Chapter 10 comprises one event which demonstrates courage. February approaches and a mad dog is found wandering down the main street of the neighbourhood. Atticus and the sheriff soon return home after Calpurnia warns the neighbourhood. It is decided that the dog must be shot, thus the sheriff asks Atticus to shoot the dog with his riffle, as he describes Atticus as “one shot Finch.” Atticus succeeds this task to the children’s surprise. By doing so, Atticus showed the children that he was a courageous man due to facing a rabid dog.
Miss Maudie then explains to the children that Atticus only shot the dog because he had to, “I guess he decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he had to today.”
Through this event the children learnt that courage did not have to be shown through using a weapon but can be represented on a moral level instead.
Chapter 11 also includes events which contain courage. One of these events was Jem having the courage to apologise to Mrs Dubose after ruining her camellias with Scouts baton. As a punishment Mrs Dubose orders Jem to read to her for two hours after school and on Saturdays for a month. Jem soon proves to himself that he does have the courage to face Mrs Dubose alone with Scout, albeit to the rumours he had heard.
From carrying out his punishment, Jem realises that Mrs Dubose has been keeping him longer than agreed. Atticus explains to Jem that she is a morphine addict who is weaning herself off the drug so that she can die in pain, and from Jem reading to her keeps her mind off the drug.
From this event Jem and Scout learn that courage is not a man with a gun, but something you do when you know you can’t win.
