Kill a Mockingbird

Kill a Mockingbird

Hayley Knight Mrs. Adams American Literature and Composition 26 January 2009 Title In this novel there are many events that reveal a characters’ true courage. Atticus proves he is a hero when he says,” I’m simply defending a negro- his name is Tom Robinson” (75). The town is very racist and the white people see black people as good for nothing slaves. They are disgusted that a white man would waste his time to defend a black man that has been accused of raping a white girl named Mayella Ewell. Although Tom is a black man, Atticus knows it is his job and duty to defend Tom no matter what skin color he may be or what other people in the town think. This trait in Atticus’s personality goes to show a hero sees past color, sees past flaws, and does what is right. Like his father, Jem steps up and shows his true courage in chapter twenty- eight. Bob Ewell hates Atticus for trying to defend Tom against his little girl Mayella,so he plans revenge. Scout and Jem are on their way home from a pageant that was held at their school when Bob Ewell creeps up behind them and tries to attack them. Scout explains, “He slowly squeezed the breath out of me… suddenly, he jerked backwards and flung on the ground almost carrying me with him. I thought, Jem’s up” (262). Jem knew in order to save his sister, he was going to have to forget his dad’s rules about being a gentleman, stop the problem, and do what he knows is best. Although Jem is only thirteen, he manages to get Bob Ewell, a grown man, off of Scout so The novel To Kill a Mockingbird shows that many different aspects make up a hero. It also shows that age, gender, and color have no influence on proving what a hero truly is. Harper Lee does an amazing job depicting the different qualities that produce a hero.

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