Module 17 Discussion

12/23/2013

Cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz wikimedia commons

You need to read the vignette "Speaking of Courage" in order to participate in this discussion.

In "Speaking of Courage," the narrator says, "Sometimes the bravest thing on earth was to sit through the night and feel the cold in your bones. Courage was not always a matter of yes or no." How does the narrator define courage? How do you define it?

Reply to two (2) peers during this discussion.

Steven

12/24/2013 12:48:12 am

Much like in the first vignette of the novel, this vignette was written in third person. The narrator in this vignette is still O'Brien, but it is being told as through the stream of consciousness. Therefore, the reader can understand what is going on but only through the conscious thoughts of Norman Bowker. The narrator defines courage as being able to get through a tough time, not necessarily doing something extraordinary in comparison to everyone else, or enduring a situation that has been presented. Personally, I define courage as the ability to go out and do something that is a fear to you. For example, I believe a person who is afraid of heights and goes skydiving is courageous. The way that O'Brien defines courage is something that I believe is very similar to mine. Generally, when a person is in a situation that is difficult or overwhelming to them, they are scared. War is a difficult place to be; a person who has the guts to go and risk their life everyday is beyond courageous in my opinion. They do something that I know I would never, ever, have the guts to do.

Samantha

12/27/2013 04:55:40 pm

Overall, you went in depth with your post and took the time to explain what the style of writing (stream of consciousness) did for you as the reader. We all agree for the most part on what the narrator defines as courage. Although, I believe "enduring a situation that has been presented" is a sign of courage in my eyes. That is what perseverance is, and I believe that it goes hand in hand with courage. I like that you included an example, but a personal one could have added significantly to your post and the discussion.

Cristina

12/24/2013 03:32:59 am

As Steven said, the narrator defines courage as getting through tough times. I agree with this but I do not define courage so simply. There are many different ways to have courage or to be courageous. To be courageous , one must be able to do the right thing even when the right thing is the harder route, or stand up to their friends which is harder to do that standing up to enemies,in the words of Albus Dumbledor.

Cristina

12/24/2013 03:39:03 am

(Adding on) to have courage does not mean one must be a superhero or an upstanding citizen. You can be shy and still have courage. In the wizard of oz the lion says he is cowardly because things scare him or make him nervouse but this does not make him cowardly. But in the end he help Dorothy and he does the right thing which makes him feel like he has courage, but he had it all along. Anyone who can do the right thing or stand up for what they believe in has courage.

Tori

12/26/2013 05:41:43 am

I completely agree with how you are defining courage because I feel the same way. I believe that courage can be standing up for yourself, friends and who ever else. For example, how you said those things are harder to do when you're standing up to someone who may be an enemy. That is extremely true because standing up to someone who a person is scared of may be a frightening thought and it takes a lot of courage to do so.

Logan

12/27/2013 03:57:01 pm

I love how you say that courage does not necessarily mean that one is a superhero. That is what we were all working towards with our blogs, and you put it perfectly. Everyone has their own unique way of doing what they think is right, and it is important to recognize each individual as such.

Samantha

12/27/2013 04:46:00 pm

I like that you feel that being able to do the right thing or standing up to someone is a sign of courage. I did not think of courage as being able to stand up to someone or for yourself when first reading "Speaking of Courage". Even though I have not overcome my personal fear, I can say that, looking back, I have been in plenty of courageous situations by standing up for myself or to others.

Logan

12/24/2013 05:28:22 am

The narrator defines courage as powering through the situation that one is in at that very moment; however, I do not agree with this analysis. Courage is not a one-time character trait that comes out; it is a way of life. One is not simply courageous by performing a single or a few courageous acts, he or she must put in the extra step to be the hero without looking for any type of gratitude. In my opinion, courageousness is putting yourself on the line for someone else and not seeking any accolades.

Tori

12/26/2013 05:38:21 am

Logan, I really like your point that courage is not a one-time trait. That is entirely true and it definitely is a way of life. If a person is courageous they usually carry that trait with them throughout their whole life. I don't believe that being courageous necessarily means that you are putting yourself on the line for someone else all the time. As in my response I said I believed that courage could be facing what you are afraid of as well.

Cristina

12/26/2013 05:58:39 am

I really liked the " courage is nit a one time trait" statement as well. It is very true that you are not courageous by doing one thing or few things. But you do not have to be a hero to be courageous, while yes it is true that when you think of courageous people you think of firefighter or military or police force,that does not mean you need to be heroes like them to have courage. There are many people who are not vocalized that are courageous. One does not need to risk their lives to be courageous either,as Tori said. But I do believe that courageous people will not seek approval or accolade for their "good deeds"

Steven

12/27/2013 01:03:17 am

I believe that you are being a little rough on the way that you are viewing his analysis. Based off of your definition of courage, being out at war is one of the most courageous things you could do. However, in this vignette, Bowker is outside of the war and dealing with his own personal issues. Therefore, I can see the argument that you are trying to present.

Jess

12/28/2013 03:05:25 pm

I believe the same thing as you that courage isn't a one-time character trait that comes out. People might see you do something once but that does not mean that you have courage. It just meant you were once brave. Having courage is being able to repeat many brave actions, not looking to be thanked in the end.

Tori

12/24/2013 08:49:09 am

The narrator defines courage as pushing yourself to get through a tough time. He's saying that sometimes you just need to think about everything and the ways that you can get out of a certain situation. I think that courage has many different means. Personally I believe that courage is not really the absence of fear but more of the ability to face what you are afraid of. It is basically to stand up for whatever and be strong through it all and not be brought down by negative sources.

Cristina

12/26/2013 06:02:18 am

Tori,
I find it incredible that there are so many different suffixes to the prefix " courage is not the absence of fear..". So many different poets and authors have some up with their own definition of courage. I agree that having courage means to stand up and be strong and to not be downed by negative instigators. One must fight for what they believe in whole heartedly even if it goes against the status quo.

Steven

12/27/2013 01:08:07 am

I love how you say, "courage is not really the absence of fear but more of the ability to face what you are afraid of." I've never really viewed someone who was courageous as not having any fears, but rather being able to overcome the fear that is holding them back. I agree 100% with what you are trying to say here.

Logan

12/27/2013 03:55:31 pm

I completely agree with your take on this. I too believe that courage has many different meanings and it cannot be clearly defined. Each person is courageous in their own individual way and that is what makes the "world go 'round," as they say.

Christine

12/28/2013 03:47:48 am

I completely agree with you when you say that courage is being able to face your fears. It is sad to say that many people in our generation have difficulty standing up for what they believe in because it is not "socially acceptable." I rarely ever see people standing up for others nowadays. It is so unfortunate; however, when I do see people standing up for others, it not only touches my heart believing there is hope for our society, but it also inspires me to do something for someone else.

Jess

12/28/2013 03:08:50 pm

I like what you said that it's not the absence of fear but more of the ability to face what you are afraid of. I have never thought of it this way but your thought on it really inspired me. Being courageous seems like a much better attribute than being fearless because we should all have fears. Without fear we would be careless and not as cautious. This is where courage comes along. Courage can take over our fears and help overcome them so we can be stronger.

Samantha

12/27/2013 04:36:50 pm

The narrator in "Speaking of Courage" defines courage as having the ability to persevere through difficult times. I agree with the definition the narrator has given courage, but I believe there is more to it. Courage is also being able to face your fears and overcome them as well. One needs to build up enough strength in order to face their fear. Courage could also lead one to peace of mind. Overcoming a fear can be a big milestone in one's life. For example, I have a terrible fear of masks and mascots; I would really like to overcome this fear one day. I just feel like something is holding me back.

Christine

12/27/2013 05:21:24 pm

I really liked how you included an example in your post. I have a terrible fear of letting people in because I anticipate them leaving. Growing up, I really did not have a stable family and I think that has a lot to do with my fear of allowing people into my heart. As soon as I get close to someone, I see all of the potential ways they could leave me or hurt me and I end it before anything gets too serious. While this protects me, it really shows my lack of courage to try and stick through it, no matter how rough it could be. It is unfortunate that this is something that will probably take me years to overcome; however, when I do overcome it, I will be so incredibly proud of myself for being courageous.

Christine

12/27/2013 04:53:34 pm

The narrator defines courage as never giving up no matter how rough times might get. He believes that being courageous is staying strong even when it seems like all there is left to do is give up. It is a combination of determination and strength to persevere through a difficult situation that can easily define a person as courageous. Personally, I define courage as not only being strong for oneself; however, also being strong for others around you. Adding on, I also believe that courage means to sometimes sacrifice things in order for others around you to be safe.

Samantha

12/27/2013 05:16:52 pm

Strength is definitely needed when going through a difficult time. I like that you also added determination. I did not think of being strong for others as an act or courage before reading your post. As I said in my reply to Cristina, I, again, can say that I have been in tons of courageous situations without even realizing. Overall, your pot opened me eyes to a lot more ways of being courageous. Thank you.

Jess

12/28/2013 03:02:31 pm

Courage by the narrator of The Things They Carried is defined moreso by strength of character to be able to keep going and push through things rather than courage being strictly one decision. It is more than just the decision to do something. It is about being able to stick with the decision no matter how difficult it can be. Actions speak louder than words. To me, courage is defined by what is done rather than what is said, just like what the narrators opinion of courage is.

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Module 17 Discussion

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