Courage and cowardice are two different, opposite qualities, manifestations of character, which, meanwhile, are closely related. Both a coward and a daredevil can live in the same person. In the literature, this problem has been raised frequently.
So, the girls showed real heroism and courage in the work of Boris Vasiliev "The Dawns Here Are Quiet ...". All the characters in the story - five fragile girls: Zhenya Komelkova, Rita Osyanina, Sonya Gurvich, Galya Chetvertak, Liza Brichkina and the Vaskov foreman - are depicted in a struggle, giving all their strength to save the Motherland.
It was such people who brought closer the victory of our country in this terrible war.
Another literary example, the story of Maxim Gorky "The Old Woman Izergil", namely the third part of it - the legend of Danko. He was a brave and fearless youth who sacrificed himself for the people. He decided to help his people and took supremacy over them in order to lead them out of the impenetrable forest. The path was not easy, and when people, having lost their fortitude, fell upon Danko, he tears his heart out of his chest to illuminate the path and give people the warmth and goodness that came from a burning heart. And when the goal was achieved, no one even noticed his death and that "his brave heart is burning next to the corpse of Danko." Danko saw the meaning of life in helping people.
And the second is the problem of cowardice. In Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, Pontius Pilate, out of fear, fear of condemnation, commits a terrible act, he sent to execution an innocent person - the philosopher Yeshua Ha-Notsri. The procurator did not listen to his inner voice. And cowardice in making the right decision became a punishment for Pilate. He will look for an excuse in his deed, but will not find it.
Also, Andriy, the hero of Nikolai Gogol's story "Taras Bulba", showed not the best quality. For the sake of love for a woman, he was able to renounce everyone. Not forgiving his son for betrayal and cowardice, Taras Bulba kills him himself. The reckoning for Andriy turned out to be too expensive - his own life.
Updated: 2017-09-12
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Useful material on the topic
- Can it be argued that courage and cowardice are two sides of the same coin? Courage and cowardice. Composition of the exam Arguments, examples from the literature
Courage. What it is? I think that courage is decisiveness in thoughts and actions, the ability to stand up for yourself and for other people who need your help, overcoming all kinds of fears: for example, fear of the dark, of someone else's brute force, of life's obstacles and difficulties. Is it easy to be bold? Not easy. Probably, this quality should be brought up from childhood. Overcoming your fears, going forward despite difficulties, developing willpower in yourself, not being afraid to defend your opinion - all this will help to cultivate such a quality as courage in yourself. Synonyms for the word "courage" - "courage", "decisiveness", "courage". The antonym is cowardice. Cowardice is one of the human vices. There are many things we fear in life, but fear and cowardice are not the same thing. I think that cowardice grows meanness. The cowardly will always hide in the shadows, stay away, fearing for his own life, betray in order to save himself.
The theme of courage and cowardice is also reflected in fiction, in particular in the works of the Russian writer Maxim Gorky.
"We sing glory to the madness of the brave!" - wrote M. Gorky in his "Song of the Falcon". This work is a hymn to courage and courage. In a battle with enemies, the Falcon received his mortal wounds, he is bleeding to death. Already, for whom the main thing is “warm and damp”, does not understand what the sky, battle, real life, and not a miserable existence are. And Falcon, and in the last minutes of his life, does not think about pain and wounds, but about a bold flight in the sky, about a battle with the enemy. Courage lives in the hero of Gorky. The falcon does not want to die, lying on the stones, bleeding. On the advice of the snake, he approaches the edge of the cliff and throws himself down, making his last flight. "The madness of the brave is the wisdom of life!" - the author exclaims. Without the likes of Falcon, life would be dull and bleak.
In the story of M. Gorky "The Old Woman Izergil" there is a legend about Danko. The image of his burning heart has long become a symbol of love for people, willingness to give his life for them. Danko's courage is manifested in the fact that he was not afraid to take responsibility for the lives of other people, before whom there was a choice: either to die, or to go through a dense forest to be saved. Danko stood at the head of these people. The path was difficult, many perished in the forest. And when they lost the faith that they would come out of the thicket, the brave Danko lit the way for them with his heart and led people to freedom. But the writer speaks not only of courage. He talks about Danko's compatriots, who were afraid to die so as not to lose their traditions. I think that they just got cold feet, scared of the enemies, and who needs the traditions of cowards. After all, they did not fight for their land, but left, giving it to the enemy. Gorky calls the one who stepped on Danko's heart a cautious person so that it does not shine on people anymore. I would call such a coward. A "cautious person" is afraid of the brave, because it is easier to live without them.
In conclusion, I would like to say that this topic of the essay made me think about the role that courage and cowardice play in our life, how to cultivate the best human qualities, become brave and strong, and not be a coward.
- Self-sacrifice is not always life-threatening
- Love for the Motherland prompts a person to commit heroic deeds
- A person is ready to sacrifice himself for the one he really loves
- To save a child, sometimes it is not a pity to sacrifice the most valuable that a person has - his own life.
- Only a moral person is capable of performing a heroic deed
- The willingness to sacrifice does not depend on the level of income and social status
- Heroism is expressed not only in actions, but also in the ability to be true to your word even in the most difficult life situations
- People are ready for self-sacrifice even in the name of saving a stranger.
Arguments
L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace". Sometimes we do not suspect that this or that person can commit a heroic act. This is confirmed by an example from this work: Pierre Bezukhov, being a rich man, decides to stay in Moscow besieged by the enemy, although he has every opportunity to leave. He is a real person who does not put his financial position first. Not sparing himself, the hero saves a little girl from the fire, performing a heroic act. You can also refer to the image of Captain Tushin. At first, he does not make a good impression on us: Tushin appears before the command without boots. But the battle proves that this man can be called a real hero: the battery under the command of Captain Tushin selflessly repels enemy attacks, without any cover, sparing no effort. And it doesn't matter what impression these people make on us when we first meet them.
I.A. Bunin "Lapti". In an impenetrable blizzard, Nefed went to Novoselki, located six miles from home. To do this he was prompted by the request of a sick child to bring red sandals. The hero decided that "it is necessary to extract" because "the soul desires." He wanted to buy sandals and dye them with magenta. By nightfall, Nefed did not return, and in the morning the men brought his dead body. In his bosom they found a vial of fuchsin and new bast shoes. Nefed was ready for self-sacrifice: knowing that he was putting himself in danger, he decided to act for the good of the child.
A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter". Love for Marya Mironova, the captain's daughter, more than once prompted Pyotr Grinev to endanger his life. He went to the Belogorsk fortress seized by Pugachev in order to snatch the girl from Shvabrin's hands. Pyotr Grinev understood what he was going for: at any moment Pugachev's people could catch him, he could be killed by enemies. But nothing stopped the hero, he was ready to save Marya Ivanovna even at the cost of his own life. The readiness for self-sacrifice also manifested itself when Grinev was under investigation. He did not begin to talk about Marya Mironova, the love for which led him to Pugachev. The hero did not want to make the girl involved in the investigation, although this would allow him to justify himself. Peter Grinev showed by his actions that he is ready to endure anything for the happiness of a person dear to him.
F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment". The fact that Sonya Marmeladova went on the “yellow ticket” is also a kind of self-sacrifice. The girl decided on this herself, deliberately, in order to feed her family: a drunken father, a stepmother and her little children. No matter how dirty her profession is, Sonya Marmeladova is worthy of respect. Throughout the entire work, she proved her spiritual beauty.
N.V. Gogol "Taras Bulba". If Andriy, the youngest son of Taras Bulba, turned out to be a traitor, then Ostap, the eldest son, showed himself as a strong personality, a real warrior. He did not betray his father and homeland, he fought to the last. Ostap was executed in front of his father. But no matter how hard, painful and scary it was for him, during the execution he did not make a sound. Ostap is a real hero who gave his life for his homeland.
V. Rasputin "French Lessons". Lydia Mikhailovna, an ordinary teacher of the French language, turned out to be capable of self-sacrifice. When her student, the hero of the work, came to school beaten, and Tishkin said that he was playing for money, Lydia Mikhailovna was in no hurry to tell the director about it. She found out that the boy was playing because he did not have enough money for food. Lydia Mikhailovna began to study French with a student, which was not given to him, at home, and then offered to play with her for money. The teacher knew that this should not be done, but the desire to help the child was more important to her. When the director found out about everything, Lydia Mikhailovna was fired. Her seemingly wrong act turned out to be noble. The teacher sacrificed her reputation to help the boy.
N. D. Teleshov "Home". Semka, so eager to return to his native land, met an unfamiliar grandfather on the way. They walked together. On the way, the boy fell ill. An unknown person took him to the city, although he knew that he was not allowed to appear there: his grandfather had already escaped from hard labor for the third time. Grandpa was caught in the city. He understood the danger, but the child's life was more important to him. Grandfather sacrificed his quiet life for the sake of a future stranger.
A. Platonov "Sandy teacher". From the village of Khoshutovo, located in the desert, Maria Naryshkina helped make a real green oasis. She gave herself up to work. But the nomads passed - not a trace remained of the green spaces. Maria Nikiforovna left for the district with a report, where she was offered to transfer to work in Safutu in order to teach the culture of the sands to the nomads who were migrating to a settled way. She agreed, which showed her readiness for self-sacrifice. Maria Naryshkina decided to devote herself to a good cause, not thinking about her family or the future, but helping people in the difficult struggle with the sands.
M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita". For the sake of the Master, Margarita was ready for anything. She decided to make a deal with the devil, was a queen at a ball with Satan. And all for the sake of seeing the Master. True love forced the heroine to sacrifice herself, to go through all the tests prepared for her by fate.
A.T. Tvardovsky "Vasily Terkin". The protagonist of the work is a simple Russian guy who honestly and selflessly fulfills his soldier's duty. His crossing the river was a real heroic deed. Vasily Terkin was not frightened by the cold: he knew that it was necessary to convey the lieutenant's request. What the hero has done seems impossible, incredible. This is the feat of a simple Russian soldier.
Cowardice is a negative character trait in which a person is afraid to confront his fears, such a person is often afraid to make a decision himself and be responsible for its consequences. But despite this, it is difficult to be brave always. Sometimes even strong and honest people with high moral standards can get scared.
To show the correctness of my definition, I want to give an example from the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter". An example of cowardice in this work is Shvabrin, as when Yemelyan Pugachev attacked the fortress, Shvabrin immediately goes over to Pugachev's side, forgetting his oath and oath. He is driven by fear for his own life.
Another example of cowardice is Eugene Onegin and Vladimir Lensky, from the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin "Eugene Onegin". When Lensky challenged Eugene Onegin to a duel, Eugene did not refuse as he was afraid of public opinion. And the same thing happened with Lensky, he did not want to go to a duel with Onegin, but he was also afraid that they would start to condemn him.
Cowardice is dependence on the opinion of those whom you despise.
Or you can give an example from the work of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time". A coward can be called Grushnitsky, who challenged Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin to a duel. Grushnitsky knew that Pichorin's pistol was not loaded, but he did not say anything to him. But despite this, Pechorin knew that his pistol was not loaded, he wanted to give Grushnitsky a chance to repent, but he refused.
Thus, we can conclude that cowardice never leads to anything good.
Updated: 2017-12-23
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Final essay option
for literature-2017-2018.
The fourth direction - "Courage and cowardice"
This direction is based on a comparison of the opposite manifestations of the human "I": readiness for decisive actions and the desire to hide from danger, to avoid solving difficult, sometimes extreme life situations. On the pages of many literary
works are presented as heroes capable of bold actions, and
characters showing weakness of spirit and lack of will.Saying and thinking about courage:
Cheek brings success.
Courage is the beginning of victory (Plutarch).
Who is courageous is brave (Cicero).
Fate helps the brave (Virgil).
We must dare: Venus herself (Tibullus) helps the brave.
Courage replaces the fortress walls (Sallust).
The brave one will die, but he will not back down.
Courage receives its gain from the cowardice of others (Y.B. Knyazhnin).
Only valor lives immortally
For the brave are glorious forever (V. Ya.Bryusov)
Sayings and aphorisms about cowardice
Cowardice always tends to shift the responsibility onto another (Julio Cortazar).
The hero dies once, but the coward dies all the time.
Only cowards get used to fear (Sergei Dovlatov).
A cowardly friend is more terrible than an enemy (Leo Tolstoy).
Cunning is the power of the cowardly.
Cowardice takes away the mind.
Topic of the essay - The brave one will die, but will not retreat
Main part. The first thesis and the first literary argument.Fate helps the brave.
So, in the story of Mikhail Alexandrovich Sholokhov "The Fate of a Man" we meet with a simple Russian soldier Andrei Sokolov. In the scene of interrogation in a concentration camp, the hero's firm, decisive and persistent character is manifested. This scene is a real psychological dul, in which a brave and courageous warrior emerges as the winner. Müller wanted to kill the Russian. But at the end of the interrogation, he leaves Andrei Sokolov to live: the German was struck by a resolute and staunch prisoner who did not give up his convictions. With his behavior, Andrey disarmed the head of the camp. The commandant said that Sokolov was "a brave soldier, a real Russian soldier." And Müller refused to shoot the prisoner. And for his courage and courage he awarded the hero with a loaf of bread and a piece of bacon. Reading and rereading the story of M.A. Sholokhov,we can clearly see that « fate helps the brave. "
2-b
Main part.
Second thesis and second literary argument.
The thesis - cunning - the power of the cowardly, the brave will perish. but will not back down.
On the pages of the story "Sotnikov" by Vasil Bykov, two completely different characters are presented. Both are partisans. One of them, Sotnikov, brave and resolute, died to save his comrades from the partisan detachment. And the other - Rybak, a real coward and a traitor, showed weakness of spirit, lack of will and cowardice. This partisan could not cope with fate and went over to the side of the policemen, saving his life. At the same time, he committed meanness - he knocked the box out from under Sotnikov's feet during the execution. The fisherman shows apprehension and anxiety.Reading the story, we come to the conclusion that cunning is the power of the cowardly. We are convinced that "the brave will perish, but will not retreat."
3
Conclusion
(output)
What conclusion did the reasoning on this topic lead me to? A serious question makes you think about solving a very difficult problem - what to choose in a particular situation: courage or cowardice? Are there many brave people in our life? Is courage at work actively today?