Arguments on whether it is possible to overcome cowardice. Arguments on the problem of courage, bravery and heroism for the essay on the Unified State Examination in the Russian language. What are arguments for?

18.08.2020

The problems we found related to cowardice are often found in texts for preparing for the Unified State Exam in the Russian language. Arguments from domestic literature, selected to these problems, will help graduates write a high-quality argumentative essay. All these examples are available for download in table format. Link at the end of the article.

In the novel M.A. Bulgakov "The Master and Margarita" Pontius Pilate was a victim of his own cowardice. He was faced with a choice: to listen to his mind or to his heart, to save the poor philosopher Yeshua or to condemn him to death, maintaining authority and balance in the city. Fear of the Synendrion and the high priest Caiaphas turned out to be stronger than one’s own will and desire to save the innocent. Because of the Hegemon's cowardice and fear of his future, Ga-Notsri is subjected to unfair reprisals. After his execution, Pontius Pilate suffers from remorse and does not find peace of mind for two thousand years.
The main character novel by A.S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin" Despite his inconsistency and ambiguity, he can well be called a cowardly person. Eugene could easily refuse a duel with his close comrade, Vladimir Lensky, but did not do this. He, as a secular man, was afraid to shake the respect of society by refusing to duel. The main character was unable to present himself in secular circles as a weak, weak-willed person who was afraid of battle. He didn't want to be the object of ridicule and gossip. In fact, because of his cowardice in front of society, another person died. Evgeniy himself did not know how to forgive himself for this, so he did not find happiness in life.
If your problem concerns cowardice in love, then we have a whole one for it.

Fear in war

In the story “Sotnikov” by V. Bykov the antipode of the main character, Rybak, being cowardly, agrees to join the ranks of the policemen - henchmen of the invaders. Hoping to return to the partisan detachment at an opportunity, he made a deal with his conscience. “The opportunity to live has appeared - this is the main thing. Everything else will come later,” the partisan reasoned. Without thinking at all about the future fate of his homeland, he does everything to survive. Survive at any cost. A sense of patriotism, duty and responsibility to the fatherland does not awaken in him. The fisherman lost faith and failed to accept suffering for his people, as Sotnikov did. Shameful cowardice and cowardice are the main features of this hero, which led him to moral decline.
Main character V. Rasputin's story “Live and Remember” also fails to cope with the difficult period of the war. He deserts from the front. Driving past his home, the soldier who fought honestly cannot stand it. He succumbs to the fear of death, becomes a deserter and a coward, dooming to death all those for whom he went to fight: his wife Nastena and the child for whom they had been waiting for so long. And the girl, whose soul is too pure and innocent, cannot withstand the weight that has fallen on her fragile shoulders. Deep morality and spiritual strength do not allow her to hide the deserter or betray the Motherland with him. And she goes under the waters of the Yenisei with her unborn child.

Consequences of cowardice

IN work by A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter" one of the defenders of the Belgorod fortress, Alexey Shvabrin, turns out to be a coward and a traitor. At the first opportunity, he goes over to Pugachev’s side in order to save his life. Shvabrin is ready to kill those whom until recently he could consider friends and allies.
The price of his own life becomes higher for him than the life of his comrades, higher than the oath and the fate of the fatherland. Because of the fear of possible death, he completely abandons any moral principles and easily goes over to the side of the enemy.

The essay requirements for the Unified State Exam have changed several times in recent years, but one thing has remained unchanged - the need to prove the correctness of your judgments. And for this you need to choose the right arguments.

The problem of repentance will interest us first of all. In this article we will present several options for arguments selected from the school reading list. From it you can choose those that are best suited for your work.

What are arguments for?

When writing an essay for part C, you need to express your opinion regarding the given topic. But your thesis needs evidence. That is, it is necessary not only to express your position, but also to confirm it.

Very often the problem of repentance comes up in exams; it is quite easy to come up with arguments for it if the student is well acquainted with the school literature curriculum. However, not everyone manages to immediately remember the desired work, so it is better to select several arguments in advance on the most common topics.

What are the arguments?

In order to fully reveal the problem of repentance, arguments must be selected based on the basic requirements of the Unified State Exam in the Russian language. According to them, all evidence is divided into three types:

Personal experience, that is, facts taken from your life. They do not have to be reliable, since no one will check whether this actually happened.
Information that the student received from the school curriculum. For example, from geography, history, etc. lessons.
Literary arguments that will interest us in the first place. This is the reading experience that the examinee must acquire during training.

Arguments from literature

So, we are interested in the problem of repentance. Arguments from literature will be necessary if you want to get a high score for your essay. At the same time, when selecting arguments, you need to give priority attention to those works that are included in the school curriculum or are considered classics. You should not take texts from little-known authors or popular literature (fantasy, detective stories, etc.), as they may be unfamiliar to the inspectors. Therefore, you need to refresh your memory in advance of the main works that were studied during your school years. Usually in one novel or story you can find examples on almost all topics found in the Unified State Exam. The best option would be to immediately select several works that are familiar to you. So, let's look at the classics that raise the issue of repentance.

"The Captain's Daughter" (Pushkin)

The problem of repentance is very common in Russian literature. Therefore, it is quite easy to select arguments. Let's start with our most famous writer A.S. Pushkin and his novel “The Captain's Daughter”.

At the center of the work is the love of the protagonist Peter Grinev. This feeling is broad and comprehensive, like life. What interests us about this feeling is that it was thanks to him that the hero realized the evil that he had caused to his loved ones, realized his mistakes and was able to repent. Thanks to the fact that Grinev reconsidered his views on life and attitude towards others, he was able to change the future for himself and his beloved.

Thanks to repentance, his best qualities appeared in Peter - generosity, honesty, selflessness, courage, etc. We can say that it changed him and made him a different person.

"Sotnik" (Bykov)

Now let's talk about Bykov's work, which presents a completely different side of the problem of repentance. Arguments from the literature can be different, and you need to choose them depending on your statement, so it’s worth stocking up on a variety of examples.

Thus, the theme of repentance in “The Sotnik” is not at all similar to Pushkin’s. First of all, because the characters themselves are different. Partisan Rybak is captured and in order to survive, he needs to hand over a comrade to the Germans. And he commits this act. But years pass, and the thought of betrayal does not leave him. Repentance overtakes him too late, this feeling can no longer correct anything. Moreover, it does not allow the Fisherman to live in peace.

In this work, repentance did not become an opportunity for the hero to get out of the vicious circle and get rid of suffering. Bykov did not consider Rybak worthy of forgiveness. On the other hand, a person must answer for such crimes throughout his life, since he betrayed not only his friend, but also himself and his loved ones.

“Dark Alleys” (Bunin)

The problem of repentance may appear in a different light. Arguments for an essay on the Unified State Exam should be varied, so let’s take Bunin’s story “Dark Alleys” as an example. In this work, the hero did not have enough strength to admit his mistakes and repent, but retribution overtook him. Once in his youth, Nikolai seduced and abandoned a girl who sincerely loved him. Time passed, but she could not forget her first love, so she refused the advances of other men and preferred solitude. But Nikolai did not find happiness either. Life severely punished him for his crime. The hero's wife constantly cheats on him, and his son has become a real scoundrel. However, all this does not lead him to thoughts of repentance. Here repentance appears before the reader as an act that requires incredible spiritual effort and courage, which not everyone can find within themselves. It is for indecision and lack of will that Nikolai pays.

As an argument, the example from “Dark Alleys” is suitable only for those who in their thesis addressed the problem of reckoning and retribution for those who did not repent of their atrocities. Only then will mentioning this work be appropriate.

"Boris Godunov" (Pushkin)

Now let's talk about the problem of delayed repentance. The arguments for this topic will be slightly different, since we will only be interested in one aspect of repentance. So, this problem is perfectly revealed in Pushkin’s tragedy “Boris Godunov”. This example is not only literary, but also partly historical, since the writer turns to the description of epoch-making events that took place in our country.

In "Boris Godunov" the problem of late repentance is very clearly presented. Arguments for written work on this topic must be selected taking into account Pushkin’s tragedy. In the center of the work is the story of Godunov, who ascended the royal throne. However, he had to pay a terrible price for power - to kill the baby, the real heir, Tsarevich Dmitry. Several years have passed, and now the time has come to repent. The hero is no longer able to correct what he has done; he can only suffer and suffer. His conscience haunts him; Godunov begins to see bloody boys everywhere. Those close to the king understand that he is weakening and going crazy. The boyars decide to overthrow the illegal ruler and kill him. Thus, Godunov dies for the same reason as Dmitry. This is the hero’s retribution for a bloody crime, repentance for which overtook him only after several years.

The problem of human repentance. Arguments from Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”

The theme of repentance became the basis for another great work, which gained considerable popularity and love among readers.

The main character commits a crime to prove his inhuman theory about inferior and superior people. Raskolnikov commits murder and begins to suffer, but tries in every possible way to drown out the voice of his conscience. He doesn't want to admit he's wrong. Repentance becomes a turning point in the life and fate of Raskolnikov. It opens the way for him to faith and true values, makes him reconsider his views and realize what is truly precious in this world.

Throughout the entire novel, Dostoevsky led his hero precisely to repentance and recognition of his guilt. This feeling made Raskolnikov's best character traits emerge and made him much more attractive. Although the hero still suffered punishment for his crime, and it turned out to be very severe.

The problem of repentance: arguments from life

Now let's talk about another type of argument. It is very easy to find such examples. Even if nothing like this has ever happened in your life, you can come up with it. However, such arguments are rated lower than literary ones. So, for a good book example you will get 2 points, but for a life example - only one.

Arguments based on personal experience are based on observations of one’s life, the lives of parents, relatives, friends and acquaintances.

Must be remembered

There are several general requirements for any essay, including those that reveal the problem of guilt and remorse. Arguments must necessarily confirm the thesis you have expressed and in no case contradict it. The following points must also be taken into account:

Reviewers take into account and evaluate only the first two arguments, so there is no point in giving more examples. It is better to pay attention not to quantity, but to quality.
Remember that literary arguments are scored higher, so try to include at least one such example.
Do not forget about examples taken from folklore or folk tales. Similar arguments are also taken into account, but are assessed with only one point.
Remember that all arguments are worth 3 points. Therefore, it is best to follow the following scheme: one example from folklore or personal experience, the second from literature.

Now a few words about how to correctly write a literary argument:

Be sure to include the author's last name and initials and the full title of the work.
It is not enough to name the writer and the title; you need to describe the main characters, their words, actions, thoughts, but only those that are related to the topic of the essay and your thesis.
The approximate amount of text per argument is one or two sentences. But these numbers ultimately depend on the specific topic.
Start giving examples only after you have expressed your position.

Summing up

Thus, the problem of repentance is widely represented in literature. Therefore, choosing arguments for the Unified State Exam in the Russian language will not be difficult. The main thing is that all your examples confirm the thesis and look concise and harmonious. Often, the main problem for examinees is not the choice of work, but its description. Expressing an idea in a few sentences is not always easy. In order to avoid such a problem, you need to practice in advance. Take a sheet of paper and try to concisely and clearly describe your opinions, without going beyond the stated volumes.

The main thing is not to lose confidence and prepare as best as possible, then it will not be difficult to get it.

School education is coming to an end. Now the focus of all students' attention It is no secret that a very large number of points can be obtained by writing an essay. That is why in this article we will write in detail a plan for the essay and discuss the most common topic in the exam, the problem of courage. Of course, there are quite a lot of topics: the attitude towards the Russian language, the role of mother, teacher, childhood in a person’s life and many others. Students have particular difficulty in arguing the issue of courage.

Many talented writers have devoted their works to the theme of heroism and courage, but they do not remain so firmly in our memory. In this regard, we will refresh them a little and give the best arguments to defend your point of view from fiction.

Essay plan

To begin with, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the plan for a correct essay, which, if all the points are present, will bring you the maximum possible points.

An essay on the Unified State Examination in the Russian language is very different from an essay on social studies, literature, and so on. This work has a strict form that is best not to be violated. So, what does the plan for our future essay look like:

Introduction. What is the purpose of this paragraph? We need to smoothly lead our reader to the main problem raised in the text. This is a short paragraph that consists of three to four sentences, but clearly relates to the topic of your essay.
Identification of the problem. In this part we are talking about the fact that we read the text proposed for analysis and identified one of the problems. When you state a problem, think about the arguments in advance. As a rule, there are two or more of them in the text, choose the one that is most beneficial for you.
Your comment. You need to explain and characterize it. This should take you no more than seven sentences.
Note the author’s position, what he thinks and how he feels about the problem. Maybe he's trying to do something?
Your position. You must write whether you agree with the author of the text or not, justify your answer.
Arguments. There should be two of them (from literature, history, personal experience). Teachers still suggest focusing on arguments from literature.
Conclusion of no more than three sentences. Summarize everything you said. An ending option such as a rhetorical question is also possible. It will make you think, and the essay will be completed quite effectively.

As you can see from the plan, the hardest part is the argumentation. Now we will select examples for the problem of courage, we will use exclusively literary sources.

"The Fate of Man"

The theme of the problem of courage is the main idea of Mikhail Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man.” Dedication and courage are the main concepts that characterize the main character Andrei Sokolov. Our character is able to step over all the obstacles that fate has in store for him, to carry his cross with his head held high. He shows these qualities not only during military service, but also in captivity.

It seemed that the worst was over, but trouble did not come alone, there was another very difficult test ahead - the death of his loved ones. Now Andrey speaks of selflessness, he gathered his last strength into a fist and visited the very place where there was once a quiet and family life.

"And the dawns here are quiet"

The problem of courage and perseverance is reflected in such a work as Vasiliev’s story. Only here these qualities are attributed to fragile and delicate creatures - girls. This work tells us that Russian women can also be real heroes, fight on an equal basis with men and defend their interests even in such global senses.

The author tells about the difficult fate of several completely different women who were brought together by a great misfortune - the Great Patriotic War. Although their lives had previously developed differently, they all had the same ending - death while performing a combat mission.

A story about a real person

Which is also found in abundance in “The Tale of a Real Man” by Boris Polevoy.

The work talks about the difficult fate of a pilot who loved the sky very much. For him, flying is the meaning of life, like wings for a bird. But they were cut off for him by a German fighter. Despite his injuries, Meresyev crawled through the forest for a very long time; he had neither water nor food. He overcame this difficulty, but there was more to come. He lost his legs, he had to learn to use prosthetics, but this man was so strong in spirit that he even learned to dance on them.

Despite a large number of obstacles, Meresyev regained his wings. One can only envy the heroism and dedication of the hero.

“Not on the lists”

Since we are interested in the problem of courage, we selected arguments from literature about the war and the difficult fate of the heroes. Also, Boris Vasiliev’s novel “Not on the Lists” is dedicated to the fate of Nikolai, who had just graduated from college, went to serve and came under fire. He was not listed in any documents, but it never occurred to him to run away like a “rat from a ship,” he fought bravely and defended the honor of his homeland.

1. A.P. Chekhov “Man in a Case”. Belikov, a Greek teacher, is afraid of the world, of life. He wears galoshes, a long coat, walks with an umbrella, and is constantly afraid “that something might happen.” The hero's "timidity" turned into espionage and denunciations. The result is the slavish fear of the city residents. Belikov oppressed those around him, they became afraid to speak loudly, get to know someone, help the poor and write letters to each other.

2. V. Zheleznikov “Scarecrow”. Dimka Somov is a coward. He is afraid to admit to the guys that he is a traitor. He told the teacher that the class ran away to the cinema, and Lena Bessoltseva took all the blame on herself. Somov betrays Lena, her friendship, her love and participates in the burning of the effigy.

3. M. A. Bulgakov “The Master and Margarita”.

The procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, being a brave and valiant warrior, turned out to be a coward when he had to make a decision about the fate of the wandering philosopher Yeshua Ha-Nozri. The procurator knew that, despite the impudent speeches about Caesar, Yeshua was not a criminal, and did not wish him death. But the fear of going against the authorities, the fear of losing his place, forced Pilate to act contrary to his conscience and impose a death sentence.

4. L. N. Tolstoy “War and Peace”. Nikolai Rostov chickened out during his first battle: instead of shooting at the attacking French, he threw his pistol in their direction and ran away.

Updated: 2017-07-15

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Courage and timidity are moral categories associated with the spiritual side of the individual. They are an indicator of human dignity, demonstrate weakness, or, on the contrary, strength of character, which manifests itself in difficult life situations. Our history is rich in such vicissitudes, therefore, arguments in the direction of “Courage and Cowardice” for the final essay are presented in abundance in Russian classics. Examples from Russian literature will help the reader understand how and where courage manifests itself and fear comes out.

In the novel L.N. In Tolstoy’s “War and Peace,” one such situation is war, which puts the heroes before a choice: to give in to fear and save their own lives, or, despite the danger, to preserve their fortitude. Andrei Bolkonsky shows remarkable courage in battle; he is the first to rush into battle to encourage the soldiers. He knows that he may die in battle, but the fear of death does not frighten him. Fyodor Dolokhov also fights desperately in the war. The feeling of fear is alien to him. He knows that a brave soldier can influence the outcome of a battle, so he bravely rushes into battle, despising
cowardice. But the young cornet Zherkov gives in to fear and refuses to give the order to retreat. The letter, which was never delivered to them, causes the death of many soldiers. The price for showing cowardice turns out to be prohibitively high.
Courage conquers time and immortalizes names. Cowardice remains a shameful stain on the pages of history and literature.
In the novel by A.S. Pushkin’s “The Captain’s Daughter”, an example of courage and courage is the image of Pyotr Grinev. He is ready at the cost of his life to defend the Belogorsk fortress under the onslaught of Pugachev, and the fear of death is alien to the hero at the moment of danger. A heightened sense of justice and duty does not allow him to escape or refuse the oath. Shvabrin, clumsy and petty in his motives, is presented in the novel as the antipode of Grinev. He goes over to Pugachev's side, committing betrayal. He is driven by fear for his own life, while the fates of other people mean nothing to Shvabrin, who is ready to save himself by exposing another to the blow. His image entered the history of Russian literature as one of the archetypes of cowardice.
War reveals hidden human fears, the most ancient of which is the fear of death. In V. Bykov’s story “The Crane Cry,” the heroes face a seemingly impossible task: to detain the German troops. Each of them understands that fulfilling their duty is possible only at the cost of their own lives. Everyone must decide for themselves what is more important to them: to avoid death or to carry out orders. Pshenichny believes that life is more valuable than a ghostly victory, so he is ready to surrender in advance. He decides that surrendering to the Germans is much wiser than risking his life in vain. Ovseev also agrees with him. He regrets that he did not have time to escape before the arrival of German troops, and spends most of the battle sitting in a trench. During the next attack, he makes a cowardly attempt to escape, but Glechik shoots at him, not allowing him to escape. Glechik himself is no longer afraid to die. It seems to him that only now, in a moment of complete despair, did he feel responsible for the outcome of the battle. The fear of death for him is small and insignificant compared to the thought that by fleeing he could betray the memory of his fallen comrades. This is the true heroism and fearlessness of a hero doomed to death.
Vasily Terkin is another archetype hero who has gone down in the history of literature as the image of a brave, cheerful and gallant soldier going into battle with a smile on his lips. But it is not so much with feigned fun and well-aimed jokes that he attracts the reader, but with genuine heroism, masculinity and perseverance. The image of Tyorkin was created by Tvardovsky as a joke, however, the author depicts the war in the poem without embellishment. Against the backdrop of military realities, the simple and captivating image of the fighter Tyorkin becomes the popular embodiment of the ideal of a real soldier. Of course, the hero is afraid of death, dreams of family comfort, but he knows for sure that protecting the Fatherland is his main duty. Duty to the Motherland, to fallen comrades and to oneself.
In the story “Coward” by V.M. Garshin displays the character's characteristics in the title, thereby, as if assessing him in advance, hinting at the further course of the story. “The war absolutely haunts me,” the hero writes in his notes. He is afraid that he will be recruited as a soldier and does not want to go to war. It seems to him that millions of ruined human lives cannot be justified by a great goal. However, reflecting on his own fear, he comes to the conclusion that he can hardly accuse himself of cowardice. He is disgusted by the idea that he can take advantage of influential contacts and evade war. His inner sense of truth does not allow him to resort to such a petty and unworthy means. “You can’t run away from a bullet,” says the hero before his death, thereby accepting it, realizing his involvement in the ongoing battle. His heroism lies in the voluntary renunciation of cowardice, in the inability to do otherwise.
“And the dawns here are quiet...” B. Vasilyeva’s book is by no means about cowardice. On the contrary, it is about incredible, superhuman courage. Moreover, its heroes prove that war can have a feminine face, and courage is not only a man’s destiny. Five young girls are fighting an unequal battle with a German detachment, a battle from which they are unlikely to emerge alive. Each of them understands this, but none of them stops before death and humbly goes towards it to fulfill their duty. All of them - Liza Brichkina, Rita Osyanina, Zhenka Komelkova, Sonya Gurvich and Galya Chetvertak - die at the hands of the Germans. However, there is not a shadow of doubt about their silent feat. They know for sure that there can be no other choice. Their faith is unshakable, and their perseverance and courage are examples of true heroism, direct proof that there are no limits to human capabilities.
“Am I a trembling creature or do I have rights?” - asks Rodion Raskolnikov, confident that he is more likely the latter than the former. However, due to an incomprehensible irony of life, everything turns out to be exactly the opposite. Raskolnikov's soul turns out to be cowardly, despite the fact that he found the strength to commit murder. In an attempt to rise above the masses, he loses himself and crosses the moral line. In the novel, Dostoevsky emphasizes that taking the wrong path of self-deception is very simple, but overcoming fear in oneself and incurring the punishment that Raskolnikov is so afraid of is necessary for the spiritual purification of the hero. Sonya Marmeladova comes to the aid of Rodion, who lives in constant fear for what he has done. Despite all her external fragility, the heroine has a persistent character. She instills confidence and courage in the hero, helps him overcome cowardice, and is even ready to share Raskolnikov’s punishment in order to save his soul. Both heroes struggle with fate and circumstances, this shows their strength and courage.
“The Fate of a Man” by M. Sholokhov is another book about courage and courage, the hero of which is an ordinary soldier Andrei Sokolov, to whose fate the pages of the book are dedicated. The war forced him to leave home and go to the front to undergo trials of fear and death. In battle, Andrei is honest and brave, like many soldiers. He is faithful to duty, for which he is ready to pay even with his own life. Stunned by a live shell, Sokolov sees the approaching Germans, but does not want to flee, deciding that the last minutes must be spent with dignity. He refuses to obey the invaders, his courage impresses even the German commandant, who sees in him a worthy opponent and a valiant soldier. Fate is merciless to the hero: he loses the most precious thing in the war - his loving wife and children. But, despite the tragedy, Sokolov remains a man, lives according to the laws of conscience, according to the laws of a brave human heart.
V. Aksenov’s novel “The Moscow Saga” is dedicated to the history of the Gradov family, which gave its entire life to serving the Fatherland. This is a trilogy novel, which is a description of the life of an entire dynasty, closely connected by family ties. The heroes are ready to sacrifice a lot for the sake of each other's happiness and well-being. In desperate attempts to save loved ones, they show remarkable courage, the call of conscience and duty for them is decisive, guiding all their decisions and actions. Each of the heroes is brave in their own way. Nikita Gradov heroically defends his homeland. He receives the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The hero is uncompromising in his decisions, and several military operations are successfully carried out under his leadership. The Gradovs’ adopted son, Mitya, also goes to war. By creating heroes, plunging them into an atmosphere of constant anxiety, Aksenov shows that courage is the lot of not only an individual, but also an entire generation raised to respect family values and moral duty.
Feats are an eternal theme in literature. Cowardice and courage, their confrontation, numerous victories of one over the other, are now becoming the subject of debate and search by modern writers.
One of these authors was the famous British writer Joan K. Rowling and her world-famous hero, Harry Potter. Her series of novels about a boy wizard won the hearts of young readers with the fantastical plot and, of course, the brave heart of the central character. Each of the books is a story of the struggle between good and evil, in which the first always wins, thanks to the courage of Harry and his friends. In the face of danger, each of them remains steadfast and believes in the final triumph of good, which, according to a happy tradition, rewards the winners for courage and bravery.