essay on an act of bravery

English Essay on “Bravery” Full-Length Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 Exam.

Before considering real bravery it will be well to distinguish it from false bravery. One kind of false bravery arises from ignorance of the danger. If an infant should play with a cobra, it would be absolutely free from fear, and would do what brave men would fear to do; but we ought not to call it brave, for it has no appreciation of the danger. Yet such fearlessness is often mistaken for real bravery. If they want of recognition of danger is due to intoxication, the quality displayed is sometimes called Dutch courage, because the drink that was served out to troops before an attack was usually Dutch rum. Another spurious form of courage is actually due to fear, as when a soldier stands his ground in a battle because he fears the punishment which will be inflicted on him if he runs away. In such cases, the stronger fear overcomes the weaker fear, and surely the man who is actuated by any kind of fear cannot be said to be displaying bravery.

We now pass on to the consideration of true courage. The simplest form of courage is constitutional courage, which shows itself in the absence of trembling and of other signs of fear in the face of great danger. When Louis XVI was being led to execution, he is said to have exclaimed, “Am I afraid? Feel my pulse.” His steady pulse, when he was on the point of dying a terrible death, showed that he was physically brave. One of the most striking instances of constitutional bravery to be found in history is Nelson. In his childhood on one occasion, he happened to have lost himself, to the great alarm of his parents. On his being found, when wonder was expressed that fear had not driven him home, he replied: “Fear; I never saw fear. What is it?” All through his life, he showed himself absolutely insensible to fear. His spirits rose in the hour of danger, and, when the enemy’s cannonballs were flying round his head, he was perfectly cool and collected.

It is, however, possible for a man to be constitutionally timid and nevertheless to be brave. Indeed, the bravery of a man who, by determined resolution, raises superior to his fears is perhaps the highest kind of courage. Such was the courage of Turenne, one of the greatest French generals. Once when he was going into battle, he felt himself trembling all over. But instead of yielding to his physical fears, he exclaimed to his body, “What! are you trembling now? Just wait and see what you will have to go through presently.”

The excess of courage is condemned as foolhardiness. A man is foolhardy who, for some trifling object, runs into great danger. When a sailor jumps out of an express train to recover his hat, or smokes his pipes over a packet of explosives instead of being praised for his carelessness of danger, he is rightly blamed for foolishly risking his life.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when the word bravery is said? For most people, a war hero or a superhero comes into their minds. Probably every language has a word for bravery, but there is only one true meaning. The word bravery is “showing a brave spirit or courage” when tough times are thrust upon or happen to them.

Bravery is not only what people do, but also how they do it. The concept is also “showiness, splendor, and magnificence”. Bravery may be shown in different ways: a person may jump from a plane or walk on fire to show. that he/she is truly brave. Then again, sometimes bravery is something that a person has inside him or her and is never shown as an action at all.

For thousands of years, people have used words that describe the concept of bravery. The history, or etymology, of the English word bravery, is as follows.

The word originated in Latin as barbarous. The Romans who spoke Latin were warriors so it is logical they would have a word that talked about their courageous actions. The Vulgar Latin, which was spoken Latin, was transformed by Middle French in the Middle Ages as well as by Middle English. This form of English.was what was spoken in the 12th to 15th century. From Middle English evolved the English we speak today and with it, the word bravery.

Throughout history, people have talked about the concept of bravery in many ways. The Greek writer and philosopher Euripides said, “The man who knows when not to act is wise. To my mind, bravery is forethought”. In the Middle Ages, George II of England said that “bravery never goes out of fashion”. Later, Francois de la Rochefoucauld said, “True bravery is shown by performing without witness what one might be capable of showing all the world”. Bravery has seemed to be an important concept or action throughout history.

When Francois de la Rockefou could speak about bravery, he pointed out an important feature of the virtue’s true meaning. Then he made the distinction between people’s private actions versus their public ones, he made it clear that people who do good deeds only to get rich or famous are not practicing bravery.

True bravery is helping people or animals simply because their actions benefit mankind. It seems that we often misunderstand this aspect of bravery and make the wrong people famous while forgetting about others who show bravery throughout their lives.

The one person that, for me, most represents bravery in this century is Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. King was born in Atlanta, Georgia when black men and white men did not mix. When he died, these two races were a little closer to peace. This was due primarily because of the great influence that Martin Luther King, Jr. had in the United States. He got on the bandwagon of the civil rights movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

He kept leading the movement after his house Was bombed. That was bravery because he put his life on the like to make all American black people’s lives better. In 1963 he arid many other protesters in Birmingham, Alabama, were met by police with dogs and high-pressure water hoses. This event was shown on television. His resistance in Alabama was brave because when the police came, he and the others did not back down but rather stood up for their beliefs.

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Act of Bravery in Divergent

How it works

Your decision in life comes down to you and the path you choose, but one choice can transform you and your life forever. Veronica Roth created a world that depends on the choices people make in life, because ultimately in this dytopian world, choices define who they are as people. Her futuristic world is divided into five factions that all represent something different; Amity (the peaceful), Abnegation (the selfless), Euridite (the intelligent), Candor (the honest) and Dauntless (the brave). The book is set in a dystopian version of present-day Chicago.

The government controls absolutely everything: the home, the workplace, and the people. These five factions were made up to prevent war and bring peace to the world. As children of each faction turn sixteen they have the chance to choose to leave their family to move to a new faction or stay, but the choice all comes down to them. In the novel Divergent Veronica Roth observes how choices lead to bravery, betrayal and greed.

First we can identify Tris as being a round character. Being Divergent was not her choice, it was her fate. Tris has to go on a wild adventure to find herself. She is torn between finding herself through who she is, and who everyone else wants her to be. Her choice to leave abnegation and go into dauntless leads to bravery. Tris is a person of action, who has courage and is brave. If she never would have made the choice to leave her faction, she would have never learned to be brave enough to overcome her fears and turn from the underdog into a hero. In this story, bravery is represented as being selfish and foolish because the characters of Dauntless idea of bravery are acting in ridiculous life-threatening situations to prove who is most daring to participate. However, the definition of bravery is expressed as Tris goes through initiation. Not only does her choice to transfer into a different faction show her braveness but it also brought out her inner Abnegation and taught her how to be selfless as well. “I believe in ordinary acts in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another” (Roth 207). This quote is significant due to it shows how Tris resembles bravery itself. She proves bravery is not just about being strong and committing acts of ruthlessness; it is about standing up for what you believe is right and being the bigger person in a situation when no one else is. Her choice to be brave and stand up for others is what made her a hero in the end. She was able to channel other traits from other factions and create a new her. She was able to change herself and the way she thought and was no longer the old Beatrice from Abnegation. She became the brave, courageous, strong, smart, selfless Tris of Dauntless.

Next, choices lead to betrayal in this novel when Tris and her brother, Caleb choose to leave their faction and family for another. Before the choosing ceremony, “My father kisses me on the head and claps Caleb on the shoulder grinning. See you soon, he says, without a trace of doubt” (Roth 40-41). This quote shows how much hurt and betrayal they soon would cause their father, minutes later when neither of his children will be going home with him along with the sting from the fact Caleb would choose to be a member of Erudite, the enemy in his father’s eyes. Caleb can be identified as a flat character. He is simple and uncomplicated. He remains the same from start to finish. Tris states, “What irritates me most about him is his natural goodness, his inborn selflessness” (Roth 25). Even though Caleb switched factions, he soon finds startling information about Erudite and Dauntless, “I dropped out of initiation when I figured out what was happening. I would have warned you but it was too late,” he says. “I’m factionless now.” That is the same selfless Caleb we know from the beginning, that thinks of others before himself, even if it meant he would become factionless, he refused to be a part of Erudite plan to take over.

Lastly, the leader of Erudite chooses to start war over her own selfish reasons. The factions were divided into five to prevent war and destruction from occurring in the world. But she wants to destroy the Abnegation government and take over the city. She chooses to take over using physical and mental control to start a war and take down Abnegation. This proves that choices stem from greed, and in this instance those who have power live in fear of losing it, such as Jeanine. She is the dangerous one in this story based on the fact she is a genius. “Jeanine Matthews is Erudite sole representative, selected based on her IQ score. My father complains about her often” (Roth 43). “Absorbed into the Dauntless army. I know what that means-she wants to control them, too. She wants everyone to be pliable and easy to control” (Roth 430).

In summary examines how choices lead to bravery, betrayal and greed. Some of the factions have come to adopt this idea of what is right and wrong, causing choices to be carried and impacted either by the value of bravery or cruelty. The factions were formed with good intentions for the people, by the people. “A long time ago, Erudite pursued knowledge and ingenuity for the sake of doing good. Now they pursue knowledge and ingenuity with greedy hearts” (Roth 206). With choices come consequences causing members to make noble social, cultural and moral decisions. As Tris says, thinking of the factions becoming brave and honorable again, “It is a beautiful thought” (Roth 207).

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Hero / Bravery

Bravery Essay Examples

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Bravery Within the Truth: Tom Robinson in to Kill a Mockingbird

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The Notion of Courage and Its Types

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