His friendly nature is what causes him to break the "conventional rules" of society - he decides to help out Mayella Ewell. ("broken a rigid and time-honoured code of our society, a code so severe that whoever breaks it is hounded from our midst as unfit to live with .something that in our society is unspeakable" [p.210]) A "Nigger" would never go near a "white" person, but Tom being a perfect gentleman, risks everything to assist a lady in need. Tom has the courage to associate with a "white" person, but when he is not victorious in the law suit, his spirit is crushed. Unable to withstand the pressure, Tom loses all his courage, and everything else. He attempts to escape from gaol, and tragically, he is killed. His simple, thoughtful gesture eventually leads to his downfall. It is Tom's superior bravery that gets him into trouble, but it is his lack of courage which leads to his death. .
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Another character which secretly holds courage within is Arthur Radley. After being sentenced to prison, and locked up in the house for thirty years by his father, Arthur is shrouded in mystery. He is nicknamed "Boo Radley" by children and is the last person in the world expected to be courageous. Boo Radley is a free spirit, he is not mad as his parents think, nor is he bizarre as the townsfolk believe. People are frightened of the unknown, and immediately stay away. ("Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, he ate raw squirrels and cats, his eyes popped and he drooled most of the time .splashing against the screen were Boo Radley's insane fingers" [p.19]) However, he is actually a gentle, kind (puts blanket on Scout) and compassionate (sews up Jem's pants) man, merely misunderstood. He has enough courage to defy his brother Nathan and attempt to communicate with the outside world, a world which doesn't understand him, a world that considers him crazy. Although he is fragile ("He almost whispered it, in the voice of a child afraid of the dark.
