How Does Tim O Brien Show Courage

Chase Ross AmEx Block 1 04/08/24 Legacy of Courage Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated, “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” Roosevelt depicts that courage is not necessarily fearlessness, but rather one’s ability to prioritize something more important than their fears or worries. Courage is when all odds are against somebody, yet they still seek to help someone or strive towards accomplishment, even if it means inevitable failure. Such acts of selflessness represent a strong, disciplined character and have defined many prominent individuals throughout history for their heroic acts. Many of these individuals made sacrifices that demonstrated their courage, presenting influences …show more content…
In Tim O’Brien’s novel, The Things They Carried, O’Brien feels conflicted by his drafting of the Vietnam War, yet pushes forward because he knows he has to face his troubles rather than run away from them. O’Brien states that “[he] felt paralyzed”. All around [him], the options seemed to be narrowing, as if [he] were hurtling down a huge black funnel, the whole world squeezing in tight. There was no happy way out” (O’Brien 41). O’Brien illustrates overcoming his fear of fighting in the war by accepting what he must do and doing the most within his situation’s constraints. These factors demonstrate courage because he commits himself to face the fear of dying in war and override it with the obligations of having to attend the war because of his draft. A historical example that also illustrates the topic of facing one’s fears for the betterment of others is present in the heroism of New York City firefighters during the 9/11 incident involving the destruction of the World Trade Center. During the “9/11: One Day in America” documentary, Jay Jonas, the Captain of the New York City Fire Department, reflected on the commitment he and his fellow firefighters made in saving those from the North Tower. Jonas stated that at that moment, “Our orders were to go upstairs in the North Tower for search and rescue. …show more content…
One example that portrays courage not necessarily carried out by one’s physical actions is Jack Kirby’s publication of the first Captain America comic: “For the cover of the first issue, Kirby drew his hero decking Hitler with a good right hook. The comic came out on December 20, 1940 [...] This was a time when 93% of Americans opposed entering the war” (“What you need to know about Captain America’s real secret identity”). Despite the isolationist identity of America during Captain America’s publication, Kirby wanted to stand up for his hatred towards anti-semitism and effectively accomplished this by publishing such a controversial drawing on the cover of his comic. This bold statement from Kirby’s didn’t just require courage but also self-confidence to follow through despite the consequences. An additional situation where one’s work effectively established an individual’s courage through their work has to do with Queen Liliuokalani’s petition against the Annexation of Hawaii: “I Liliuokalani of Hawaii, named heir apparent on the 10th of April 1877, and proclaimed Queen of the Hawaiian Islands on the 29th of January, 1891, do hereby earnestly and respectfully protest against the assertion of ownership by the United States of America [...]” (Letter from Queen Liluokalani to the House of Representatives).

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