Courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
... hears what Dubose thinks of his father Atticus, "Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for!" (Lee, pg. 102) and gets very angry. Jem destroys Mrs. Dubose's camellia bushes as a way to get rid of his anger. As a punishment, Mrs. Dubose asks Jem to come read to her everyday for a month. When Jem brings up this predicament with Atticus, he states, "She wants me to come every afternoon after school and Saturdays and read to her out loud for two hours. Atticus, do I have to?" (Lee, pg. 105). Atticus makes it clear to Jem that he does indeed have to. As Jem begins his sessions reading to Mrs. Dubose, Atticus reveals to him that the reading was part of her successful effort to fight her morphine addiction. This effort shows Mrs. Dubose's courage once again. Next, Jem Finch is another character who demonstrates how courage is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. This is so, because Jem has enough fortitude to face his darkest fears about the Radley's house. Jem is something of a typical American boy, always refusing to back down from dares. In the novel, he shows daringness by playing games and doing other things concerning the Radley's house. Him and his little sister, Scout, along with their buddy Dill make up a game in which they play together. The game consists of daring each other to do things involving the mysterious Radley family. Jem always seems to be the dictator in these childish things. One quote in which supports playing their game for the long period of time in which they do is, "As the summer progressed, so did our game. We polished and perfected it, added dialogue and plot until we had manufactured a small play upon which we rang changes every day," (Lee, pg. 39). Miss. Maudie, a neighbor, plays a big part in updates and such on the Radleys to Jem. She always informs him that Boo is still indeed alive although he is never seen outside of his house. She claims that Boo is simply a victim of a harsh father who is deceased. Later on in the novel, Jem decides that he and Dill are going to write a letter to Boo and stick it into his house. After a lot of thought and boldness, they finally get enough guts to do it. A supporting quote is when Jem declares, "We are going to give a note to Boo Radley," (Lee, pg. 46). This demonstrates Jem's courage of trying to get Boo out of his house and to get to know a little bit more about Boo. Lastly, Atticus Finch shows his courage in, To Kill a Mockingbird. Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb, Alabama who descends from an old local family. A widower with a dry sense of humor, Atticus instills his strong sense of morality and ...