What is True Courage? According to Atticus Finch, true courage is "when you know you're licked before you start, but you start anyway and see through it no matter what" (Lee, 112). Each individual has their own definition of true courage. This can manifest in many different forms; this can be done through great acts of courageous heroism or through smaller actions, such as standing up for something or someone. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, courage is a very important theme. Scout, Jem, and Atticus Finch, among other characters, use many forms of courage to overcome difficult situations. Anyone who stands up for their beliefs despite the consequences is a truly courageous person. When faced with difficult situations, Scout acts courageously by defending Atticus Finch and Walter Cunningham and accompanying Boo Radley home. The first time Scout shows courage is when she defends Atticus. One afternoon, his cousin, Francis, calls Atticus a “nigger lover” (110) and says he is “ruining the family” (114). Although Scout is not mature enough to understand what Francis calls Atticus, she knows enough to understand that Francis is insulting her. Scout doesn't like it when others insult Atticus, so she fearlessly defends him. It's a courageous act because she defends him, despite the personal consequences his actions may bring her. A second time Scout acts courageously is when she defends Walter Cunningham. At lunch on the first day of first grade, Miss Caroline Fisher asks her students to go home for lunch or take out their lunches. She sees that Walter does neither, so she asks him about it. Upon discovering that he doesn't have lunch with him, nor can he... middle of paper ...... he tells Jem that she thinks there is a snake under his bed , so Jem bravely goes to check under his bed. Jem quickly realizes that “it’s not a snake” (186), it’s Dill. After bringing Dill some food and talking with him a bit, Scout and Dill both decide it's best not to tell Atticus he's here because they're afraid Atticus will fire Dill. But Jem told Atticus anyway, even though he knew it would “[break] the remaining code of […] childhood” (187). This was a courageous act because Jem did what he knew was the right thing to do, despite the negative repercussions his actions could have on him. In difficult situations, such as when Jem returned to the Radley house, when he accepted the challenge, and when he told Atticus about Dill, Jem acted with courage, demonstrating that courage is a predominant theme in the novel . Works Cited Lee, Harper. To kill a mockingbird