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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

Ava Bentley

Ms. Schaner

AP Language & Composition

24 Feb. 2019

The Few. The Brave.

Everyone strives to demonstrate the characteristics of a hero. Being the one who runs into

the burning building to grab the pet. Being the one who stands up to that bully in the hallway

who keeps tripping the new kid. Being the one who takes the lead in a time of need. There are

multiple characteristics that make a hero, but one trait must always be present- bravery. To

embody bravery is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going

against the norm or risking one's life. From the fifth century to the fifteenth century, it was a time

of change, war, strict social structures, and despair; there was often a need for someone to rise

above and take a stance. This time was known as the Middle Ages, and this someone was

considered brave. As time evolves, some of these traits continue to exist in the twenty-first

century, and some do not. Nevertheless, bravery is still displayed in various ways. Rooted

through the literature of medieval writers and portrayed daily by people of the modern world,

bravery shines through.

Beginning in the Middle Ages, bravery was sometimes depicted through the lives of

women breaking the norm. According to the Bible, between men and women, women were seen

as ​picayune​ and their purpose was to serve the man: “The story [of Adam and Eve in the Bible]

underlined the belief that women were inferior to men, and that they were morally weaker and

likely to tempt men into sin” (Bovey). Women’s roles and responsibility were in essence based
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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

on the word of God; teachings of Adam and Eve, apostle Paul, and the Virgin Mary were taken

seriously and applied to everyday life. In particular, the writings of apostle Paul highlighted

men’s power over women; they were prevented from talking and commanded to remain silent.

Preparing food, tending to the children, tidying the house, manufacturing textiles, sewing

raiment​, etc. were regarded as “the jobs of the women” while men would bring home the

paycheck. Most women were married as teenagers by their family and had little authority over

the course of their life. In a marriage, for the woman to go against the male was viewed as a sin

in the eyes of the Church (Bovey). That life was seen as the “norm,” but there are always the few

who turn the other way. In “Get Up and Bar the Door” by an anonymous British author, the wind

is howling, so the husband orders the wife to fasten the door shut. The wife simply refuses as she

is in the kitchen cooking puddings at that moment. The wife expresses that if the door is not

barred by him, the door will not be barred by anyone. They make a bet, and the first one to

converse must bar the door. After strangers barge into the house, the husband is urged to speak,

and, in pure joy, the wife proclaims: “‘Goodman, you’ve spoken the foremost word,/Get up and

bar the door’” (“Get Up” 221). The wife in the story ​arrantly​ goes against the husband's first

order to bar the door herself; the Middle Ages would have seen this as a disgrace because a

woman's role in life was to serve her husband. In some cases, a ​vituperative ​man would have

even taken his anger out on the wife in the form of beatings (Bovey). Although it was against the

norm, the wife in “Get Up and Bar the Door” stood up for what she perceived as right. Putting

her own reputation in danger and risking shame from her husband, the wife nevertheless stood

her ground, thus exemplifying bravery.

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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

Men likewise represented bravery in their relationships with women during the Middle

Ages. The bond between Margery Kempe and her husband in “The Book of Margery Kempe” is

exceptional for the time period; it took breaking standards to stay alive. We know today that

mental illness is caused by various conditions, such as an imbalance of hormones, stress,

overworking, one’s diet, etc., but during the Medieval era, the belief was different. Most aspects

of life revolved around the Church; therefore, mental illness, not presenting any physical

conditions, was viewed as a sin. If one was to “commit a sin,” it was common for him/her to

become isolated and be left by everyone in his/her life, including family (Kroll and Bernard).

Margery Kempe suffered from what we now know as postpartum depression. She could not

control her thoughts, imagined the devil visiting constantly, gave up her whole life and

relationships, and inflicted pain upon herself. Later, she dreamed of an encountering with Lord

Christ Jesus who gave her the path to recovery. With this breath of fresh air, Kempe only wished

to return to her normal routine in order to express her newfound freedom. Unfortunately, during

that time, because her illness was viewed as a sin and her actions as the work of the devil, she

was not to be trusted or allowed to make decisions. When she asked for the keys to the pantry to

get her food and drink as she had done plenty of times before, nobody would listen as they all

assumed she did not know what she was doing. Everybody but her husband that it is; Kempe’s

husband maintained faith in his wife. Even with everything that had occurred, “... her husband,

who always had tenderness and compassion for her, ordered that they should give her the keys”

(Kempe). With the Middle Ages regarding mental illness as a sin, Kempe’s husband went against

the norm in standing up for his wife. In doing so, he risked the Church disowning him along with

Kempe. In being one of the few during this era to demonstrate these qualities for the situation,
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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

the husband personified true bravery, which was clearly necessary for this era. For if not, Kempe

would have been seen as untrustworthy and locked up for the rest of her life.

Luckily, in the twenty-first century, we see mental illness in a different light, a more

medical light, and sticking by someone with that type of disorder is no longer considered

outrageous. Nevertheless, there are still instances today outside of mental illness where people

convey bravery for others even when the situation could risk his/her own reputation. Take

bullying for example. In today’s society, we have seen a sharp increase in bullying due to

advancements in technology. Some kids find bullying “cool” or as a way to “fit in.” Though that

is ​illusory​, it makes it more difficult for people to stand up to the bullies because of feared

rejection or disapproval. That being said, it takes a certain type of someone to be that person who

stands up nonetheless - a brave person. In Pacer Center’s Teens Against Bullying, multiple

anonymous stories are told about people finding his/her true friends through the people who stick

by him/her in the face of his/her bully. For instance, an anonymous teen describes the time when

outrageous rumors were spread about her to ruin her reputation. Her two best friends made sure

the truth was publicly heard (“Real Teens”). They ignored their chance of becoming a victim as

well to stick by their friend in a time of despair. The two best friends truly embodied bravery;

being one of the few who risks his/her reputation to stand up for what is right, especially as a kid,

is no easy task. Whether it be in the fifth century or the twenty-first, going against the norm to

stick by one’s side deserves the title of brave.

One’s life can be put on the line when expressing bravery; King Arthur validates the root

of this during the Middle Ages in Sir Thomas Malory’s​ Le Morte d’Arthur​. After Sir Modred

forged King Arthur’s death, King Arthur, furious, set out to establish that he is, in fact, not dead
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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

and get his control back from Sir Modred. Determined to battle Sir Modred on the morrow, King

Arthur has a vision during his night’s rest in which he is warned: “... [we] plead with you not to

give battle to Sir Modred tomorrow, for if you do, not only will you yourself be killed, but all

your noble followers too… make a treaty with Sir Modred…” (Malory 253). After telling his

squires of his vision, King Arthur decides to listen and sends them to reason with Sir Modred.

After negotiating and convincing, Sir Modred eventually agreed. Because each suspected the

other of betrayal, the treaty had conditions: “... [both Sir Modred and King Arthur] gave orders

for their armies to attack [during the signing] at the sight of a naked sword” (Malory 253). In an

attempt to stay alive, gain back his power, and bring peace for his people, King Arthur ventured

to the place of the signing despite knowing he was endangering his own life with the possibility

of a battle occurring. By a fluke, a soldier was bitten by a snake; unthinkingly, he drew his

sword, thus sparking a battle. Fate was not on his side that day, as King Arthur died during the

battle. Though the outcome was negative, King Arthur exhibited bravery in his attempts to regain

his status; he stood up for his own reputation and his people. King Arthur proceeded to sign the

treaty even when it meant jeopardizing, and ultimately ending, his very own life.

Knights back then are like our soldiers today. In order to be a soldier, one must be brave

because he/she is risking his/her life every day to defend what is right for others. Countless

stories are captured and narrated regarding soldiers endangering him/herself, and in some cases

dying, for his/her country. For instance, The Kansas City Journal published an article about

Amador Barbosa, a member of the US Army. Long story short, there was a truck full of bombs

that was set on fire. If it were to explode, a massive amount of lives would be ended, and a hole

the size of the truck itself would be formed. Everyone was instructed to evacuate immediately,
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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

but Barbosa knew he had to do something: “Barbosa climbed aboard the smoldering truck and

started putting out the fire... Smoke bombs ignited, sending a rainbow of colored plumes through

the sky. Barbosa thought he was a goner, but after realizing he wasn't dead, he kept unloading”

(Lopez). In the face of death, Barbosa embodies bravery. He gambled not seeing his family ever

again did what he had to do to save the lives of others. Most would have perceived this as

fatuous​ and ran as far as they could to save themselves, but Barbosa did the opposite- he was

brave. Whether it be knights of the Middle Ages or soldiers of the modern day, bravery still

holds true as a defining quality of the people who protect.

To be a hero, one must be brave. To be brave, one must be of the few who stands up for

what is right. To stand up for what is right, one must be willing to go against the norm even if

that means risking life itself. From “The Book of Margery Kempe” or​ Le Morte d’Arthur i​ n the

Middle Ages to bullying and soldiers this very day, bravery continues to be displayed in various

forms. Whether it be a wife standing up to her husband, a husband sticking by his wife, a friend

protecting a friend, a King dying for his people, or a soldier risking his life to save others, the

privilege of being labeled brave is deserved. Everyone may strive to be the hero in the story, but

not everyone can demonstrate the imperative trait to do so- bravery.

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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.

Works Cited

Bovey, Alixe. “Women in Medieval Society.” ​The British Library,​ The British Library, 17 Jan.

2014. 26 Feb. 2019, www.bl.uk/the-middle-ages/articles/women-in-medieval-society.

“Get Up and Bar the Door.” ​McDougal Littell Literature: British Literature Built for Michigan

Education, ​Ed. Janet Allen, et. al., 2008, pp. 220-221, 26 Feb. 2019.

Kempe, Margery. “The Book of Margery Kempe.” ​McDougal Littell Literature: British

Literature

​ d. Janet Allen, et. al., 2008, pp. 114-117, 26 Feb. 2019.

Built for Michigan Education, E

Kroll, Jerome, and Bernard Bachrach. “Sin and Mental Illness in the Middle Ages |

Psychological

Medicine.” ​Cambridge Core​, Cambridge University Press, 9 July 2009. 28 Feb. 2019,

www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine/article/sin-and-mental-illness-

in-

the-middle-ages/DB60CD1780A5DB768DB5C9C7C77A1946.

Lopez, Manny. “A Soldier's Story of Loyalty and Bravery Endures.” ​Kansas City Business

Journal,​ The Business Journals, 10 Aug. 2003. 3 Mar. 2019,

www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2003/08/11/editorial2.html.

Malory, Sir Thomas. ​Le Morte d’Arthur.​ ​McDougal Littell Literature: British Literature Built for

Michigan Education, ​Ed. Janet Allen, et. al., 2008, pp. 244-257, 26 Feb. 2019.

“Real Teens Speak Out.” ​Pacer,​ 22 Feb. 2019. 3 Mar. 2019,

pacerteensagainstbullying.org/advocacy-for-others/real-teens-speak-out/.
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To embody ​bravery​ is to be among the few who stands up for what is right even if it means going against the norm or risking one's life.