When Atticus shoots the rabid dog, Jem is amazed at his father's sharpshooting talent. The children had never seen their father shoot a gun, and they are confused why Atticus doesn't use a rifle anymore.
Maudie explains,"I think maybe he put his gun down when he realized that God had given him an unfair advantage over most living things." Atticus believes in both fairness and courage. He didn't pick up a gun again until he needed to protect his children from a rabid dog.
Later, Atticus brings up the gun incident after Mrs. Dubose dies. She suffered before her death physically more than she needed to because she wanted to die free of addiction to morphine.
He tells Jem:
"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."
This is part of the way he prepares his children for the upcoming trial, when he will defend Tom Robinson to the best ability despite the fact he knows that he will not win the case.
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