At the end of chapter 11, Atticus tried to get Jem to witness Mrs. Dubose and how she portrayed real courage. He doesn't want Jem to think that someone with power has courage but that someone who always fought for there side has courage. Atticus states "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. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do”(Lee 128). This quote is a very important one. Atticus explains that courage is a mental decision. Without mental and emotional strength, it is impossible to show courage at the right moment and time. Atticus wanted Jem to distinguish between true courage and someone appearing that they have courage. That's why he always admired Mrs. Dubose’s courage, she always fought for her point even if she knew she had no chance of winning. Atticus is a very smart man and Jem can take away a very impactful lesson.
Yes, I agree, Atticus has a very different view on the definition of courage than Jem. Atticus is trying to show Jem that courage has nothing to do with masculinity, women and children can be courageous too, Mrs. Dubose, who was fighting addiction is courageous, despite what Jem may think. As Atticus said, courage is when you know you’re going to lose, but you still try anyway, just like Mrs. Dubose, except she “won, all ninety-eight pounds of her, according to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody.” That is real courage, not a man with a gun, not a sports player, but someone who is fighting for themselves, to try and turn their lives around.
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ReplyDeleteYes, I agree, Atticus has a very different view on the definition of courage than Jem. Atticus is trying to show Jem that courage has nothing to do with masculinity, women and children can be courageous too, Mrs. Dubose, who was fighting addiction is courageous, despite what Jem may think. As Atticus said, courage is when you know you’re going to lose, but you still try anyway, just like Mrs. Dubose, except she “won, all ninety-eight pounds of her, according to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody.” That is real courage, not a man with a gun, not a sports player, but someone who is fighting for themselves, to try and turn their lives around.