In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee published in 1960 there are many different themes throughout the entire story. A theme that really stood out to me was bravery and courage. There are so many different ways that bravery and courage were demonstrated, and shown by different characters.
To begin with, bravery is shown by Atticus towards Tom Robinson.” It’s when you know your licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what, you rarely win but sometimes you do”. (116)What that is saying is that Atticus knew Tom Robinson was going to be convicted guilty because he was black but Atticus was brave enough to speak out in his defense because it was the right thing to do. Additionally, Atticus is brave in the face of danger, when he kills the rabid dog with a single shot. “In a fog, Jem and I watched our father take the gun and walk out into the middle of the street.” “The rifle cracked. Tim Johnson leaped, flopped over and crumpled on the sidewalk; He didn't know what hit him” (127). Atticus showed courage and bravery for being the one who took the rifle and shot down the mad dog.
In addition, Atticus waited outside Tom Robinson’s jail cell. He knew that there would probably be a mob, and he even later told Jem that they might have hurt him a bit, but he knew that he couldn’t leave Tom alone. His sense of justice was stronger than his fear for himself, so he sat with Tom, prepared to defend him from whoever would punish him for a crime he didn’t commit. His action show bravery because he knows there is a mob coming to try and kill Tom Robinson before he is tried but he still stays to do his best to protect him.
In conclusion the novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a story with many different themes. All these different themes recurred many times throughout the entire story through all of the characters. The theme of bravery and courage stood out the most to me and I thought bravery and courage were some of the most important themes in the novel.
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