Who is the Most Courageous Person in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Courage, as defined by the Merriam Webster's dictionary, is mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Courage, as defined by Atticus Finch, "is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what" (Lee 112). Courage, also, is dropping your beliefs and caring for a fellow man. Mr. Arthur Radley of To Kill a Mockingbird exhibits true courage in all that he does.

Mr. Radley, or commonly called Boo Radley, exhibits courage by knowing when and what not to get involved in. Boo has not been seen outside his house for longer than the narrator has been alive. "Mr. Radleys boy was not seen again for fifteen years" (Lee 10). It is perplexing as to why someone would do some thing like this. Maybe he has a physical or mental issue that makes him unfit to be in the real world. Maybe when he looks at the world he dose not like what he sees. This could also be a lesson of the innocence of childhood to the corruption of adulthood; Boo may have had a sudden realization that the world is bad and decided to leave it, the real world that is. Boo was wise in doing so; he managed to eradicate all evils not brought on by himself from his world and only lost the company of others. He does not have to deal with all the Black verse White nonsense or any worldly issue for that matter. His world is perfect.

From events that have occurred, it can be inferred that Boo is a caring man. Although it is never directly stated in the book, it can be inferred that he helps and interacts with Jem and Scout through the novel. "You were too busy looking at the fire you didn't know it when he [Boo] put the blanket around you" (Lee 72). Again the book does not offer definitive proof that Boo did this but it can be inferred that he did. By having done this it shows that he cares for the kids, in this case Scout, by offering her warmth during the cold winter's night. "As we came to the live oak at the Radley place I raised my finger and pointed for the hundredth time to the knot-hole where I found the chewing gum" (Lee 34). Once more the text never directly states that this is Boo's doing, but we can assume that it was Boo. He, by means of the knot-hole, later offers the children toys and candy. By giving the children these small gifts he coveys a message of compassion to them. These are clear sign that Boo cares for Jem and Scout.

Boo shows courage by putting his life on the line for someone else. "He [Boo] gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good luck pennies, and our lives (Lee 278). When he sees Bob Ewell attacking Jem and Scout he leaps into action and defends them, in the end saving their lives. This is the ultimate way anyone can show courage, offering their own life to let someone who they do not even know live. If Boo had faltered the slightest bit, it may have been Mr. Ewell who killed him not to mention Jem and Scout. Yes, he may not have though of the repercussions of his actions, but none the less he offered himself for them. He could have sat at his window and watched this, but he did not and in doing so he saved the kids. Boo truly demonstrates courage.

To Kill a Mockingbird is filled with many themes, but one of the most prominent ones is courage. Boo is truly the face of courage. His entire life expresses courage, in the form of knowing what not to get involved with, in the form of compassion to his fellow man, and most importantly in the form of offering ones own life for another.