To Kill A Mockingbird Heroism

Nelson Mandela once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear” (Mandela). Nelson Mandela, one of the most admired world leaders of all time, went through the same journey to discover true courage that Jem and Scout do throughout the novel. They do this by first having a complete misconception of courage and gradually progressing to being courageous themselves, without really realizing it. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee demonstrates that true courage is often not appreciated right away through Jem and Scout’s journey to understanding what it really means to be courageous and heroic.
At the beginning of the novel, Scout
Dubose. After the experience, when asked why he made Jem and Scout spend time with her, Atticus explains, “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand” (Lee 149). This demonstration denounces Scout’s perception of Atticus’s bravery in shooting the dog, and shows both children how they should be seeing courage. Because of how much Scout looks up to Atticus, Scout and Jem begin to understand real courage. This continues when Tom Robinson’s trial approaches. After Tom is killed and Atticus informs Aunt Alexandra, Scout, and Calpurnia of his death while Alexandra has other ladies over, both Scout and Aunt Alexandra must return to the gathering without any indication of what has happened. Scout explains that “After all, if Aunty could be a lady at a time like this, so could I” (Lee 318). After growing up as a tomboy and being discouraged by Jem for turning into a girl, Scout has struggled against Aunt Alexandra’s wishes for her to become a proper lady. Now faced with personal turmoil intertwined with societal troubles, Scout sees Aunt Alexandra manage herself despite the situation and must do the same. This small step of courage is not necessarily recognized by others, but is most definitely important to Scout’s later discovery because of her recognition of a
At first, Jem and Scout have a completely incorrect idea of what it means to be courageous. As the novel progresses, they begin to understand that courage is overcoming fear to help others without pride. By the end of the novel, through gentle lessons from Atticus and their own experiences with peril, Jem and Scout exhibit true courage of their own. Jem and Scout’s progression and development shows that knowing what it means to be a hero takes a long journey of experience, but the result is a newfound courage