Real Courage In To Kill A Mockingbird

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Courage is something humanity strives to obtain, but quite frankly, what is an acceptable definition of that morsel of terminology? It seems that throughout the decades, the human race cannot exactly pinpoint an accurate description of that word. Regardless, courage is still a prevalent subject, and no matter if we can describe it or not, it is still a trait that some possess. No matter the quantity, every single organism is capable of utilizing courage. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee in the 1960's, the subject of courage is frequently brought up. One of the characters, a man named Atticus Finch, divulges this quotation on the meaning of true courage: "I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the…show more content…
However, there is one character who stands out with their multiple brave exploits, and that character is Mr. Atticus Finch. During the events within TKAM, Mr. Finch is a continuous staple of determination as the trial of Mr. Tom Robinson becomes more prevalent in the plotline. Throughout the second part of the novel, Mr. Finch displays an uncanny conviction to defend Mr. Robinson, and even though in the end the attempts will most likely be fruitless, this does not at all hinder his spirit. Despite the fact that the town of Maycomb practically curses his efforts, Mr. Finch strives to remain unaffected and even urges his children, Scout Finch and Jem Finch, to brush off any insults that may be directed towards them. This is a prime example of courage, and in correlation with the definition, Mr. Finch is a definite match. He knows very well that he has basically no shot in actually prevailing, and yet continues forward almost feeling obligated to defend Mr. Robinson. As he discussed with his daughter, "If I didn't [defend Mr. Robinson] I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn't even represent this country in legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again," (75). It is an obvious statement that Mr. Finch truly cares for this man, if not feels raw compassion, and is certainly demonstrating courage by choosing to fight for Mr. Robinson, even though the…show more content…
One of these people is known to most as Gandhi, although his full title is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Gandhi is renown globally for his efforts in civil rights and bringing independence to India in the middle of the 1900's. He is without a doubt an example of courage, and fits perfectly to Atticus Finch's definition. Gandhi was never one to fight for power, and instead fought for the rights of the inhabitants of India, something which he must have known would land him in trouble. It certainly did end up causing problems as well, since Gandhi was imprisoned for approximately 7 years total in both India and South Africa for his attempts to invoke multiple civil rights movements and generally create a peaceful environment for all. Despite all of that, Gandhi still continued to battle for what he believed in, no matter the consequence. To put it into perspective, Gandhi realized the adverse effects of his actions, and yet trudged forwards regardless. Instead of cowering in fear of the public eye, he strode forth and proclaimed the ways of nonviolence and accepted the results as they were presented. Even though Gandhi passed away many years ago, India still values his beliefs and reveres him as a true staple of human rights. Thus, it is clear that "Mahatma" Gandhi was a truly courageous
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