Themes

There are many themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, but the theme that stands out the most to me is courage. The main part of the book is based on White people judging black people by the color of their skin. Atticus fights against the whites, by standing up for Tom Robinson in the court trial. This shows that Atticus has true courage because even when everyone in Maycomb was making fun of him for defending a black person, he still stood by what he thought was right, and defended Tom to the best of his ability. The type of courage in To Kill a Mockingbird is not the kind that most people think. Its not going up against a bear, or fighting someone tell the other is knocked down. Atticus's courage is fighting for what he believes in. He was running the race even though he new he would lose before he started. Atticus also had courage because even though he new he would loose the trial he knew that it was his responsibility to defend Tom Robinson."Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win. 76" This is true courage because the moment Atticus got the case he new he would loose, but he still holds his head high and defends Tom Robinson.

Another person in To Kill a Mockingbird who shows a great example of courage is Scout. Scout has to go through many things in her life that no eight year old should have to go through. For example, Scout having to sit in trial and listen to her father defend a man who possibly raped a girl is very courageous. Not only does she have to listen to what is going on she has to take all the the ridicule and comments that the children, and adults throw at her about her father. Overall Scout has much courage because she can turn the other cheek, and she is able to stand up for what she believes in, in a mature way, and hold her head high just like Atticus.