Courage In To Kill A Mocking Bird essays

Courage In To Kill A Mocking Bird essays What does a recovering drug addict, a boy who accepts a dare, and a man who does not fight back have in common? Courage. The dictionary defines courage as the quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., with firmness and without fear or to have the courage of one's convictions, to act in accordance with one beliefs, esp. in spite of criticism. The word courage goes beyond its simple definition and has three basic forms: physical, emotional, and moral courage. The most recognizable form of courage is physical courage. This type of courage is displayed when a soldier enters a physical battle with his life on the line. Acts of physical courage are often honored with admiration or some type of recognition. An act of true physical courage is not done with the purpose of receiving recognition or benefiting oneself. In this usage of the word, it is especially important to remember that courage is not simply fearlessness. Instead, it is overcoming fear to do something honorable. The soldier in war is an excellent example. He is overcoming his fear to defend his country without expecting any other rewards. On the other hand, Jem demonstrates a poor example of courage in the beginning of To Kill a Mockingbird. Dill dared him to touch the Radley house, and he accepted, but only to retain his own pride and not look like a coward. His actions served no other purpose besides benefiting himself and were quite childish. A second type of courage is emotional courage, which is often demonstrated in the handicapped, terminally ill, and people with addictions or disorders. It requires a kind strength that goes far deeper than that of physical courage. This kind of strength is needed to overcome feelings of hopelessness that go along with fighting something that is hard to change. Emotional courage is seldom rewarded publicly. Instead, the rewards are personal. Mrs....