What is Real Courage According to Atticus

To Kill a Mockingbird: A Reflection of Moral Courage

Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn’t decide if you should stand up for yourself or just blend into the crowd? To Kill A Mockingbird is a classic piece of literature written by author Harper Lee. To Kill A Mockingbird, a historical fiction book explores the sting of racism in the 1930s. In the book, the characters are faced with an opportunity to fight racism, which takes moral courage because the town is mostly racist.

Moral courage is the ability to stand up to moral wrongdoings.

What is Real Courage According to Atticus

In to kill a Mockingbird, the main character’s father, Atticus, is the lawyer for a black man that is being tried wrongly for rape. “we were licked before we started, but there is no reason not to try” p 115. He believes that it is important to stand up against the status quo of racism, even if he may not win. The trial is inherently biased and is most likely going to end with the defendant in prison because most people in the court are racist, but Atticus still tries as hard as he can to stop that. Atticus is mistreated because of his beliefs, but instead of succumbing to their insults, he brushes them off. “Scout, simply by the nature of the work, every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally. This one’s mine, I guess. You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me, if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ’em get your goat”? Atticus believes in non-violence and teaches moral courage to his kids. Atticus truly cares about this case and doesn’t care about the consequences of the morally courageous thing he is doing. Atticus isn’t the only character with moral courage; many other characters in famous books have this trait, including

The Valiant Harry Potter

Harry Potter does what he does for the greater good, no matter the consequences. “I’m going to keep going until I succeed — or die. I don’t think I don’t know how this might end. I’ve known about it for years.’ page 115. Harry Potter does not care about his own well-being; he cares about his own well-being, and he cares that evil is put to an end. He has been fighting evil for seven years even though it’s easier just to quit and live a normal life. “there was a time to turn back if we wanted to. We’ve had time, haven’t we? We’re with you whatever happens. ‘He has the ability to be brave and not cower in the face of true evil. He has come this far. He will not give up and let evil consume him.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer: A True Hero

These two fictional characters are based on traits exerted by real people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a citizen of nazi german that stood against nazism and was executed for his beliefs. “We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice; we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.”. He has kindness and morale strength during a status quo of hate and genocide. He has bravery in saying things like this in Nazi Germany, but he had to spread his beliefs. “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself.” This illustrates the idea that it’s important to stand against evil even if you are alone. He kept spreading love and kindness at the cost of his life, but his love and kindness convinced some people that nazism was bad. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a genius and a brave man.

Conclusion

All 3 of these examples exemplify moral courage. Atticus stood up for what he believed in by fighting racism. Harry Potter acted selflessly in defense of good. And Dietrich Bonhoeffer bravely spoke out against Nazi Germany, influencing many people. So if you’re ever in a situation where you can’t decide whether or not to speak up and fight for what’s right, DO IT.

References:

1. Lee, H. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. J.B. Lippincott & Co.

2. Bonhoeffer, D. (1995). Ethics. Touchstone.

3. Rowling, J. K. (2007). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Arthur A. Levine Books.

Did you like this example?

271

11