Topic: To Kill A Mockingbird is a book about courage.
To Kill A Mockingbird is not strictly about courage, although it is one of the themes explored in the book. The book deals with many aspects of human emotion, mainly courage, tolerance and prejudice. The book also explores with many aspects of life such as social hierarchy, growing up, morals, and death. .
Scout and Jem learn about courage from their father, Atticus. Atticus is the most courageous character illustrated in the novel. When Atticus is asked to take up the Tom Robinson case, he accepts. When asked by Scout why he is taking the case Atticus responds with "If I didn't [take the case], I couldn't hold my head up in town, I couldn't represent this country in legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again". Later in the novel it is revealed that Atticus had to take the case whether he wanted to or not, and he chose to represent to Robinson anyway. Atticus knows in his mind that the case is lost before it has even started, but he chooses to persist and try to help Tom. His courage is displayed by his need to help.
Mrs Dubose initially appears as an evil tyrant who insults the Finch family at every opportunity. After Jem destroys Mrs Dubose's camellia bushes, he is forced to spend time with her. Both Jem and Scout go to her house once a week to read to her. After the death of Mrs Dubose, it is revealed that she was a morphine addict who wanted to break herself from it before she died. She suffered, but broke herself free from thew morphine. Atticus explains to the children that whet Mrs Dubose did was real courage, and said, "She was the bravest person I ever knew".
Mr Dolphus Raymond is one of the cowardly characters. He is white but prefers the black society. He pretends to be a habitual drunkard, by doing this he gives the townspeople a reason for his behavior because it is easier for everyone to blame his alcohol abuse rather than accept that he finds the black society superior.