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 sorts 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 brave? Not easy. This quality probably needs to be cultivated from childhood. Overcoming your fears, moving forward despite difficulties, developing willpower, not being afraid to defend your opinion - all this will help cultivate in yourself such a quality as courage. Synonyms for the word “courage” are “courage”, “determination”, “courage”. The antonym is “cowardice.” Cowardice is one of the human vices. We are afraid of many things in life, but fear and cowardice are not the same thing. I think that out of cowardice comes meanness. A coward will always hide in the shadows, remain on the sidelines, fearing for his own own life, will betray 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 about the Falcon”. This work is a hymn to courage and courage. In a battle with enemies, the Falcon received his mortal wounds and is bleeding. Already, for whom the main thing is that it is “warm and damp”, does not understand what heaven, battle, real life, not a miserable existence. A Sokol and last minutes in his life he thinks not about pain and wounds, but about a bold flight in the sky, about a battle with the enemy. Courage lives in Gorky's hero. The falcon does not want to die, lying on the rocks, bleeding. On the advice of the snake, he approaches the edge of the cliff and rushes down, making his last flight. “The madness of the brave is the wisdom of life!” - exclaims the author. Without people like Falcon, life would be dull and joyless.
In M. Gorky's story “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, readiness 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 who had a choice: either die or go through a dense forest to save themselves. Danko stood at the head of these people. The path was difficult, many died in the forest. And when they lost faith that they would come out of the thicket, the brave Danko illuminated the path for them with his heart and led the people to freedom. But the writer is not only talking about courage. He talks about Danko's compatriots who were afraid to die so as not to lose their traditions. I think they were simply cowardly, afraid of their 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 steps on Danko’s heart so that it doesn’t shine a cautious person more people. 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 The essay made me think about the role that courage and cowardice play in our lives, how to cultivate the best human qualities in ourselves, to become brave and strong, and not to be a coward.
As soon as a child begins to understand and appreciate his place in the team, he masters the concepts of courage and cowardice. And already at an early age we understand that being brave is good, and being cowardly is bad, that courage is the ability to take decisive action in difficult situation, and cowardice is avoidance of these actions, flight. Is a brave person always right in his actions? How can one distinguish genuine courage from ostentatious bravado?
IN Russian literature There are enough examples of brave actions of heroes, and vice versa, actions of ridiculous bravado, which is of no benefit to anyone. In the novel “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov, in the story about Princess Mary, one of the heroes is the young cadet Grushnitsky. In Pechorin’s description, Grushnitsky appears as a man who clearly demonstrates a kind of courage that is not ours: “I saw him in action: he waves a saber, shouts and rushes forward with his eyes closed. This is something not Russian courage!” On the one hand, Grushnitsky has the St. George Cross, and on the other hand, according to Pechorin, he is a coward. Is it so? Suffice it to recall the scene of the quarrel between Grushnitsky and Pechorin, when the former cadet slandered the princess in order to take revenge, and Pechorin demanded an apology. He preferred to lie rather than admit in front of everyone that he had actually slandered the girl. Because he was afraid of condemnation and from whom? A vile water society, ready to slander anyone, just to look like a hero in the eyes of others. Dragoon captain, who was the leader of this society. Even in the face of death, Grushnitsky “wraps himself in pompous phrases,” proclaiming nonsense: “There is no place for the two of us on earth...” Pompous and catchy, but why? To look! True courage would be to admit one's cowardice, the fear of appearing pathetic in front of a pompous society that proclaims false values. But Grushnitsky is not capable of this.
In Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace,” Nikolai Rostov considers himself a brave man. And so it is. Yes, in the first battle near Shengraben, he was frightened by the approaching French and, instead of opening fire, he threw down the pistol and took to his heels like a hare. Tolstoy writes about this, without embellishment. Because this was the first fight. Bravery is formed over time; later Rostov will become a real officer, not only in battle, but also in life. When he lost a fabulous sum to Dolokhov, he confessed to himself the crime he had committed, vowed never to sit down at the card table and to make up for the entire loss to his family. And when fate brought him together with Princess Bolkonskaya, he was able to quickly restore order among the rebellious serfs, putting them in their place.
Courage is a quality that is formed over time; a person draws conclusions from unsightly actions committed under the influence of circumstances and never repeats them again. This is true courage.
Topics for the final essay 2017 - 2018
"Courage and Cowardice." This direction is based on a comparison of opposite manifestations of the human “I”: readiness for decisive actions and the desire to hide from danger, to avoid resolving difficult, sometimes extreme life situations.
On the pages of many literary works presents both heroes capable of courageous actions and characters demonstrating weakness of spirit and lack of will.
The problem of courage worries every person. For some, courage is a vital necessity; without this character trait, a person will not be able to work where he wants. For some it is an opportunity to show themselves. But we all have the same need to not get lost in the face of difficulties, of which there are so many in life. modern world. A mother should have remarkable courage when letting her child go to school alone for the first time, thereby teaching him to be independent. There can be no talk of any cowardice when an alarm signal is heard at the fire station and the team needs to move out to cope with the elements. Courage and composure are also necessary for our reader who is preparing himself or preparing children for such close exams.
In literature, the topic of willpower and spirit is covered especially widely. In some works, someone's life depends on courage. Mostly, the authors endow courage goodies, and cowardice - negative, which hints to us what is considered bad and what is good. But cowardice is not an indicator of what kind of person he is. Authors, endowing negative characters such a trait only emphasizes their meanness, baseness of soul, unwillingness to be better. We are all afraid, it’s just that not each of us can overcome this fear within ourselves.
Friends! This sample list topics of the final essay 2017. Read it carefully and try to select an argument and thesis for each topic. Here the direction “Courage and Cowardice” is revealed from all possible sides. You will probably come across other quotes in your essay, but they will still carry the same meaning. And if you work with this list, you will not have any difficulties writing the final essay.
- In battle those most exposed to danger are those who are most possessed by fear; courage is like a wall. (Sallust)
- Courage replaces fortress walls. (Sallust)
- To be brave means to consider everything that is scary as distant and everything that inspires courage as close. (Aristotle)
- Heroism is an artificial concept, because courage is relative. (F. Bacon)
- Others show courage without having it, but there is no person who would demonstrate wit if he were not naturally witty. (J. Halifax)
- Real courage rarely comes without stupidity. (F. Bacon)
- Ignorance makes people bold, but reflection makes people indecisive. (Thucydides)
- Knowing in advance what you want to do gives you courage and ease. (D. Diderot)
- Courage is not counted in vain highest virtue- after all, courage is the key to others positive qualities. (W. Churchill)
- Courage is the resistance to fear, not the absence of it. (M. Twain)
- Happy is he who boldly takes under his protection what he loves. (Ovid)
- Creativity requires courage. (A. Matisse)
- It takes a lot of courage to bring bad news to people. (R. Branson)
- The success of science is a matter of time and courage of mind. (Voltaire)
- To use your own reason requires remarkable courage. (E. Burke)
- Fear can make a daredevil timid, but it gives courage to the indecisive. (O. Balzac)
- Courage is the beginning of victory. (Plutarch)
- Courage, bordering on recklessness, contains more madness than fortitude. (M. Cervantes)
- When you are afraid, act boldly and you will avoid worse troubles. (G. Sachs)
- To be completely devoid of courage, one must be completely devoid of desires. (Helvetius K.)
- It is easier to find people who voluntarily go to death than those who patiently endure pain. (Yu. Caesar)
- He who is courageous is brave. (Cicero)
- There is no need to confuse courage with arrogance and rudeness: there is nothing more dissimilar both in its source and in its result. (J.J. Rousseau)
- Excessive courage is the same vice as excessive timidity. (B. Johnson)
- Courage, which is based on prudence, is not called recklessness, but the exploits of a reckless person should rather be attributed to simple luck than to his courage. (M. Cervantes)
- The difference between a brave man and a coward is that the first, aware of the danger, does not feel fear, and the second feels fear, not realizing the danger. (V. O. Klyuchevsky)
- Cowardice is knowing what you should do and not doing it. (Confucius)
- Fear makes the smart stupid and the strong weak. (F. Cooper)
- A fearful dog barks more than he bites. (Curtius)
- More soldiers always die when fleeing than in battle. (S. Lagerlöf)
- Fear is a bad teacher. (Pliny the Younger)
- Fear arises due to the powerlessness of the spirit. (B. Spinoza)
- Frightened - half defeated. (A.V. Suvorov)
- Cowards speak most about courage, and scoundrels speak most about nobility. (A.N. Tolstoy)
- Cowardice is inertia that prevents us from asserting our freedom and independence in relationships with others. (I. Fichte)
- Cowards die many times before death, the brave die only once. (W. Shakespeare)
- To be afraid of love is to be afraid of life, and to be afraid of life is to be two-thirds dead. (Bertrand Russell)
- Love doesn't go well with fear. (N. Machiavelli)
- You cannot love either the one you fear or the one who fears you. (Cicero)
- Courage is like love: it needs to be fueled by hope. (N. Bonaparte)
- Perfect love casts out fear, because in fear there is torment; he who fears is not perfect in love. (Apostle John)
- A person fears only what he does not know; knowledge conquers all fear. (V. G. Belinsky)
- A coward is more dangerous than any other person; he should be feared most of all. (L. Berne)
- There is nothing worse than fear itself. (F. Bacon)
- Cowardice can never be moral. (M. Gandhi) A coward sends threats only when he is sure of safety. (I. Goethe)
- You can never live happily when you are always trembling with fear. (P. Holbach)
- Cowardice is very harmful because it keeps the will from useful actions. (R. Descartes)
- We consider a coward to be a coward who allows his friend to be insulted in his presence. (D. Diderot)
- Cowardice in its prime turns into cruelty. (G. Ibsen)
- He who fearfully worries about losing his life will never rejoice in it. (I. Kant)
- With courage you can do anything, but not everything can be done. (N. Bonaparte)
- It takes great courage to stand up to your enemies, but much more to go against your friends. (J. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone")
(381 words) Man is a multifaceted creature. It rarely contains only positive or only negative sides. More and more halftones, smooth transitions from one state of mind to another. Some character traits appear only in extreme situations and serve as excellent indicators of true personality traits. These traits can easily be called courage and cowardice. In a difficult situation, a person is capable of either decisively taking matters into his own hands and going ahead, or running away with his tail between his legs, leaving only a question mark behind him.
A similar opposition is described by L.N. Tolstoy in his work “War and Peace”. Here the courage of individual heroes closely borders on heroism. Tushin, setting an example for his soldiers, himself stands at the gun with complete readiness to give his life for native Fatherland, and Prince Bolkonsky supports the morale of his comrades, proudly carrying the banner forward and suppressing the enemy morally. On the other side are characters such as Zherkov and Dolokhov. The first experiences terrible fear when carrying out Bagration's order and is cowardly in the face of danger, like a boy, and Dolokhov, having killed the Frenchman, expects indispensable praise, as if he had accomplished an outstanding feat. But the whole point is that such feats were performed by soldiers every minute, and they, caring for their Motherland with all their souls, did not seek recognition. This was their courage, which manifested itself in extreme situation, when it was most difficult to fight the fear for your life.
About true heroes in his story “The Dawns Here Are Quiet...” also told by B.L. Vasiliev. The heroism of Sergeant Major Vaskov and his girls under his charge is truly amazing. These desperate people were heading towards certain death and were fully aware of their actions, but they didn’t even think about retreating or saving their own skins: “Don’t give the Germans a single scrap... No matter how hard it is, no matter how hopeless it is, to hold on...”. They were driven forward by patriotism and holy faith in victory. And for the sake of such a great goal, without regret they are ready to give up the most precious thing they had. In a situation where even men sometimes left their combat posts, Vasiliev’s heroines showed true courage and did not retreat. Their valor has been tested by mortal risk, so no one can doubt its authenticity.
Ultimately, true courage is a trait that manifests itself in circumstances that pose a real threat to life. If a person is capable of a feat, obscurity and fear of death will not stop him. A coward, in any case, will shirk responsibility and find a more comfortable place for himself, where nothing will disturb him, even if this means betraying what is smart, bright, eternal and going over to the side of the enemy.
Interesting? Save it on your wall!
Subject: "Courage and cowardice"
Introduction: The topic of courage and cowardice is truly inexhaustible. These qualities become especially noticeable and important in the most difficult times for a particular state and society. It could be, say, a drought. According to ancient Egyptian myths, it is at such a difficult moment that the god Set is treacherously killed.
People are saved only by his resurrection. This, with some reservations, can be considered the first literary treatment of this topic. However, there was also a Sumerian legend about Gilgamesh. But let us recall in more detail the immortal “Iliad” of Homer. There are many interpretations of the work of the blind storyteller. In one of them, the Trojans are reckless brave men, but the Greeks are like that only with big reservations. After all, if you think about it, what is their idea with a wooden horse?
You can call this a military trick, or you can just call it meanness, the need for which is caused by the fear of the soldiers of the besieged city. But these are things of a long time ago. Let's remember the 19th century, taking as an example the work of N.V. Gogol. We will, of course, talk about Taras Bulba. In the contrast between the two sons of the old Cossack, we mean not only Andrei’s preference for love, and Ostap’s for loyalty to his comrades.
The brother who became a traitor did not just give vent to his feelings. He wanted comfort and honor in a more civilized society at that time. Life in the Cossack camp cannot be compared, of course, with the one he experienced in the Polish castle. Love became in this case an excuse for cowardice. It may be a controversial point of view, but it has a right to exist. After all, Nikolai Vasilyevich was not a romantic to limit himself to a description love story. He reflected in the mirror of his creativity a reality that is woven from very different aspects of life.
Argument: Cowardice and betrayal can be considered different sides of the same coin. One thing leads to another. Any number of examples are given by the very recent, tragic and heroic story. I mean the Great Patriotic War. Those who voluntarily surrendered to the Germans had no choice. They were simply forced to join the police units, or even the army of General Vlasov, who fought on the side of the Nazis. However, there was a choice.
Here you can recall an episode from Konstantin Simonov’s novel “The Living and the Dead.” This completely undeservedly forgotten work was in many ways a turning point for its time. The trilogy covers three years of the war, but the main thing there is a description of the tragic 1941. Probably only Simonov, given his authority, could dare to write the truth about this time.
The retreat, the confusion of the first months, the stupid orders of the generals. And at the same time - people like Serpilin. Undeservedly convicted in 1937, he did not harbor a grudge, but became one of the best military leaders, thanks to whom the Germans’ dreams of a lightning victory did not come true. In a short episode, Serpilin is contrasted with another hero, Baranov. This is the one who once wrote a denunciation against him. He is not a coward in the traditional sense of the word. But opportunism and readiness for any meanness for his own safety and career led him to cowardice.
But Serpilin didn’t even take revenge, he simply demoted ex-friend. And he, unable to bear it, shot himself. Not even because of damaged pride, but because of cowardice. In the novel, thus, another person took his own life. This is Kozyrev, who headed the USSR Air Force shortly before the war. The recent lieutenant made so many mistakes in a high post that, realizing this, he found no other way out except a bullet to the temple. The choice seems to be the same, but the reasons that led to this are completely different.
Most obviously, Vasil Bykov contrasts courage and cowardice. Although his Sotnikov in the story of the same name does not look like a hero. On the contrary, on the first pages his antipode, the Fisherman, seems to be a candidate for hero. He is strong, adapted to difficult life, resourceful. And he doesn’t abandon his comrade, although he can give them away with his cough at any moment. But Bykov’s prose is different in that he takes his heroes to the limit. Their essence is revealed when the opportunity remains last choice: death, or meanness, betrayal.
Sotnikov - battery commander, son of a hero civil war. But in the story he is an ordinary fighter in a partisan detachment. A weak, sick intellectual, it was only among the partisans that he ceased to be afraid of death. Because I was already “afraid.” And before that, at the front, he had to “hide within himself the quiet satisfaction that the bullet missed him.” He was ashamed of such a completely understandable feeling. He was also afraid of “quietly and unnoticed dying in battle.” Another fear is caused by the reluctance to become a burden to others. That’s why he feels awkward when the Fisherman drags him, unhealthy and wounded, to the forest. But he never experienced a simple, animal fear of death.
The reason for Rybak’s betrayal was precisely this fear. The desire to save life at all costs. He understood everything. When he ran to the bushes, throwing Sotnikov who was covering him, he suddenly felt uneasy. But he thought not about duty, but about what he would say to the detachment when he got to the camp. However, even this did not stop him from abandoning his comrade. By chance, he remained alive, and they met again. But captivity could not be avoided. Sotnikov also recognizes it as the worst thing that could happen. But he, wounded, even funny, completely unlike a soldier, is unbending. He even dares to laugh in the eyes of the police beating him.
He had already come to terms with his imminent death. All thoughts are focused on the fact that one must die in a way that is indicative of the villagers, who were usually forced to watch executions. The true essence of the Fisherman is revealed gradually. He's an opportunist. Perhaps, having fought at the front, in a regular unit, if he had not found himself in a critical situation, he would have even been in good standing. But now he, already making his way to his own with the wounded Sotnikov, begins to think about whether he will be able to “get out” or not.
Fate placed him in front of even more difficult choice. After interrogation and torture, his comrade tries to save the life of another. He says that Rybak is not guilty, he shot. And they got into the house where they were hiding without the knowledge of the owners. This will not save the peasants. The fisherman probably wouldn't have been saved either. But when the time comes to choose, he gives in immediately, without hesitation. His agreement to the offer to become a policeman no longer surprises the reader. This is natural, given the person's previous behavior.
He leads Sotnikov to the gallows, as if still not believing that he will have to do this. But he knocks the stand out from under his feet. When the body of a recent friend hangs in a noose, he is confused, but is soon relieved to hear the order to get into line. “Marching in step,” and Rybak thoughtlessly stepped in step with the others. “You would have thought that he was in the detachment, among his own.” It doesn’t matter to this person whose commands to follow, as long as it doesn’t force him to think.
Vasil Bykov knew what he was writing about. He went through the war from the first to last days. He was wounded three times. Among the names of those buried in one of the mass graves is his name. Fortunately, this turned out to be a mistake. In any case, he understood the experiences and feelings of the characters in his books. I’ve probably seen manifestations of both courage and cowardice more than once. The characters in his novels and stories are always nondescript, not like epic heroes. Overcome your weakness and completely understandable fear, to remain human to the end, this is a feat for Bykov, and not at all the pretentiousness of the situation. In this, Sentsov is similar to them, main character"The Living and the Dead." He is a random person at the front, a war correspondent who, of his own free will, remained in Serpilin’s encircled regiment.
Conclusion: Courage... Can Sotnikov be called that? He doesn’t seem to throw himself under a tank with a grenade. But it is precisely people who, despite all their weaknesses, who are able to ultimately fulfill their duty, deserve the right to positivity from Vasil Bykov. His death, with the idea that it must mean something, looks like propaganda. But she is depicted with restraint and realistically, without any glorification. In fact, thousands of such feats were performed; for that war they were commonplace. Otherwise there would not have been May 1945.
Discussions about courage and cowardice can lead very far. This is understandable, because many works have been written on their topic throughout the history of the development of literature. One can even recall the downtrodden and humiliated Akaki Akakievich from Gogol’s “The Overcoat”. And this man found the courage to be indignant when he was deprived of the most valuable thing he had. But such courage doesn't come cheap. It would be much more correct to remember in conclusion once again about Ostap from Taras Bulba.
His cry to his father before his death seems to be heard in many Russian and Soviet books. But could the son of a Cossack die like Sotnikov? Without spectators, not on display, doomed to complete oblivion, knowing only that it is impossible otherwise? This is the greatness of the feat of people like the partisan from the story by Vasil Bykov. Serpilin also died in Simonov's trilogy. By accident, from a shell fragment, unnoticeably. He did his job. Like every person whose courage helps others realize their destiny.
