Fear and Courage

Guiding Question:
How do language and literature facilitate our understanding of ourselves and others?

Fear and Courage is a huge aspect in understanding ourselves as well as our peers and the people of our environment. This is because, we are able to identify whether they are scared or confident, what their fears are and why they feel this way. Or, we are able to identify why they have so much power. This theme was really important because in the times when Black people were mistreated and didn't have the same/ equal rights (as their surroundings), it was very evident to clarify who had fear and who had courage.

Throughout this novel, we could tell that Tom Robinson, the black man, feared the white people. They hated him and they accused him of raping Mayella Ewell. They only accused him of raping Mayella because he was black.
An example of fear and courage is when Tom Robinson tries to escape during the trial. This exemplified both fear as well as courage because he was scared and he probably had fearful thoughts about what the white people would do to him. He knew he wasn't the one who raped the girl but he also knew that the Jury were not going to believe him. Tom Rombinson also exemplified courage because he took the chance and he took a risk in running away. He tried to escape. He knew the people in the court were going to catch him before he could escape, however Tom Robinson still took a risk in trying to escape from the trial, which makes him in a way, a courageous person. "Tom Robinson had come to a dead stop. He glanced at Atticus, then at the jury, and the at Mr.Underwood sitting across the room," (Lee, 193).

Another example of this, is in the beginning of the book when Dill says, "Let's try to make him come out. I'd to see what he looks like," (Lee, 13). This is an example of courage on Dill's behalf, but it's hard and scary for Mr. Radley. No one really knows how he feels or what he is like. People assume that Boo Radley is a scary man because they think he stabbed his father with scissors. No one has any proof of this but they mainly just want to find out who Boo Radley is and what his features are; they want to meet him face to face.

Even though one can be fearful, it doesn't mean they can't be courageous. Even though Boo Radley is showing is neighbours and the people who live in his town, that he is scared of them, he still makes a courageous act towards the end of the novel. Throughout this novel, he was sort of like an undeveloped character but at the same time, an un-sung hero. An example of this in the novel is, "Suddenly he was jerked backwards and flung on the ground, almost carrying me with him," (Lee, 262). I feel like this is an example of courage because in the end we figure out that the individual who saved Jem and Scout was Mr. Boo Radley. He is sort of like a courageous un-sung hero as no one would ever expect him to risk his own life against saving two children whom he barely knew or acknowledged.


Mr. Boo Radley's house: