Arguments on the topic of why courage is needed. Cowardice - arguments. “Courage and cowardice as an indicator of a person’s inner strength”

An example of a final essay on the topic “Courage and cowardice as an indicator inner strength"with examples from the literature.

“Courage and cowardice as an indicator of a person’s inner strength”

Introduction

Courage and cowardice originate deep within a person in childhood. Awareness of one's own spiritual power is the result of the upbringing and living conditions of a growing person. It is these two concepts that are responsible for how strong a person becomes, how prepared he will be for the life ahead.

Problem

The problem of courage and cowardice, which are indicators of a person’s inner spiritual strength and the strength of his character, is especially relevant in our time.

Thesis No. 1

Today, like several centuries ago, there are people who find the courage to confront the conditions environment. The cowardice of others does not allow them to change anything in life; they are so numb with fear of reality that they are ready to easily give up what they have.

Argumentation

So in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" we see two types of people in the example of Tikhon Kabanov and his wife Katerina. Tikhon is weak, he is cowardly, unable to fight the despotism of his mother. He cannot change anything in his life, although he is completely dissatisfied with it. Katerina finds in herself the strength and courage to resist the current circumstances, even at the cost own life. At least the reader has much more respect for Katerina than for her husband.

Conclusion

We must be strong so that in moments when it is necessary, we can withstand the blow of life or make vital decisions. Our inner courage will allow us to overcome any difficulties. You cannot allow cowardice to take precedence over your desires and aspirations.

Thesis No. 2

Attempts to overcome oneself, fighting one's own cowardice or cultivating courage within, can lead a person to complete collapse. Be that as it may, it is very important to live in harmony with yourself.

Argumentation

In the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky main character Rodion Raskolnikov tried to endow himself with qualities that were not inherent to him. He substituted concepts and considered cowardice what was actually the strength of his character. In trying to change himself, he destroyed the lives of many people, including his own.

Conclusion

You need to accept yourself as you are. If something really dissatisfies you, for example, you lack courage of character, then you need to fight spiritual cowardice gradually, preferably with the support of loved ones.

Thesis No. 3

Spiritual courage invariably gives rise to courage in action. Emotional cowardice foreshadows cowardice in action.

Argumentation

In the story by A.S. Pushkin's "The Captain's Daughter" we meet two heroes close in age and upbringing - Pyotr Grinev and Shvabrin. Only Grinev is the embodiment of courage and spiritual strength, which allowed him to overcome all life’s trials with dignity. And Shvabrin is a coward and a scoundrel, ready to sacrifice everyone around him for his own well-being.

Conclusion

A person who behaves with dignity, nobility and steadfastness undoubtedly has courage, a special inner core that helps solve newly emerging problems. He who is cowardly is helpless before the justice of life.

What is courage? Courage is a trait of a decisive person who is able to make serious decisions quickly and fearlessly. Literature, both domestic and foreign, is replete with examples of brave heroes who look fear in the eye without a drop of doubt. Courage helps people cope with difficulties by overcoming the barrier of fear. The many-wise Litrekon helps you cope with other difficulties, namely with the selection of examples from the literature for essay-reasoning 15.3 on the OGE in the Russian language.

  1. Hero of the story M. A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man” Andrei Sokolov shows courage throughout the war. He is able to overcome the fear of death, captivity, and battles. Even when he finds himself alone with his enemies, the hero is not timid and behaves with dignity. He is not afraid of any work - everything works out in Andrey’s hands. Sokolov is the personification of true courage, which became the main weapon of the Russian people in the Great Patriotic War.
  2. A. S. Pushkin in the novel “Dubrovsky” creates the image of the brave Vladimir, the main character. Dubrovsky is not afraid to do brave things in the name and for the sake of love. He is ready to take risks, hide his name, but be closer to Masha Troekurova. Love often makes people make fearless decisions. She is able to destroy all fears when it comes to dear person. Therefore, in the finale, Vladimir makes a desperate attempt to capture the well-guarded crew in order to save Marya. Thus, the source of courage is often a feeling of attachment to what is in danger.
  3. N.V. Gogol in the story “Taras Bulba” creates images of Cossacks, all of them fearless, ready to give their lives for the Sich, for the Cossacks. Such are the sons of Taras. Ostap, the eldest son, strove to defend the honor to the last native land and accepted death without fear or reproach. Andriy showed courage not only on the battlefield, but also during the harsh, fatal meeting with his father. The hero, like his brother, fearlessly accepted death, but from his own hand.
  4. “Woe from Wit” by A. S. Griboyedov shows us examples brave actions. For example, Chatsky is not afraid to speak the truth to everyone Famusov society. The hero boldly criticizes the country's conservatism, its hypocrites, and bureaucrats. On the contrary, Molchalin is an example of extraordinary cowardice in front of “big” people. In such a clear contrast, the beauty of courage and all the baseness of cowardice appear most clearly.
  5. Pyotr Grinev, hero " The captain's daughter» A. S. Pushkina, reveals himself as a brave warrior. He is honest with his own conscience, honest with his colleagues and the empress. Grinev fearlessly expresses his opinion to Pugachev, knowing full well that his life depends on the words spoken to the robber. However, the risk does not stop Grinev - he remains a brave and honest officer even under the threat of physical harm.
  6. « A Word about Igor's Campaign"is one of the most ancient works of Russian literature that have reached us. It is in this text that the strength and legendary courage of Russian soldiers is shown. Igor and his army fight bravely, fearing neither captivity nor death in the battle with the nomads. Their courage, however, is unfounded. The heroes simply pursued glory in battle, but achieved the loss of many warriors and their own freedom. Any courage needs to be used wisely; it cannot be given to it recklessly.
  7. "Song of Prophetic Oleg» also reminds us of distant history Russian state. Oleg, believing the predictions of the sorcerers and magicians, decided to protect his horse from himself: it was from him that the prince was destined to die. However, after the death of the horse, Oleg laughed at the predictions and boldly went to the grave of the war horse. It was here that his death from a snake awaited him. This example reminds us that reckless courage can lead to dire consequences.
  8. Poem by M. Yu. Lermontov “Borodino” tells about the fearlessness of Russian soldiers during Patriotic War 1812. Then many brave fighters died on the battlefield, their feat was forever recorded in history. M. Yu. Lermontov presents all the events of those years as simple story, conversation between uncle and young man. But it is precisely thanks to this form of presentation that we, readers, more clearly imagine the courage of our ancestors, who did not spare their lives for the sake of victory.
  9. Tatyana Larina, heroine p Ushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin", acted truly bravely, revealing her feelings to Eugene. In those days it was risky for a girl to confess young man in love. Tatyana was not afraid, she destroyed existing stereotypes, fighting for her happiness. Although the girl was rejected by her lover, she did not regret her courage in important point her life. This act became the most valuable life lesson for her.
  10. In the fairy-tale poem by A. S. Pushkin “Ruslan and Lyudmila” the main character, along with other daredevils, fearlessly goes in search of his beloved. Lyudmila was kidnapped after her wedding to Ruslan, and the young man saved his wife without a shadow of a doubt. All the obstacles that arose on Ruslan’s path only fueled his courage and desire to find Lyudmila. Thanks to his courage, the hero managed to thwart evil forces and destroy the insidious plans of his enemies.

Topics for the final essay 2017 - 2018

"Courage and Cowardice." At the core this direction lies 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 both heroes capable of courageous actions and characters demonstrating weakness of spirit and lack of will are presented.

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 not to be discouraged 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.

  1. In battle those most exposed to danger are those who are most possessed by fear; courage is like a wall. (Sallust)
  2. Courage replaces fortress walls. (Sallust)
  3. To be brave means to consider everything that is scary as distant and everything that inspires courage as close. (Aristotle)
  4. Heroism is an artificial concept, because courage is relative. (F. Bacon)
  5. Others show courage without having it, but there is no person who would demonstrate wit if he were not naturally witty. (J. Halifax)
  6. Real courage rarely comes without stupidity. (F. Bacon)
  7. Ignorance makes people bold, but reflection makes people indecisive. (Thucydides)
  8. Knowing in advance what you want to do gives you courage and ease. (D. Diderot)
  9. It is not for nothing that courage is considered the highest virtue - after all, courage is the guarantee of others positive qualities. (W. Churchill)
  10. Courage is the resistance to fear, not the absence of it. (M. Twain)
  11. Happy is he who boldly takes under his protection what he loves. (Ovid)
  12. Creativity requires courage. (A. Matisse)
  13. It takes a lot of courage to bring bad news to people. (R. Branson)
  14. The success of science is a matter of time and courage of mind. (Voltaire)
  15. To use your own reason requires remarkable courage. (E. Burke)
  16. Fear can make a daredevil timid, but it gives courage to the indecisive. (O. Balzac)
  17. Courage is the beginning of victory. (Plutarch)
  18. Courage, bordering on recklessness, contains more madness than fortitude. (M. Cervantes)
  19. When you are afraid, act boldly and you will avoid worse troubles. (G. Sachs)
  20. To be completely devoid of courage, one must be completely devoid of desires. (Helvetius K.)
  21. It is easier to find people who voluntarily go to death than those who patiently endure pain. (Yu. Caesar)
  22. He who is courageous is brave. (Cicero)
  23. 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)
  24. Excessive courage is the same vice as excessive timidity. (B. Johnson)
  25. 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)
  26. 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)
  27. Cowardice is knowing what you should do and not doing it. (Confucius)
  28. Fear makes the smart stupid and the strong weak. (F. Cooper)
  29. A fearful dog barks more than he bites. (Curtius)
  30. More soldiers always die when fleeing than in battle. (S. Lagerlöf)
  31. Fear is a bad teacher. (Pliny the Younger)
  32. Fear arises due to the powerlessness of the spirit. (B. Spinoza)
  33. Frightened - half defeated. (A.V. Suvorov)
  34. Cowards speak most about courage, and scoundrels speak most about nobility. (A.N. Tolstoy)
  35. Cowardice is inertia that prevents us from asserting our freedom and independence in relationships with others. (I. Fichte)
  36. Cowards die many times before death, the brave die only once. (W. Shakespeare)
  37. 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)
  38. Love doesn't go well with fear. (N. Machiavelli)
  39. You cannot love either the one you fear or the one who fears you. (Cicero)
  40. Courage is like love: it needs to be fueled by hope. (N. Bonaparte)
  41. Perfect love casts out fear, because in fear there is torment; he who fears is not perfect in love. (Apostle John)
  42. A person fears only what he does not know; knowledge conquers all fear. (V. G. Belinsky)
  43. A coward is more dangerous than any other person; he should be feared most of all. (L. Berne)
  44. There is nothing worse than fear itself. (F. Bacon)
  45. Cowardice can never be moral. (M. Gandhi) A coward sends threats only when he is sure of safety. (I. Goethe)
  46. You can never live happily when you are always trembling with fear. (P. Holbach)
  47. Cowardice is very harmful because it keeps the will from useful actions. (R. Descartes)
  48. We consider a coward to be a coward who allows his friend to be insulted in his presence. (D. Diderot)
  49. Cowardice in its prime turns into cruelty. (G. Ibsen)
  50. He who fearfully worries about losing his life will never rejoice in it. (I. Kant)
  51. With courage you can do anything, but not everything can be done. (N. Bonaparte)
  52. 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")

Having gone through many texts to prepare for the Unified State Exam in the Russian language, we have identified the main problems encountered there. For each of them we have selected relevant arguments from the literature. All of them are available for download in table form, link at the end of the article.

  1. B.L. Vasiliev, “And the dawns here are quiet.” The weaker sex and the hellish war - now so harsh life situation easy to imagine. Boris Vasiliev in this story talks about the war with Nazi Germany. In order to stop the invaders, the main character, the commandant of a small military unit, Fedot Vaskov, takes on a mission five brave girls, anti-aircraft gunners: Rita, Zhenya, Sonya, Lisa and Galya. They left a quiet life in the rear for the sake of protecting the Motherland. Rita's husband was waiting little son and a sick mother. Lisa - dad and studying at a technical school. Sonya - big family and university. The war took away not only their happiness, but also their lives. Such a high price did not stop the fragile girls. They were not afraid that they would have to agree to any conditions just to destroy the enemy. Each girl died for the free future of the people and did not regret her choice. On the contrary, she courageously and heroically fought the Germans for the sake of a peaceful future.
  2. T.N Teterskaya, “Captured by Siege Childhood.” The writer survived the blockade in Leningrad. The work is based on biographical material. War greatly affects people. If an adult’s psyche breaks down, it’s scary to imagine what happens to a child’s. Small children and war are truly a heartbreaking sight from which you cannot hold back your tears. This St. Petersburg novel tells how unhappy women try to hide and feed two small defenseless children. Too many troubles fell on the fragile shoulders of the two sisters. They undertake real feats: to carry food under strict control, risking their lives. All these sacrifices are made in order to bring the children at least a small crumb of food and preserve the life given to them. The book also tells about the harsh life after the trials, which also reveals the courage of the Russian people who fought even in the rear.
  3. Olga Gromova, “Sugar Baby”. The book describes the difficult 30s - 40s in the USSR. The father of the little girl Eli was recognized as an enemy of the people, he ends up in the NKVD. Now mother and daughter are forced to exist in the camp of Kyrgyzstan CHSIR (family members of traitors to the Motherland) and SOE (socially dangerous elements). At the age of five, Elya had already experienced firsthand what war and repression were, and as a result, she learned what incessant illness, hunger, cold and poverty were. But these life trials did not break the woman and her little daughter. They gained patience and courage to follow the main rule of their lives: never be afraid of anything. Thus, they conquered fear and remained kind people and tried to somehow brighten up the terrible days in the camp: they sang songs, read poems and continued to truly care and love each other.

Showing courage for...

goals

  1. Stephen King, The Green Mile. The novel is narrated from the perspective of a former federal prison warden, Paul Edgecombe. In block “E” there are criminals sentenced to death by electric chair. An innocent man named John Coffey finds himself in this terrible place. He is accused of raping and murdering two twin girls. Criminals cannot be released from prison, but Paul Edgecombe breaks this rule because he discovered John has a gift. It turned out that the condemned man can heal people. The warden's wife, Melinda Moores, is dying of cancer. Paul realizes that John Coffey does not have long to live, as does the boss's wife. This pushes him to take a big risk: to bring John to Melinda to heal her. This act was a courageous decision, because the man could not only lose his job, but also go to jail.
  2. In the novel M. A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita" the heroine shows unprecedented courage by agreeing to a deal with Satan. She does this for the only important goal - to find and return the Master. A woman experiences pain, fear, disgust, but still achieves her goal, overcoming herself. Moreover, she had the strength to give up her dream to save Frida. However, the devil appreciated the spiritual riches of his prom queen and rewarded her with eternal peace with the Master. It is courage that helps people achieve what they want.
  3. justice

    1. A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter". As we remember, Pugachev’s soldiers quickly took Belgorod fortress. Petya Grinev, the main character of the work, endured many different trials: Civil War, death of the commandant, massacres. Faced with a choice between death and betrayal, he could have gone over to Pugachev’s side, as his neighbor Shvabrin did, but no. The officer gained courage and bravery to remain true to his duty. When the enemy demanded an immediate answer to the question whether Grinev recognized him as king, he replied: “I am a natural nobleman; I swore allegiance to the Empress: I cannot serve you.” Peter did not chicken out, but maintained a fair order, not sparing his life.
    2. L.N. Tolstoy "Father Sergius". The main character is subjected to severe trials, as if he is walking on the edge of holiness and vice. A striking example courage in Leo Tolstoy's story is the protagonist's desire not to succumb to temptation. Father Sergius was pushed into sin by an allegedly lost girl who came to his cell with the goal of seducing and killing his desire and hopes for a great gift - to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Thanks to perseverance and courage, the hero was able to prevent thoughts that could come true and lead dire consequences. In order not to succumb to the alluring deception, the man cut off his finger. This act greatly shocked the girl, she felt ashamed and in order to beg God’s forgiveness, she became a nun.
    3. A.N Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”. In the play, the author touches on a family problem: married woman succumbs to sin. Katerina, main character works, succumbed to feelings, passions and cheated on her husband, Tikhon. But for a God-fearing girl, advice is not an empty phrase. The emotional distress becomes unbearable, and Katerina musters up the courage to admit her wrongdoing. She talks about a terrible event in the temple. She is not stopped by the fact that for the sake of justice she will lose her faithful husband, forever lose her reputation and never marry again. Katerina, despite all this, chose justice. She found the strength to confess. The truth may be painful to hear, but it is much better than living a lie.
    4. love

      1. Jack London "Martin Eden". Fisherman Martin Eden, the main character of the novel, falls in love with a girl named Ruth from an educated and wealthy family. In order to gain the attention of his beloved, he begins to read a lot of books, study poetry, teach different languages. Martin had no luck for a long time, his studies were difficult, they didn’t want to publish his work in magazines, and those around him thought that he was doing nonsense. In order to make money, Martin worked hard physical work. After a long wait, Martin was offered to print his own works. An adult man went to such lengths to win the affection of his beloved and please her parents. The hero had enormous power will, courage, it was these qualities that helped him achieve his own goal.
      2. M.A. Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”. Bulgakov's novel tells the story of a brave and persistent woman who is driven by love. For the sake of a wonderful feeling, she not only found the strength to part with her husband and leave a rich apartment with a housekeeper. Margarita was able to sell her soul to the devil in order to find out whether the master was alive or not. Having made the deal, she turned into a witch. This reincarnation helped her take revenge on the critic Latunsky. The woman completely destroyed his apartment. After all, the critic was able to ensure that the novel was not published, and this news ruined the master, made him unhappy, and he ended up in a hospital for the mentally ill. The hero is lucky that he has such a devoted lover who is not afraid to do everything necessary for the well-being of her chosen one. Woland returned the burned novel about Pontius Pilate and gave the lovers eternal peace.
      3. A.I. Kuprin “Garnet bracelet”. The main character, Vera Nikolaevna Sheina, receives a gift from an old admirer on her name day - Garnet bracelet. This anonymous person turns out to be Georgy Zheltkov, an official who has had the warmest feelings for Vera for a very long time. The man gains the courage to send this gift and tell her husband about his feelings. But the woman made it clear that without Zheltkov her life would be much calmer. Then he asks her to listen to Beethoven's Sonata No. 2. Meanwhile, he gives the garnet bracelet that was returned to the owner and asks him to hang it on the icon. Mother of God. Then he locked himself in his room and took his own life. This is a truly courageous act that only a few are capable of.
      4. Courage misused

        1. F.M. Dostoevsky, “Crime and Punishment.” Not all thoughts that come to people's minds are good. One of the terrible thoughts visited the main character of the novel, Rodion Raskolnikov. He decided that he needed to kill the old pawnbroker. The young man decides that this act can completely change his life. There will be no poverty, and sister Duna will not have to marry a vile man. However, everything does not go according to plan. Yes, Raskolnikov plucked up courage and committed murder. But because of this act, absolutely innocent people suffered: the old woman, her younger sister, who was pregnant, and Raskolnikov himself, because he actually did not kill the old woman, but himself. The main thing is that the hero, having gone through subconscious torment, found the strength to admit what he had done. In a word, courage does not always help a person; it can help the force that destroys him from the inside.
        2. In the epic novel by M. Sholokhov “Quiet Don” the main character showed courage throughout the entire story, but in the finale he came to the conclusion that he had in vain allowed the war to tear him away from his home. All his courage was wasted, because even Gregory himself did not know where his enemies were. He changed sides of the barricades, not understanding where the truth was, for which it was worth courageously going to the end. Everywhere there were friends, fellow villagers, fellow citizens, and not occupiers and invaders. Having used strength and courage against them, Melekhov lost himself, becoming completely confused in life.

        Lack of courage

        1. N.V. Gogol “The Inspector General”. In the comedy the author talks about Anton Antonovich a mayor who is terribly afraid of the arrival of the Inspector General. He begins to stubbornly prepare for his arrival, but the stupid city landowners, Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky, mistake him for the Inspector General. ordinary person. However, Anton Antonovich tries hard to create a good impression. He lends to Khlestakov as much as he asks. He also gives him the best room, generously feeds his servant and the “official” himself. The mayor is ready to sacrifice not only material goods for the sake of a good impression and in order to avoid inspection. He neglects the wedding blessing only daughter and "The Inspector".
        2. In the play A. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" Tikhon did not have the courage to resist the despotism of his mother, who humiliated his beloved wife. The man preferred to sneak out of the house, abuse alcohol and forget himself, rather than solve the problem in the family. Even his wife was a more decisive and strong-willed person. She began a rebellion against conventions and old rules, which ended in her death. Only then did the cowardly and cowardly Tikhon dare to raise his voice against his mother, but it was already too late. Because of his insolvency, the family was destroyed.

FIPI commentary on “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, both heroes capable of bold actions and characters who demonstrate weakness of spirit and lack of will."

Recommendations for students:
The table presents works that reflect any concept related to the direction “Courage and Cowardice.” You DO NOT need to read all of the works listed. You may have already read a lot. Your task is to conduct an audit of your reading knowledge and, if you discover a lack of arguments within a particular direction, fill in the existing gaps. In this case you will need this information. Think of it as a guide in the vast world of literary works. Please note: the table shows only a portion of the works that contain the problems we need. This does not mean at all that you cannot make completely different arguments in your work. For convenience, each work is accompanied by small explanations (third column of the table), which will help you navigate exactly how, through which characters, you will need to rely on literary material(the second mandatory criterion when assessing a final essay)

An approximate list of literary works and carriers of problems in the direction of “Courage and Cowardice”

Direction Sample list of literary works Carriers of the problem
Courage and cowardice L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" Andrey Bolkonsky, Captain Tushin, Kutuzov- courage and heroism in war. Zherkov- cowardice, the desire to be in the rear.
A. S. Pushkin. "Captain's daughter" Grinev, Captain Mironov's family, Pugachev– courageous in their actions and aspirations. Shvabrin- a coward and a traitor.
M. Yu. Lermontov “Song about the merchant Kalashnikov” Merchant Kalashnikov boldly goes out to duel with Kiribeevich, defending his wife’s honor.
A.P. Chekhov. "About love" Alekhine afraid to be happy because it requires courage to overcome social rules and stereotypes.
A.P. Chekhov. "Man in a Case" Belikov afraid to live, because “something might not work out.”
M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin " The wise minnow» The fairy-tale hero The Wise Minnow chose fear as his life strategy. He decided to be afraid and be careful, because this is the only way to outwit the pikes and not get caught in the fishermen's nets.
A. M. Gorky “Old Woman Izergil” Danko took it upon himself to lead people out of the forest and save them.
V. V. Bykov “Sotnikov” Sotnikov(courage), Fisherman(cowardice, betrayed the partisans).
V. V. Bykov “Obelisk” Teacher Frost courageously fulfilled his duty as a teacher and remained with his students.
M. Sholokhov. "The Fate of Man" Andrey Sokolov(the embodiment of courage at all stages life path). But along this path there were also cowards (the episode in the church when Sokolov strangled a man who intended to give the names of communists to the Germans).
B. Vasiliev “And the dawns here are quiet” Girls from Sergeant Major Vaskov's platoon, who took part in an unequal battle with German saboteurs.
B. Vasiliev. “Not on the lists” Nikolay Pluzhnikov courageously resists the Germans, even when he remains the only defender of the Brest Fortress.

The topic “Courage and Cowardice” is proposed among other topics for the final essay on literature for graduates of 2020. Many great people have discussed these two phenomena. “Courage is the beginning of victory,” Plutarch once said. “The city takes courage,” A.V. Suvorov agreed with him many centuries later. And some even made provocative statements on this topic: “True courage rarely comes without stupidity” (F. Bacon). Be sure to include such quotes in your work - it will have a positive effect on your grade, as will mentioning examples from history, literature or real life.

What to write about in an essay on this topic? You can consider courage and cowardice as abstract concepts in their broadest sense, think about them as two sides of the coin of one person, about the truth and falsity of these feelings. Write about how courage can be a manifestation of excessive self-confidence, that there is a direct connection between selfishness and cowardice, but rational fear and cowardice are not the same thing.

A popular topic for thought is cowardice and courage in extreme conditions, for example, in war, when the most important and previously hidden human fears are exposed, when a person shows character traits previously unknown to others and to himself. Or vice versa: even the most positive people in an emergency situation they may show cowardice. Here it would be useful to talk about heroism, feat, desertion and betrayal.

As part of this essay, you can write about courage and cowardice in love, as well as in your mind. Here it would be appropriate to recall willpower, the ability to say “no,” the ability or inability to defend one’s opinion. You can talk about a person’s behavior when making decisions or learning something new, leaving their comfort zone, and the courage to admit their mistakes.

Other directions of the final essay.