--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lady?' Jem raised his head. His face…" description: "\"“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,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png" --- # A lady?' Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. 'After… ![“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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png) > ““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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ## Related quotes > [“…I wanted you to see something about her-- I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wanted-you-to-see-something-about-her-i-wanted-you-to-see-what-real-3/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“She was the bravest person I ever knew.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/she-was-the-bravest-person-i-ever-knew/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Young men," Melisande murmured after they had left, smiling faintly. "Such a sense of honor. Is he a little bit in love with you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-carey/young-men-melisande-murmured-after-they-had-left-smiling-faintly-such/) [Jacqueline Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-carey/) > [“Grown-up, indeed,” said the Lady Polly. “I wish she would grow up. She wasted all her school time wanting to be the age she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/grown-up-indeed-said-the-lady-polly-i-wish-she-would-grow-up-she/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Who is this lady?" he asked me. "Britomartis," I said. "The Lady of Nets." Leo looked dubious. "Does that include basketball and the Internet?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/who-is-this-lady-he-asked-me-britomartis-i-said-the-lady-of-nets-leo/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“I let you sleep, Sam," said Lady Sybil. "You didn't get in this morning until after three." "Everyone's double-shifting, dear," said Sam, daring Carrot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-let-you-sleep-sam-said-lady-sybil-you-didn-t-get-in-this-morning/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“I never said she was a lady.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-k-weakley/i-never-said-she-was-a-lady/) K. K Weakley > [“I’m sure the gentlemen have had quite enough of decorations and flower arrangements and whose feelings will be hurt by what.” “Gladly, Stepmama,” said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/i-m-sure-the-gentlemen-have-had-quite-enough-of-decorations-and/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [“I cannot love a lie," said the Lady. "I cannot love the thing which is not. I am in Love, and out of it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/i-cannot-love-a-lie-said-the-lady-i-cannot-love-the-thing-which-is/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [I ran five miles today. Then, finally, I said, 'Here, lady...take your purse.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emo-philips/i-ran-five-miles-today-then-finally-i-said-here-lady-take-your-purse/) [Emo Philips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emo-philips/) > [“Then the woman in the bed sat up and looked about her with wild eyes; and the oldest of the old men said: 'Lady,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-b-yeats/then-the-woman-in-the-bed-sat-up-and-looked-about-her-with-wild-eyes/) [W.B. Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-b-yeats/) > [“Clevedon was to take Marcelline shopping. ... 'If we're to get this done by the end of the day, you must come with me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-chase/clevedon-was-to-take-marcelline-shopping-if-we-re-to-get-this-done-by/) [Loretta Chase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-chase/) > [“BAM said the Lady, move on”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-fillion/bam-said-the-lady-move-on/) [Nathan Fillion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-fillion/) > [“Beverly?” she said. “Lady Evelyn.” “Are you a confirmed misogynist or am I special?” His smile was sublime. “My appreciation of the fairer sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-brockway/beverly-she-said-lady-evelyn-are-you-a-confirmed-misogynist-or-am-i/) [Connie Brockway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-brockway/) > [I am half-sick of shadows,' said The Lady of Shalott.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/i-am-half-sick-of-shadows-said-the-lady-of-shalott/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) ## More by Harper Lee > [“No jury in this part of the world's going to say, "We think you're guilty, but not very," on a charge like that. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/no-jury-in-this-part-of-the-world-s-going-to-say-we-think-you-re/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [That proves something- that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they're still human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/that-proves-something-that-a-gang-of-wild-animals-can-be-stopped/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wanted-you-to-see-something-about-her-i-wanted-you-to-see-what-real/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself...It's a self-exploratory operation that is endless. An exorcism of not necessarily his demon, but of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/any-writer-worth-his-salt-writes-to-please-himself-it-s-a-self/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“folks don’t like to have somebody around knowin’ more than they do. It aggravates ’em. You’re not gonna change any of them by talkin’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/folks-don-t-like-to-have-somebody-around-knowin-more-than-they-do-it/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [ “...\[Summer\] was a thousand colors in a parched landscape...” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/summer-was-a-thousand-colors-in-a-parched-landscape/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/it-s-never-an-insult-to-be-called-what-somebody-thinks-is-a-bad-name/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I wonder how much of the day I spend just callin' after you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-wonder-how-much-of-the-day-i-spend-just-callin-after-you/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [Writing is something you'll never learn in any university or at any school. It's something that is within you, and if it isn't there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/writing-is-something-you-ll-never-learn-in-any-university-or-at-any/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The state has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/to-begin-with-this-case-should-never-have-come-to-trial-the-state-has/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Naw, Jem. I think that there is just one kind of folks. Folks." Jen turned and punched his pillow. WHen he settle back his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/naw-jem-i-think-that-there-is-just-one-kind-of-folks-folks-jen-turned/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The course of English Literature would have been decidedly different had Mr. Wordsworth owned a power mower.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-course-of-english-literature-would-have-been-decidedly-different/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I would like to be the chronicler of something that I think is going down the drain very swiftly, and that is small-town, middle-class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-would-like-to-be-the-chronicler-of-something-that-i-think-is-going/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“The gum looked fresh. I sniffed it and it smelled all right. I licked it and waited for a while. When I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-gum-looked-fresh-i-sniffed-it-and-it-smelled-all-right-i-licked/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [I just thought you'd like to know I can read. You got anything needs readin' I can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/i-just-thought-you-d-like-to-know-i-can-read-you-got-anything-needs/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) [Explore all 494 Harper Lee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. It always had been, even as a kid. Things scared him. He couldn't help it. Noise scared him, dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/yes-the-issue-was-courage-it-always-had-been-even-as-a-kid-things/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) James T. Conway > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [“Tranquillity is courage in repose. It is a statical manifestation of valor, as daring deeds are a dynamical. A truly brave man is ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inazo-nitobe/tranquillity-is-courage-in-repose-it-is-a-statical-manifestation-of/) [Inazo Nitobe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inazo-nitobe/) > [When you heed the calling of your heart, you are following your purpose. Having purpose in your life gives you the courage to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-britten/when-you-heed-the-calling-of-your-heart-you-are-following-your/) [Rhonda Britten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-britten/) > [“Of all the train, none escaped except Wamba, who showed upon the occasion much more courage than those who pretended to greater sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/of-all-the-train-none-escaped-except-wamba-who-showed-upon-the/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [The four Cs of making dreams come true: Curiosity, Courage, Consistency, Confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/the-four-cs-of-making-dreams-come-true-curiosity-courage-consistency/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Certainly these are not easy times. But history does not contain very many easy times. Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) Kristen Armstrong > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“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.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Harper Lee" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was-scarlet-after-all-those/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Courage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was-scarlet-after-all-those/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5db/harper-lee-451_courage_a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was_2307641.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A lady?' Jem raised his head. His face was scarlet. 'After all those things she said about you, a lady?'…” — Harper Lee", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Harper Lee", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“A lady?' Jem raised his head....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was-scarlet-after-all-those/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/a-lady-jem-raised-his-head-his-face-was-scarlet-after-all-those/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```