What is Cowardice? Direction “courage and cowardice” What does a cowardly act lead to in life.

Cowardice is a concept that has a negative social assessment, implying a person’s lack of mental strength to carry out necessary actions or decisions, to maintain a strong position in situations of experiencing emotional fear and extreme incidents. Cowardice, as a personality quality, is not a concept synonymous with fear, since fear and horror serve as mechanisms of survival, orientation in the world around us, they are natural and natural, while a person maintains the direction of movement. Fear corrects actions, forces you to be more attentive, take into account more different features, and perhaps change your strategy for achieving it. Cowardice deprives the ability to perceive a situation objectively and stops all human activity. Usually, the forward movement of people with a predominance of cowardice is of a forced nature, because in many situations they stop not only their own forward movement, but also the movement of the entire team.

Everyone exhibits cowardice, but those in whom this trait becomes the leading one are called cowards. It is useless to fight such reactions with willpower; it is only possible to develop your own courage, as a quality opposite to cowardice.

What it is

The definition of cowardice in any sources implies an attitude towards this quality as a weakness, and a condemned, criminal weakness. This can be explained by the fact that under the influence of emotions a person is capable of any action; sometimes a high degree of cowardice can lead to serious crimes. It turns out that fear can indeed have a strong stimulating effect, but when there is a trait of cowardice in a person, it takes on destructive forms.

Next to the destructive forms of cowardice, there is often betrayal, since, without internal resilience to withstand external pressure, a person’s opinion will change to suit the circumstances with only one goal - to avoid personal negative consequences. Cowardice excludes personal responsibility and the ability to make judicious decisions about any actions; all human activity is subordinated to fear. It is especially worth noting that fear can arise from a real threat or imaginary problems, but is experienced by a person in the same way.

It is worth carefully distinguishing between cowardice and caution, attentiveness, accuracy - temporary retreat, waiting for an opportune moment have nothing to do with stopped activity, implying rather tactics. Cowardice does not want to look closely and look for solutions, it is not able to wait or show attentiveness - this is a strong instinctive feeling that sends a person running when a source approaches.

There is a wary and contemptuous attitude towards cowards in society, since one cannot expect reliability from a person. They are the first to escape, leaving the weak and helpless in trouble, they resort to lies and sabotage for the purpose of their own safety and benefit, it happens that because of the fear of revealing the secret, murders were committed. A coward is an unreliable person for joint activities or worthwhile relationships. After all, the main ability is missing - processing internal fear.

In a normal development situation and with a harmonious personality, a person is able to process his own experiences, highlight the main values ​​on the basis of moral standards, ethical principles, and not instinctive immediate reactions. A coward has no limiting factors of internal principles, allowing instincts to guide behavior. Many believe that cowardice is the most terrible vice, lowering a person to the level of an animal, and comparisons from the animal kingdom are also not entirely flattering, since among lions, wolves, and elephants there is a tendency to protect their relatives, rather than cowardly flight.

Cowardice helps a person avoid solving important social and life problems. Procrastination, constant entertainment events, aimless pastime are tools of activity, the use of which organizes a cowardly avoidance of confrontation with unpleasant but demanding moments.

The Problem of Human Cowardice

The problem of such a manifestation as cowardice has a long history of philosophical and military disputes; this issue was raised by Socrates. Unfortunately, there is no single clear understanding of what constitutes cowardice, despite a fairly clear definition of the word. Now in each individual social group there is its own understanding of which of them is a coward and this is not due to the substitution of concepts, just for some it is the one who does not quickly make a decision, for others it is a mother who did not stand up for her son, and for others a traitor to the homeland. Various categories of values ​​and the general cultural level of society determine cowards.

In wartime, the attitude towards cowards was quite harsh - they could be executed or imprisoned for life. The meaning of this was to protect the bulk of the population, because in war conditions the instability of the internal forces of one person can cost millions of lives and the freedom of an entire nation. Less severe punishments, but definitely present, exist in every society and at any time - this is a necessity that ensures the protection of all individuals. This is an artificial mechanism developed over millennia, aimed at the survival of the species. Punishment for cowardice exists on all continents, regardless of whether the nation is highly technological in its development or is a tribe deprived of contact with civilization.

Cowardice is an exclusively human problem, since this is absent in the manifestation of the animal world. The mechanism regulating the existence of the species forces animals, when danger approaches, to first notify their relatives, despite attracting attention to themselves and risking their lives.

The more opportunities a person receives for a separate existence, the higher the likelihood of developing cowardice in society. No one cares about the general well-being, since it does not reflect on the individual, and the point is solely in maintaining one’s position. This trend makes the concept of cowardice more blurred, but does not cancel the public’s contemptuous attitude towards manifestations of mental weakness. Initially, deserters and military traitors were called cowards, those who did not want to go hunting and risk their lives to feed the tribe, that is, cowards are those who directly threaten the lives of many people at once. This memory of the inadmissibility of cowardly behavior is fixed at the genetic level, only the manifestations of this quality become completely different in modern society.

In peacetime, increasing emphasis is placed on the moral side of the process of cowardice, that is, this is no longer a lack of active action, but an avoidance of conversation, an inability to accept responsibility, a radical change in life. Even a simple meeting can reveal a coward, for example, by not coming to it after learning that important things will be discussed. Personal immaturity becomes the reason for an increasing manifestation of moral cowardice in a person - people abandon children, abandon families out of fear of responsibility, make critical mistakes or skip promising jobs, fearing a further increase in responsibility.

The problem of human cowardice remains relevant and is changing along with social restructuring of the main social models of interaction and the immediate real civil situation. We cannot take as a starting point those examples that spoke of cowardice several centuries ago, because perhaps now there are simply no conditions for manifestation, but others have appeared and there is a need to create new criteria.

Examples

A coward manifests himself as passivity, and any active actions are aimed solely at avoiding some other actions that are required, but perceived as dangerous. Vivid and unforgivable examples of cowardly behavior appear in wartime, when a fully capable person shirks service. It could also be desertion from the battlefield, self-inflicted wounds to be sent to the hospital as quickly as possible, or surrender of one’s fellow soldiers to the enemy in exchange for promises to save lives.

In crisis situations, cowardice is manifested by a person’s lack of participation in resolving a common matter or misfortune. Thus, a coward may refer to sudden weakness during a fire, or suddenly remember unfinished business at home, when a friend needs help in protecting himself from offenders.

Refusal to take risks can be either a manifestation of prudence or cowardice - the main thing is to take into account the context of the situation. If a person is paralyzed by fear and refuses to jump on a rope from a bridge, then this may be a completely logical decision. But refusing to jump with a parachute from a burning plane is not justified by preserving life or a decision dictated by common sense; moreover, a person who refuses to jump is delaying the queue and endangering others.

A coward will not go to his superiors to clarify problems related to payment, for fear of losing his job. The guy will not stand up for his girlfriend, fearing a fight with boors or antisocial groups. A friend will not express words of support to his comrade in the presence of a large number of condemning people or even one significant person.

Everyone has weaknesses on which a person’s behavior depends. In any case, there is a betrayal of some universal or social values ​​for the sake of fears and one’s own illusory well-being. The illusion lies in the fact that by constantly running away from problems, a coward not only does not solve the situation in favor of change, but also contributes to its aggravation.

FIPI comment: “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."

1. Courage and cowardice as abstract concepts and properties of a person (in the broad sense). Within this section, you can reflect on the following topics: Courage and cowardice as personality traits, as two sides of the same coin. Courage/cowardice as personality traits determined by reflexes. True and false courage/cowardice. Courage as a manifestation of excessive self-confidence. Courage and risk taking. Courage/cowardice and self-confidence. The connection between cowardice and selfishness. The difference between rational fear and cowardice. The connection between courage and philanthropy, philanthropy, etc.

2. Courage/cowardice in minds, souls, characters. In this section, you can reflect on the concepts of willpower, fortitude, the ability to say no, the courage to stand up for your ideals, the courage needed to stand up for what you believe in. You can also talk about cowardice, as the inability to defend one’s ideals and principles. Courage or cowardice when making decisions. Courage and cowardice when accepting something new. Courage and cowardice when trying to leave your comfort zone. The courage to admit the truth or admit your mistakes. The influence of courage and cowardice on the formation of personality. Contrasting two types of people.

3. Courage/cowardice in life. Pettiness, inability to show courage in a specific life situation.

4. Courage/cowardice in war and in extreme conditions. War exposes the most basic human fears. In war, a person is able to display previously unknown character traits. Sometimes a person surprises himself by showing heroism and unprecedented fortitude. And sometimes even good people, contrary to their expectations, show cowardice. The concepts of heroism, feat, as well as desertion, betrayal, etc. are associated with courage/cowardice within this section.

5. Courage and cowardice in love.

COURAGE- a positive moral-volitional personality trait, manifested as determination, fearlessness, courage when performing actions associated with risk and danger. Courage allows a person to overcome, through volitional efforts, the fear of something unknown, complex, new and achieve success in achieving a goal. It is not for nothing that this quality is highly revered by the people: “God controls the brave,” “The city takes courage.” It is also revered as the ability to speak the truth (“Dare to have your own judgment”). Courage allows you to face the “truth” and objectively assess your capabilities, not be afraid of darkness, loneliness, water, heights and other difficulties and obstacles. Courage provides a person with a sense of self-worth, a sense of responsibility, security, and reliability of life.

Synonyms for "Courage": courage, determination, courage, heroism, enterprise, self-reliance, self-confidence, energy; presence, uplifting spirit; spirit, courage, desire (to tell the truth), audacity, boldness; fearlessness, fearlessness, fearlessness, fearlessness; fearlessness, determination, daring, heroism, courage, riskiness, desperation, audacity, innovation, daring, audacity, audacity, daring, poverty, valor, novelty, courage, masculinity.

COWARDICE- one of the expressions of cowardice; a negative, moral quality that characterizes the behavior of a person who is unable to perform actions that meet moral requirements (or, conversely, refrain from immoral actions) due to the inability to overcome fear of natural or social forces. Cowardice can be a manifestation of calculating selfishness, when it is based on fears of incurring unfavorable consequences, someone's anger, fear of losing existing benefits or social position. It can also be subconscious, a manifestation of elemental fear of unknown phenomena, unknown and uncontrollable social and natural laws. In both cases, Cowardice is not just an individual property of the psyche of a person, but a social phenomenon. It is associated either with selfishness, rooted in the psychology of people over the centuries-old history of private property, or with the powerlessness and depressed position of a person generated by a state of alienation (even fear of natural phenomena develops into Cowardice only under certain conditions of social life and the corresponding upbringing of a person). Communist morality condemns Cowardice because it leads to immoral actions: dishonesty, opportunism, unprincipledness, deprives a person of the ability to be a fighter for a just cause, and entails connivance with evil and injustice. The communist education of the individual and the masses, the involvement of people in active participation in building the society of the future, man's awareness of his place in the world, his purpose and capabilities, his subordination of natural and social laws contribute to the gradual eradication of cowardice from the life of individuals and society as a whole.

Synonyms "Cowardice": timidity, timidity, cowardice, suspiciousness, indecision, hesitation, fear; apprehension, fear, shyness, cowardice, timidity, fearfulness, capitulation, cowardice, cowardice.

Direction “COURAGE AND COWARDNESS”

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. The pages of many literary works present both heroes capable of bold actions and characters demonstrating weakness of spirit and lack of will.

The topic “Courage and Cowardice” can be considered in the following aspects:

Courage and cowardice in war

Courage and cowardice in expressing one’s position, point of view, in defending one’s principles and views

Courage and cowardice of a person in love

COURAGE - a positive moral-volitional personality trait, manifested as determination, fearlessness, courage when performing actions associated with risk and danger. Courage allows a person to overcome, through volitional efforts, the fear of something unknown, complex, new and achieve success in achieving a goal. It is not for nothing that this quality is highly revered by the people: “God controls the brave,” “The city takes courage.” It is also revered as the ability to speak the truth (“Dare to have your own judgment”). Courage allows you to face the “truth” and objectively assess your capabilities, not be afraid of darkness, loneliness, water, heights and other difficulties and obstacles. Courage provides a person with a sense of self-worth, a sense of responsibility, security, and reliability of life.

Synonyms: courage, determination, courage, heroism, enterprise, arrogance, self-confidence, energy; presence, uplifting spirit; spirit, courage, desire (to tell the truth), audacity, boldness; fearlessness, fearlessness, fearlessness, fearlessness; fearlessness, determination, daring, heroism, courage, riskiness, desperation, audacity, innovation, daring, audacity, audacity, daring, poverty, valor, novelty, courage, masculinity.

Courage

Courage is the ability of a person, overcoming fear, to perform desperate acts, sometimes risking his own life.

A person shows courage in war when he bravely fights the enemy, does not allow fear to overcome him, and thinks about his comrades, loved ones, people, and country. Courage helps him overcome all the hardships of war, emerging victorious or dying for his homeland.

Courage is a quality of a person, expressed in the fact that he always defends his views and principles to the end, and can openly express his position to people if he does not agree with them. Courageous people are able to defend their ideals, move forward, leading others, transforming society.

Professional courage pushes people to take risks; people strive to realize their projects and dreams, sometimes overcoming obstacles that government officials may put in their way.

Courage may not manifest itself in a person for a long time. On the contrary, he is sometimes outwardly very modest and quiet. However, in difficult times, it is brave people who take responsibility, saving others, helping them. And often these are not only adults, but children who amaze with their determination and courage, for example, saving a drowning friend.

Brave people are capable of doing great things. And if there are many of these people or the entire nation, then such a state is invincible.

Courage is also manifested in the fact that a person is irreconcilable to any injustice both in relation to himself and in relation to other people. A brave person will not look indifferently or indifferently at how others, for example, colleagues, are humiliated and insulted. He will always stand up for them, as he does not accept any manifestation of injustice and evil.

Courage is one of the highest moral qualities of a person. It is necessary to strive to be truly courageous in everything in life: deeds, actions, relationships, while thinking about those around you.

COWARDICE - one of the expressions of cowardice; a negative, moral quality that characterizes the behavior of a person who is unable to perform actions that meet moral requirements (or, conversely, refrain from immoral actions) due to the inability to overcome fear of natural or social forces. T. can be a manifestation of calculating selfishness, when it is based on fears of incurring unfavorable consequences, someone’s anger, fear of losing existing benefits or social position. It can also be subconscious, a manifestation of elemental fear of unknown phenomena, unknown and uncontrollable social and natural laws. In both cases, T. is not just an individual property of the psyche of a particular person, but a social phenomenon. It is associated either with selfishness, rooted in the psychology of people over the centuries-old history of private property, or with the powerlessness and depressed position of a person generated by a state of alienation (even fear of natural phenomena develops into T. only under certain conditions of social life and the corresponding upbringing of a person). Communist morality condemns terrorism because it leads to immoral actions: dishonesty, opportunism, unprincipledness, deprives a person of the ability to be a fighter for a just cause, and entails connivance with evil and injustice. The communist education of the individual and the masses, the involvement of people in active participation in building the society of the future, man's awareness of his place in the world, his purpose and capabilities, and his submission to natural and social laws contribute to the gradual eradication of terrorism from the life of individuals and society as a whole.

Synonyms : timidity, timidity, cowardice, suspiciousness, indecisiveness, hesitation, fear; apprehension, fear, shyness, cowardice, timidity, fearfulness, capitulation, cowardice, cowardice. Cowardice

Cowardice is a state of a person when he is afraid of literally everything: a new environment, changes in life, meeting new people. Fear fetters all his movements, preventing him from living with dignity and joy.

Cowardice is often based on a person’s low self-esteem, fear of appearing funny, or being in an awkward position. A person would rather remain silent and try to be invisible.

A cowardly person will never take responsibility and will hide behind other people’s backs so that, if something happens, he will not be to blame.

Cowardice interferes with career advancement, in realizing your dreams, in achieving your goals. The indecisiveness characteristic of such a person will not allow him to reach the end along the intended path, since there will always be reasons that do not allow him to do this.

A cowardly person makes his life joyless. He always seems to be envying someone and something, and lives with caution.

However, a coward is terrible during difficult trials for the people and the country. It is cowardly people who become traitors, because they think first of all about themselves, about their lives. Fear pushes them to crime.

Cowardice is one of the most negative character traits of a person; you must try to overcome it in yourself.

An essay in the context of this aspect can be based on a comparison of opposite manifestations of personality - from determination and courage, manifestations of willpower and fortitude of some heroes to the desire to evade responsibility, hide from danger, show weakness, which can even lead to betrayal.

1. N.V. Gogol “Taras Bulba”

Ostap and Andriy are the two sons of Taras Bulba, the main character of the story by N.V. Gogol. Both were brought up in the same family and studied at the same seminary. Both were instilled with the same high moral principles from childhood. Why did one become a traitor, and the other a hero? What pushed Andriy to a low act - to go against his comrades, his father? In fact, he became a coward because he could not stay true to what he was taught and showed weakness of character. What is this if not cowardice? Ostap heroically accepted martyrdom, boldly looking into the eyes of his enemies. How hard it was for him in the last minutes, he wanted so much to see a loved one in the crowd of strangers. So he shouted, overcoming the pain: “Father! Where are you? Do you hear? The father, risking his life, supported his son, shouting from the crowd that he could hear him, his Ostap. The basis of people's actions are those moral foundations that constitute the essence of his character. For Andriy, he always came first. Since childhood, he tried to dodge punishment, to hide behind other people's backs. And in the war, the first place was not his comrades, not his homeland, but his love for the young beauty - a Polish woman, for whose sake he betrayed everyone, went against his own people in battle. How can one not recall Taras’s famous speech about comradeship, in which he put loyalty to his comrades and comrades-in-arms in first place. “Let them all know what partnership means in the Russian land! If it comes to that, to die, then none of them will have to die like that!.. No one, no one!.. They don’t have enough mouse nature for that!” Andriy could not become like that, cowardly in the last minutes of his life looking into the eyes of his father, whom he betrayed. Ostap was always a proud, independent person, never hid behind the backs of others, always boldly answered for his actions, and during the war he turned out to be a real comrade of whom Taras could be proud. Remain brave to the end, do not show cowardice in your deeds and actions - this is the conclusion that readers of N.V. Gogol’s story, “Taras Bulba” come to, understanding how important it is to do the right, deliberate deeds and actions in life.

2. M.A. Sholokhov “The Fate of Man”

War is a serious test for a country, a people, for every individual. She checks who is who. In war, everyone reveals himself in all his essence. Here you cannot play the role of a traitor or a coward. Here they become like that. Andrey Sokolov. His fate is the fate of millions of Soviet people who survived the war, who survived the terrible battle with fascism. He, like many others, remained a Man - devoted, brave, faithful to the people, loved ones, who did not lose the feeling of kindness, pity and mercy for others. The basis of his actions is love. Love for loved ones, country, life in general. This feeling makes him brave, courageous, helps him survive all the harsh trials that befell the hero: the death of his family, the terrible battles in which he participated, the horrors of captivity, the death of his comrades. How much of this enormous love do you need to have in order to survive after all this!

Courage- this is an opportunity to overcome fear, which, of course, was characteristic of everyone during the war. However, not everyone could overcome this fear. Then cowardice crept into my heart - for myself, for my life. She literally took possession of a person, forcing him to betray. So one of the prisoners, soldier Kryzhnev, who, like Sokolov, fell into the hands of the fascists, decided to hand over the communist platoon commander (“... I don’t intend to answer for you”) in order to save his life. He had not yet experienced the horrors of captivity, but fear had already made him a coward, and cowardice led to the thought of betrayal. It’s hard to kill your own, but Andrei did it because this “friend” crossed the line beyond which there is betrayal, spiritual death, and the death of other people. To remain human in inhuman conditions, to be able to overcome one’s fear, showing courage, courage, and not to become a coward and a traitor is a moral rule that a person simply must follow, no matter how difficult it may be.

Courage and cowardice in love.

Georgy Zheltkov is a petty official whose life is devoted to unrequited love for Princess Vera. As you know, his love began long before her marriage, but he preferred to write letters to her and pursued her. The reason for this behavior lay in his lack of self-confidence and fear of being rejected. Perhaps if he were braver, he could become happy with the woman he loves. Vera Sheina was also afraid to be happy and wanted a calm marriage, without shocks, so she married the cheerful and handsome Vasily, with whom everything was very simple, but she did not experience great love. Only after the death of her admirer, looking at his dead body, Vera realized that the love that every woman dreams of had passed her by. The moral of this story is this: you need to be brave not only in everyday life, but also in love, you need to take risks without fear of being rejected. Only courage can lead to happiness, cowardice and, as a consequence, conformism leads to great disappointment, as happened with Vera Sheina.

Examples of the manifestation of these human qualities can be found in almost any work of classical literature.

Works:

§ VC. Zheleznikov "Scarecrow"

§ M.A. Bulgakov: “The Master and Margarita”, “The White Guard”

§ J. Rowling “Harry Potter”

§ B.L. Vasiliev “And the dawns here are quiet”

§ A.S. Pushkin: “The Captain’s Daughter”, “Eugene Onegin”

§ V.V. Bykov "Sotnikov"

§ S. Collins “The Hunger Games”

§ A.I. Kuprin “Garnet Bracelet”, “Olesya”

§ V.G. Korolenko “The Blind Musician”

§ J. Orwell “1984”

§ V. Roth “Divergent”

§ M.A. Sholokhov "The Fate of Man"

§ M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”, “Song about Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich, the young guardsman and the daring merchant Kalashnikov”

§ N.V. Gogol “Taras Bulba”, “The Overcoat”

§ M. Gorky “Old Woman Izergil”

§ A.T. Tvardovsky "Vasily Terkin"

Sample topics:

What does it mean to be brave?

Why does a person need courage?

What does cowardice lead to?

What actions does cowardice push a person to do?

In what life situations is courage best demonstrated?

Do you need courage in love?

Do you need to have courage to admit your mistakes?

How do you understand the common expression “fear has big eyes”?

Is the saying “courage is half the battle” true?

What actions can be called courageous?

What is the difference between arrogance and courage?

Who can be called a coward?

Is it possible to cultivate courage in yourself?

What is cowardice? Self-preservation instinct or vice? What feelings does a person experience who has deviated from generally accepted moral norms and committed an act of which he is ashamed in the future? It is these questions that F.A. Vigdorova ponders.

The author raises the problem of cowardice in his text. The writer illustrates the relevance of this problem. To do this, she quotes the Decembrist poet Ryleev, who wrote that “we are not afraid to die on the battlefields, but we are afraid to say a word in favor of justice.” The author is surprised how many actions people sometimes fail to commit precisely under the influence of momentary cowardice. Examples of such behavior are contained in sentences 16–24 of the text. The worst thing, according to the journalist, is to experience cowardice and betrayal in everyday life. A broken window, an accidental loss of something, or a perceived injustice... How scary it is sometimes to make a confession about even a minor offense!

It is impossible not to agree with the opinion of F. Vigdorova. To make a truthful confession, you need to be a brave and strong person. We are well aware of examples from A.S. Pushkin’s story “The Captain’s Daughter”. Shvabrin, throughout almost the entire work, commits cowardly acts: he lies, dodges, becomes a traitor, caring only about his own good. Pyotr Grinev, on the contrary, maintains dignity in any circumstances. So, the main character, risking his life, declares that he will not swear allegiance to Pugachev.

We see another evidence of cowardice in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time". Grushnitsky, shooting with Pechorin, knew perfectly well that the latter did not have a loaded pistol, but, nevertheless, he shot at a practically unarmed man. Fate cruelly punished the meanness of the young man killed in this duel... Perhaps Lermontov wanted to express his position on this issue in this way. Cowardice is the quality of a scoundrel, unworthy to live.

Cowardice and betrayal always went hand in hand. I believe that we cannot be cowardly without committing betrayal towards those around us. Perhaps someone justifies their cowardice, but the mental trauma, the pain from the cowardly behavior of friends or those whom we considered friends, will be quite strong and will remain in the soul for a long time.

Cowardice, and after it betrayal, not only destroys relationships between people, but also destroys the person himself. And Frida Abramovna Vigdorova is a thousand times right when she asserts in the final lines of the text that there is only one courage. It has no plural, while cowardice has many faces.

Teacher's comment:

An essay about cowardice and betrayal is easy to write for an adult. Based on your life experience, it is easier to distinguish between good and evil. How can a schoolchild who has only a short period of life behind him, and still has everything ahead, cope with this? How to find in the text the problem that he will write about?

You can determine the topic by asking: what is the text about? And highlight the problem that you will discuss. She must be alone. Several of them may be reflected in the text.

In the control version, the author clearly calls things by their proper names, so there cannot be any difficulties with choosing definitions. We can advise you this: decide what you will discuss - cowardice and betrayal or courage.

When you work on your essay, don't be shy about writing emotionally. Let your emotional impulses be reflected on paper. Because it is impossible to write about cowardice and betrayal in dry language. But don’t get carried away with excessive expression, don’t use big words. The essay is not a letter to your best friend, but a journalistic document.

If you can't focus on examples from life, remember the literature. You can find many examples on this topic in works of art. And be sure to make a plan, determine in what sequence you will write.

Source text for writing an essay:

(1) I knew a wonderful writer. (2) Her name was Tamara Grigorievna Gabbe. (3) She told me once:

– There are many challenges in life. (4) You can’t list them. (5) But here are three, they occur often. (6) The first is the test of need. (7) Second - prosperity, glory. (8) And the third test is fear. (9) And not only with the fear that a person recognizes in war, but with the fear that overtakes him in ordinary, peaceful life.

(10) What kind of fear is this that does not threaten either death or injury? (11) Isn’t he a fiction? (12) No, it’s not fiction. (13) Fear has many faces, sometimes it affects the fearless.

(14) “It’s an amazing thing,” wrote the Decembrist poet Ryleev, “we are not afraid to die on the battlefields, but we are afraid to say a word in favor of justice.”

(15) Many years have passed since these words were written, but there are persistent illnesses of the soul.

(16) The man went through the war as a hero. (17) He went on reconnaissance, where every step threatened him with death. (18) He fought in the air and under water, he did not run from danger, he fearlessly walked towards it. (19) And now the war is over, the man returned home. (20) To my family, to my peaceful work. (21) He worked as well as he fought: with passion, giving all his strength, not sparing his health. (22) But when, due to the libel of a slanderer, his friend, a man whom he knew as himself, of whose innocence he was convinced as his own, was removed from work, he did not stand up. (23) He, who was not afraid of bullets or tanks, was scared. (24) He was not afraid of death on the battlefield, but was afraid to say a word in favor of justice.

(25) The boy broke the glass.

- (26) Who did this? - asks the teacher.

(27) The boy is silent. (28) He is not afraid to ski down the most dizzying mountain. (29) He is not afraid to swim across an unfamiliar river full of treacherous funnels. (30) But he is afraid to say: “I broke the glass.”

(31) What is he afraid of? (32) Flying down the mountain, he can break his neck. (33) Swimming across the river, you can drown. (34) The words “I did it” do not threaten him with death. (35) Why is he afraid to say them?

(36) I heard a very brave man who went through the war once say: “It was scary, very scary.”

(37) He spoke the truth: he was scared. (38) But he knew how to overcome his fear and did what his duty told him to do: he fought.

(39) In peaceful life, of course, it can also be scary.

(40) I’ll tell the truth, but I’ll be expelled from school for it... (41) If I tell the truth, I’ll be fired from my job... (42) I’d rather remain silent.

(43) There are many proverbs in the world that justify silence, and perhaps the most expressive: “My hut is on the edge.” (44) But there are no huts that would be on the edge.

(45) We are all responsible for what is happening around us. (46) Responsible for all the bad and all the good. (47) And one should not think that a real test comes to a person only in some special, fatal moments: in war, during some kind of catastrophe. (48) No, not only in exceptional circumstances, not only in the hour of mortal danger, human courage is tested under a bullet. (49) It is tested constantly, in the most ordinary everyday affairs.

(50) There is only one courage. (51) It requires that a person always be able to overcome the monkey within himself: in battle, on the street, at a meeting. (52) After all, the word “courage” does not have a plural form. (53) It is the same in any conditions.

(According to F.A. Vigdorova*) * Frida Abramovna Vigdorova (1915–1965) - Soviet writer, journalist. (From Open Bank FIPI)

The material was prepared by Larisa Gennadievna Dovgomelya

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. “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 lot. 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.
7. “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.
8. “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.
9. 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.
10. 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, with which, according to a happy tradition, the winners are rewarded for courage and bravery.

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