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Moral Courage in To Kill A MockingBird

            Atticus and Mrs Dubose both show moral courage, but in very different circumstances.
             Atticus defines moral courage to Jem and Scout:.
             "It's when you know you"re licked when you begin.
             but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.".
             Atticus has said something similar previously when he referred to Tom Robinson's court case.
             "Simply because we were licked a hundred years.
             before we started is no reason for us not to try and win.".
             Atticus knows that moral courage is very difficult for the children to understand, but it is extremely important to him that the children use moral courage because it is right in his eyes. He feels that it is what is right in the mind of the individual that counts and is the most important. He believes that to lack moral courage is the worst thing of all, even worse than racism. He wants the children to do what is right for them despite what other people think and despite the hardships that they might endure.
             "I wanted you to see what real courage.
             is instead of getting the idea that courage .
             is a men with a gun in his hand".
             Atticus knows that shooting the dog is regarded as heroic, but it is moral courage that is most important in his eyes. The word "real" in this quote suggests that Atticus doesn't deny physical courage but he thinks that moral courage is much, much more important. He wants Jem and Scout to admire his moral values and not his physical strength.
             We see Atticus" moral courage become apparent in his attitude toward the court case of Tom Robinson. Atticus knows that because Tom is black and his accuser is white, he doesn't have a very good chance of winning the case. However he takes the case because in his mind it is the right thing to do. The people around him and even his own family cannot understand why he wants to fight a supposed lost battle, but he has moral reasons for taking the case. .
             Atticus knows that Scout will not understand his reasons for defending Tom.


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