Early in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, there was a quote that stayed ringing in my ears after I read it. Franklin D. Roosevelt, during his inaugural address, had said: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Even with this confidence, many characters in Maycomb County still had many fears. Among these characters that let fear take over them are the Finch children, Atticus, and Tom Robinson.
Jem and Scout both had plenty of fears – some more obvious than others. With Jem, he was mostly afraid to appear scared, of possibly being the base of many kids’ jokes. One of the most memorable times was when Dill wanted Jem to get Boo Radley to come out, but Jem had said, “It's just that I can't think of a way to make him come out without him gettin' us.” (17) Which, Scout had known he was scared when he had said he has to take care of her. Now, with Scout, her fear was just about everywhere. From the Radley Place to the courtroom, she had plenty of reasons to fear things. Like, the night Bob Ewell attacked her and Jem, “I could not move. Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying me with him.” (351) Honestly, I would be so deathly afraid if that happened to me, or my brother, for that matter. Bob Ewell had always been a man I had feared in the book, and I could tell Scout felt the same way.
Atticus, a man of true integrity, has also shown fear in several ways. While talking to Heck Tate, after Bob Ewell attacked Scout and Jem, Atticus said, “I don’t want to lose him and Scout, because they’re all I’ve got.” (366) The quote shows Atticus’ love for his kids, and tells how hurt Atticus would be if he lost his children. This fear is Atticus in a nutshell. Any other fears he may have would be about being too old to do something, and possibly hurting himself while doing it.
As for Tom Robinson, he had plenty to fear. One of the major ones was being wrongly convicted of the rape and beating of Mayella Ewell, the eldest daughter of...