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Courage
In To Kill a Mockingbird courage is presented
to us as a desirable human quality. Harper Lee suggests that there
is some misunderstanding as to what constitutes real courage in
the fictional community of Maycomb (and, by implication, non-fictional
communities).
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Activities |
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1
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How would you define real courage? |
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2
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Why is this sort of courage of value
to society? |
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3
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Can you think of examples of real
courage that you have witnessed amongst your family, your
friends, the wider community? Describe them. |
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4
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What kinds of issues do you believe
in strongly enough to risk your own reputation or security
by supporting them? Explain. |
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5
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What basic beliefs underpin real
courage? |
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Many facets of courage are shown in To Kill a
Mockingbird. The physical courage of Atticus facing the Cunningham
gang and the mad dog; the spiritual courage of Mrs Dubose, determined
to break her addiction to morphine before she dies; the cheerfulness
with which Miss Maudie Atkinson accepts the loss of her house through
fire; the courage which is required to carry through one's job in
the face of antipathy and opposition as Atticus does in taking on
the defence of Tom Robinson. Courage involves things like fighting
with your head rather than with your fists and living with your own
conscience. "It's when you know you're licked before you begin,"
says Atticus, "but you begin anyway and you see it through no
matter what". |
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Activities |
There are many other examples of courage in To Kill
a Mockingbird. How are the following people courageous?
(a) Scout
(b) Tom Robinson,
(c) Dolphus Raymond
(d) Boo Radley
(e) Heck Tate
(f) Judge Taylor
(g) Link Deas
(h) B.B. Underwood
(i) Jem
In your answer, consider the many facets of courage that
different characters demonstrate such as:
• physical courage
• spiritual courage
• the courage to stand by your convictions, principles
or beliefs, conscience |
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