot it. His proficiency for aiming a gun had been so destructive in the past, and he certainly had no desire to reawaken old passions, to harm another animal, or to permit his children to witness that hostile part of him. “If your father’s anything, he’s civilized in his heart. Marksmanship’s a gift of God, a talent- Oh, you have to practice to make it perfect, but shootin’s different from playin the piano or the like. I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things. I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, like he had to today” (98). He restrains his passion simply because he believes it to be detrimental, and his morals insist that he does his utmost to attain security and rectitude for all entities, no matter how negligible they may appear. By not allowing himself to take advantage of the aptitude that he was born with, Atticus Finch exemplifies true willpower and gallantry. The next representation of courage that one would encounter in To Kill A Mockingbird comes in the unforeseen form of the neighborhood’s foul old lady, Ms. Dubose. The widow entertained a habit of sitting out on her front porch and harassing passersby, especially Scout and Jem. The young siblings were daunted by the sharp, intimidating words that she spat at them with every encounter. One afternoon, they were traipsing past her house when the jaded woman chose to slander the proud childrens’ father. Jem lost control of his building frustration, and retaliated against the cruel witch by wreaking havoc on her treasured camellias. To take responsibility for his outburst, Jem was required to visit the antiquated shrew every afternoon to read to her. Day after day, Scout accompanied her brother and endured Ms. Dubose’s unchangingly hypercritical disposition, until one typical visit ended with the childrens’ permanent dismissal. Months later, after the troubled thoughts of Ms. Dubose had long ago fled Jem and Scout’s sprightly minds, Atticus shared with his children the news that she had passed away. With this bulletin, he also yields further insight into the late Ms. Dubose’s struggles. He explains to them that she had been battling a morphine addiction up until the very resolution of her life. When they went to read to her, she had made them stay a little bit longer each day, distracting her from her pain and withdrawal. Regardless of her deteriorating health, she was determined to beat her last nemesis; addiction. Atticus tries to express to Jem his deep admiration for the woman’s courage: “She said she was going to leave
