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Courage Quote by Harper Lee

“A lady?' Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. 'After all those things she said about you, a lady?' 'She was. She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe... son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see…” quote by Harper Lee
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““A lady?' Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. 'After all those things she said about you, a lady?' 'She was. She had her own views about things, a lot different from mine, maybe... son, I told you that if you hadn't lost your head I'd have made you go read to her. I wanted you to see something about her- 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. Mrs. Dubose won, all ninety-eight pounds of her. According to her views, she died beholden to nothing and nobody. She was the bravest person I ever knew.””

Harper Lee

About This Quote

Source Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, 1960

Courage is acting despite certain defeat, persisting through fear and adversity, not relying on force.

In simple terms: Courage means acting even when you expect to lose.

Key Takeaway

Act despite fear, persist.

Themes

courage perseverance heroism

Mood

determined reflective

Type

literary inspirational

When to use this quote

  • facing illness
  • standing up to oppression
  • personal sacrifice

Key Concepts

resilience selflessness inner strength

Questions to Reflect On

  • When have you faced a losing battle but kept going?
  • What does true bravery look like to you?
A Different Perspective

Courage can be costly and may not always lead to success.

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