Our friend Gigie is a thirty five year old mother with a precocious five-year-old daughter, but that's not what makes her special. Five years ago Gigie was diagnosed with a life threatening brain tumor, and at that time the doctors only gave her two years to live. During these past few years Gigie has had to desperately fight for her life. Just as Scout in Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird learns what "true" courage is from observing the people around her, I have done the same watching Gigie. During the three years that the novel takes place, Scout goes from thinking that courage is shooting a gun to knowing that courage is doing the right thing, even if it is not the popular choice.
Scout starts out as a young girl not understanding what 'true' courage is. Jem, Dill and Scout create their neighbor, Boo Radley into a scary, mysterious character.
Screenshot of To Kill a Mockingbird(an American mo...
President George W. Bush awards the Presidential M...
Film producer Alan J. Pakula with Lee; Lee spent t...She thinks Jem is brave when he has enough guts to run into the forbidden Radley yard and slap the house. "'Anybody who went up to the house once oughta not have to still run every time he passes it,' I said to the clouds above"(23). Scout has a long way to go until she understands what real courage is.
In the beginning of the book Scout always seems to be fighting someone. Her immaturity shows that she equates fighting with bravery. When Scout is talking to Atticus one night he says that it takes more courage for a person not to fight back than it takes for a person to lose their patience and retaliate. Scout is showing progress in her understanding of 'true' courage when she gets in an argument with Cecil Jacobs. "'your daddy was a disgrace...' I drew a bead on him, remembered...