To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is my favorite book. The very first time I read it was in tenth grade in my English Honors class. The reason why To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite book is because it conveys a strong central theme of standing up for individuals in order to pave the way for others in the future. Standing up for oneself and others requires bravery, which is displayed in the novel. The four main characters who display bravery in the novel are Atticus Finch, Arthur “Boo” Radley, Scout Finch and Helen Robinson.
In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, countless characters stand up to others and pave the way for change with bravery, including Atticus Finch. Also, other characters show bravery in less obvious ways including Arthur “Boo” Radley, Scout Finch, and Helen Robinson. They all impact the story greatly although they show bravery in subtle ways. First, Arthur “Boo” Radley shows immense bravery at the end of the story when he goes and saves Jem and Scout from Bob Ewell. While on their way home from a festival, Bob Ewell attacks them and tries to kill them in the process. Boo arrives to save them not knowing he would end up having to “pull something heavy”, this heavy thing was Jem. This takes a great deal of bravery because Boo did not know what he was getting himself into. Boo did not know the challenges ahead of him or the level of difficulty of the challenges. He also did not know if he would be hurt in any way. Boo takes that chance because he thinks it is the right thing to do. Second, Scout Finch. Scout shows bravery in the novel as well. She defends her father, Atticus, in every way she possibly can. She also obeys him and does what he asks of her. For example, when she and Jem, along with Dill, follow Atticus to town and see him “sitting propped against the front door” of the town jail. They then see several cars pull into town, one after the other. Multiple men arrive, this did not faze Scout. When Jem and Dill follow, the men become frustrated and leave. Scout shows immense bravery because she did not know the men’s intentions but she goes and protects Atticus anyway. Finally, Helen Robinson. Helen Robinson was Tom Robinson’s wife. She showed a great deal of bravery because although her husband faces jail time for something he clearly did not do, she holds her head high and does not let anyone faze her. Whenever Atticus visits her at her home, she acts polite, never rude. She also perseveres through difficult times. For example, anytime she hears people discuss Tom, she walks by and ignores their comments. Although the level of difficulty it takes for Helen to stand up for herself, as well as for her children, she finds bravery within herself and manages to persevere. Boo Radley, Scout Finch, and Helen Robinson are all brave even though they are brave in subtle ways.
Taking a stand against what you believe in requires bravery. While taking a stand and paving the way for change you also need other qualities such as strength and perseverance. When you take a stand against something or someone, you begin to discover who you truly are. It is essential to take a stand because you learn more about yourself and develop new qualities that you may have previously thought you could never acquire. If you think you might want to read this novel, go for it! You might also like Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee (the book that precedes To Kill a Mockingbird), The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini.