Explain Atticus's definition of courage at the end of Chapter 11. -Liam

Atticus teaches Scout and Jem many lessons
throughout the book. One of Atticus’s strengths
as a father, is he always knows the right things to
say. He can take someone as angry and ill as Mrs.
Dubose, and be so kind to her that she has nothing
bad to say. Atticus says, “I wanted you to see what
real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage
is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know
you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway
and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win,
but sometimes you do”(128). Atticus wants to share with
Jem that no matter what the chances are that you win or
what others say, you always pursue what is
right, and see it through.

The lesson that Jem and Scouts experience
with Mrs. Dubose is not only a growing
experience for Jem, but Scout as well. After
Mrs. Dubose backstory is told, Scout stars to
understand that you have to see were a person
is coming from to judge them. Scout also grows
when she asks Atticus, “‘You aren’t really a n*****-lover, then
are you?’ ‘I certainly am. I do my best to love everybody… I’m
hard put, sometimes-baby, It’s never an insult to be called
what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you
how poor that person is, it doesn’t hurt you’”(124).
Harper Lee includes this to show how Scout is
learning that what she thought was a bad word
to be called, was really a word that was meant
to put people down who loved everybody
equally.  Through Atticus’s explanation Jem
and Scout grasp a better understanding of
how to be courageous, and do what is
right no matter the consequences. 

 Why do you think Mrs. Dubose's back story is important?
How does Atticus's case have to do with courage?
What does Jem learn from Atticus?

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