In The Serpent King, author Jeff Zentner presents the thematic idea of ​​courage. Through plot events, character dialogue, and other literary elements, Zentner develops the theme that courage allows people to overcome adversity and be pushed to attempt situations that the individual is afraid to undertake. For example, when Travis was being abused by his father, Travis finally stood up to him: “Travis threw the belt in the corner, looked his father dead in the eye, and pointed, his hand shaking like his voice. «If you lay a hand on me again, I'll break it. If you lay a hand on me again, I'll kill you (blasphemy). All his life Travis had to deal with his father's cruel ways, which meant he had to endure a lot of pain and torment. However, Travis had mustered the audacity to confront his father about his wrongdoings. Travis knew the only way to protect himself and his mother from harm was to face the problem head on. Travis' actions support the theme because courage has forced him to act what he believes is right, despite fear of the consequences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout the book, the main character Dill had to face many of his own struggles and even do things that he was afraid to undertake. To wit, on the day of the talent competition, “Dill was nauseous that morning. He couldn't have breakfast. He and Lydia didn't speak to each other at all on the way to school. He couldn't pay attention in class. The talent show assembly was after lunch. He was shaking as he entered the auditorium, guitar case in hand.” However, as soon as he stepped on stage, “Dill took a breath and started playing and singing. He sang as if the Holy Spirit had descended upon him with purifying fire." The first quote shows that Dill had a sense of apprehension and was hesitant about performing; perhaps because he was afraid of the reactions he would receive. However, based on the second quote, Dill was able to gather his courage and express his love for music. Before, Dill was uncertain about the possibility of positive results, but his courage gave him the ability to tame nervousness and find the will to perform. Furthermore, after Travis' death, Dill began to overlook the kind of person he was. He began to feel guilty blaming himself and his legacy for being to blame for Travis's death. He even came close to taking his own life: “Then he got up, gathered his courage and decided to end his life and take a risk for the next one.” This doesn't explain that Dill actually wants to "end his life", but figuratively it means that he will build a new life for himself. Dill plans to do this by going to college: “I'm here because I made you a promise. I have to leave and go to college or I will die. I can't do it without your help.” It takes immense strength to be able to continue life after mental suffering and even deviate from the path that has been laid out for you. Since the outcome of Dill's future was one of the conflicts he was struggling with, this confirms that Dill possesses the courage to forge his own path, considering his parents' opinions on the matter. Similarly, another event where resilience helped Dill deal with his problem effectively was when he addressed the school bully: “Dill put himself between Madison and Lydia. «Hey, Madison, Tyson. Guys, don't you understand? You can't hurt us anymore. You can't do anything to use it. You can't take anything from us. You're nothing now." In other interactions with the.