Conclusion

From this tapestry project, I believe that I have learned a lot about the virtue of courage and its effects on people and their emotions.Courage to some is one of the most important things in the world. It is the start of all virtues If the person doesn't have a positive influence in their life, it would be hard for them to gain enough courage to survive or speak out without having fear be present. Emotion can have a very big part in courage also, by overwhelming fear, courage is free to take charge and set things on the right course.


While sometimes fear can distort the appearance of courage, it always manages to be overcome. Although fear will always be with us, everything we do or decide on will be based on how much courage we have to carry through with the plan. Alternate interpretations of and perspectives on courage can warp or effect our social values. Fear can sometimes be paralyzing and can leave us out cold, but with the help of Courage and Bravery we can overcome fear to rise to the challenge and defeat our enemies.

Poem & Poem Reflection

Fear no more the heat o' the sun;
Nor the furious winter's rages,
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages;
Golden lads and girls all must,
As chimney sweepers come to dust.

Fear no more the frown of the great,
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke:
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,
Nor the all-dread thunder-stone;
Fear not slander, censure rash;
Thou hast finished joy and moan;
All lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

No exorciser harm thee!
Nor no witchcraft charm thee!
Ghost unlaid forbear thee!
Nothing ill come near thee!
Quiet consummation have;
And renowned be thy grave! 


William Shakespeare 
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Courage is a lot about overcoming or adjusting to fear, but it is also realizing fear. Fear can paralyze even the strongest of warriors, it is true that illusions or hallucinations contribute to fear. For example: When you are watching a horror movie, your mind begins to work into it. That you yourself are living the movie and even when the movie ends your mind continues that the horrors are real. So in short, fear does takes full control at times.

The poem "Fear no more" by William Shakespeare firmly illustrates the illusion of fear and its power. Many people tend to be afraid of ordinary things like the dark or ghosts, and yet these are figments of our imagination and we completely make them up, to not intentionally scare ourselves. For this reason, fear has an overcoming power over the imagination.

Film & Film Reflection

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe takes place in the pit of 1940 during the Blitz, and main characters Lucy, Edmund, Peter, and Susan are evacuated from London to live in a country house with a Professor. While exploring the house, Lucy finds an unusual wardrobe in which she decides to explore, she finds the magical land of Narnia. She meets Mr. Tumnus and they become friends, while the White Witch befriends Edmund and tricks him into bringing his siblings into Narnia so that she can kill them to stay queen.The children and the Beavers meet with Aslan, the lion, and his army. Peter engages in his first battle, killing a wolf who threatens Susan.
       The Witch approaches to speak with Aslan, insisting that according to "deep magic from the dawn of time" she has the right to execute Edmund as a traitor. Aslan speaks with her privately and persuades her to renounce her claim on Edmund's life. That evening, Aslan secretly leaves the camp, but is followed by Lucy and Susan. Aslan has bargained to exchange his own life for Edmund's. The Witch ties Aslan to the Stone Table and then kills him with a knife. The following morning Aslan is restored to life.
Aslan allows Lucy and Susan to ride on his back as he hurries to the Witch's castle. There he breathes upon the statues, restoring them to life. Peter and Edmund lead the Narnian army in a battle against the White Witch's army but are losing. Aslan arrives with the former statues as reinforcements. The Narnians rout the evil army, and Aslan kills the Witch.
 

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is both a compelling novel and film, lots of courage is shared in this novel. For example, when the children's mother sends them to live in the countryside of London, it takes an enormous amount of courage for her to let her children go without her. Even though its for the better because they aren't safe in their situation at home, it still takes courage for her to send them off and then stay in a war torn place. 

Aslan also represents courage throughout the film, he rescues the children from the White Witch many times and is the proclaimer of peace through Narnia. Also zodiac signs indicate that "Leo the lion" is a symbol of courage and bravery, following the zodiac, anyone who is born the days of the sign will inherit the traits of that zodiac.

Book & Book Reflection

'The Suitcase'

The Arrival is a migrant story told as a series of wordless images that might seem to come from a long forgotten time. A man leaves his wife and child in an impoverished town, seeking better prospects in an unknown country on the other side of a vast ocean. He eventually finds himself in a bewildering city of foreign customs, peculiar animals, curious floating objects and indecipherable languages. With nothing more than a suitcase and a handful of currency, the immigrant must find a place to live, food to eat and some kind of gainful employment. He is helped along the way by sympathetic strangers, each carrying their own unspoken history: stories of struggle and survival in a world of incomprehensible violence, upheaval and hope.


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The book "The Arrival" shows a tremendous amount of bravery and fear. The story begins with the main character, a man, packing his suitcase to leave his family. Even by this point in time we can tell that courage is a excessive feature. The man is making a decision to leave his family for a hope of a better life, it takes courage to leave the place you are used to even though it may be in a hopeless situation, it's still a place that you know. His wife and child also have courage for letting him go into a strange place to survive and they might not even see him again. They accept that if he leaves they must stay behind in the terrible place that they live and must learn to cope until he sends for them. In the illustrations, you see that the man has travelled very far across a vast ocean to arrive in the new strange place, where he doesn't speak, write, or understand the language. It takes courage for him to travel to this place alone to find work and to escape his situation back home. On the way he meets many different people who have stories of their own about the danger they have escaped, and how they came to the strange land just like him. 


This source connects with my quote because this man is very afraid of this new world and he stuggles to keep up with the customs and the spirit of the city, but the kindness of strangers have helped him to succeed in this strange place. 

Quote & Reflection 2

Fear of the unknown is
the greatest fear of humankind,
and death the greatest unknown.
Acknowledging these doubts and the fears
is a powerful beginning.
It is liberating to say,
"Yes, I don't know, and yes, I am afraid."
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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When dealing with bravery and courage, it is important that fear will be included in the equation. Acknowledging fear in an action is just as important as overcoming it. Fear takes a toll on all things, whether it be from a scary movie or from a life threatening situation. The idea of fear controls our mind, the thought of the unknown practically paralyzes us, we are often too scared to make mistakes or to try new things, or going on daring adventures. Mainly, people are persuaded by fear to stay in their comfort zone and not to leave,because this place is their safe haven, the one domicile where they feel safe, secure, and homely.

This quote represents my theme very well because acknowledging fear is the biggest step to reaching courage. Courage can not exist without the emotion of fear, people are even taught at a young age to resent courage and to not oppress the higher power. For example in the movie "V for Vendetta", the world is ruled by a fascist government, who teaches the children in school to never go against the government, always fear the higher power, not to have the courage to burden the government.

"Go to work, get married, have some kids, pay your taxes, pay your bills, watch your T.V., follow fashion, act normal, OBEY THE LAW. And repeat after me: I am free." - V (V for Vendetta)

Essay & Essay Reflection

Courage Theme: To Kill A Mockingbird
Harper Lee illustrates the theme of courage in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. The book takes place in a southern town in Alabama. Most of the townspeople are racist in their views against black people. The story is narrated in first person by a young girl nick-named Scout. Her father, Atticus Finch, plays an important part in the story by defending a black person in court. This novel presents two children growing up in a biased community, often discriminated themselves, because of their father's views. Lee portrays courage in the characters of Atticus Finch, Mrs. Dubose and Boo Radley.

It takes courage for Atticus Finch to go against people's beliefs in order to do what he believes was morally right. The racist views of the town are against Atticus defending Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman, and Atticus is often discriminated against for not agreeing with them. His children, Scout and Jem, also feel the hatred of others against them because of what their father's beliefs are. "But Mrs. Dubose held us: "'Not only a Finch waiting tables, but one in the courthouse lawing for niggers' ... 'Your father's no better than the niggers and trash he works for.'" Although Atticus is criticized for what he decides is right, he bravely ignores the disapprobation.

Mrs. Dubose is courageous because she recognizes she has a flaw and that she has to help fix it to make it go away. She is addicted to Morphine and makes a goal to die free from her weakness. She goes through a withdrawal period that is difficult to survive. "Her head moved slowly from side to side. From time to time she would open her mouth wide, and I could see her tongue undulate faintly. Cords of saliva would collect on her lips; she would draw them in, than open her mouth again. Her mouth seemed to have a private existence of its own." She finishes her goal before she dies, although she dies almost right after she becomes free. It takes a great amount of self-confidence to be able to recognize that one has a flaw and even more to do something about it. 
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The impression that courage gives is that fear is not present, or not apparent. We also tend to make the assumption that courage is only the emotion of bravery, but this is wrongly assumed. Courage is used by all emotions, in fact courage is one of the few virtues that uses a array of emotions. Fear, pride, love, stubborness, loyalty, and trust can all contribute to bravery and courage. For example in the book "The Princess Bride", Westley is overcome with love for Buttercup, so he sets after her while he is alo destined to become the Dread Pirate Roberts.


In "To Kill A Mockingbird", Atticus Finch takes on the case of a young black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a young white woman. Atticus believes that Tom should be givena fair trial, so he gathers information to prove Tom innocent, Atticus demonstrates courage by opposing the racical views of the community, I think he eventually cares and believes in Tom with the evidence that he's recieved about the case. Atticus' emotions influence him to have courage in his case and to tough it out.

Movie & Movie Reflection

On the African savanna, a lion cub is born to the King and Queen. When the young cub is born it pushes the king's brother Scar down the line to receive the throne. In jealous rage, Scar plots with the hyenas to have the young cub (Simba) and father (Mufasa), to make himself king. Mufasa is led into a wildebeest stampede by Scar, who had placed Simba in the middle to lure Mufasa in. Mufasa saves his son, but at the cost of his own life. Scar then tricks Simba into thinking that the death of his father was his fault, and Simba runs off into the dessert. After years of exile he is persuaded to return home to overthrow his evil uncle Scar and reclaim the throne.
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The excerpt from the film, "The Lion King" that I will be using is very close to the beginning. You could call it the 'rising action' of the film. This part is when Simba and Nala are young cubs, who are in the accompaniment of Zazu, the King's messenger, to the water hole. The young cubs trick Zazu to be left behind while they go to explore an elephant graveyard. While they are there, they are confronted by the three hyenas Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed. Who chase the cubs and Zazu into their lair. Just as they are going to attack Mufasa protects Simba and Nala, and chases off the hyenas.
They are walking back to Pride Rock when Mufasa takes Simba aside and says ;
"Simba I am very disappointed in you."
"I know.."
"You could have been killed, you deliberately disobeyed me, and whats worse you put Nala in danger!"
"I was just trying to be brave like you."
"I'm only brave when I have to be, Simba being brave doesn't mean you looking for trouble."
"But you're not scared of anything!"
"I was today, I thought I might loose you."
"..Oh, I guess kings get scared too, huh?"

Courage is mainly based on fear and the power ro overcome it. In this part of the film, Simba learns a very valuable lesson from Mufasa. He learned that even though his father is very brave, he also has fears that he must overcome in order to have the courage that he has. If you search for 'courage' in the dictionary, it is defined as;
 "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, and pain without fear; bravery"
"the power or quality of dealing with or facing fear."

Even though Simba thinks he is brave and goes off to find trouble, and finds that his courage is flawed when confronted with danger. Simba's mentality is that kings are brave all the time and never fear danger, but this is obviously flawed because Mufasa has many fears that he must overcome in order to be brave. Simba learns this lesson and practices it near the end of the movie by going back to Pride Rock to challenge his evil Uncle Scar.