Courage = Illogical
by Courage is an ambigous word: what does it truly mean? I delved into this interesting matter, and found something quite interesting… In fact, it is exactly the OPPOSITE of what you may think. You may be suprised to learn it’s true meaning…
In “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” Patrick Henry is a man who decides to stand up for what he believes in. He wishes to be patriotic, and to instill a hope that it is possible to win against a tyrant and unjust king. He wishes to prove that justice and freedom is worth fighting for. This is one of the few times that the self-preservation node that lies in wait is a nuisance. It keeps people from verbalizing what is needed to be said. Patrick states that he wants to freely express his own views, rather than hold back “through fear of giving offense” (57). Though his speech is highly controversial among that time and confusion, it was a key element in bringing about the Revolutionary War. Patrick ends his speech with his most famous, and most often quoted, expression, “give me liberty or give me death” (60). This can summarize the elements of courage in a nutshell. He wishes for liberty, with no reservations of what it should cost himself.
“A Mystery of Heroism” is a great example of the foolishness and most ludicrous aspects of courage. The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of the selfishness that courage has to push away in order to be seen. “Speech to the Virginia Convention” is a perfect example of the follow-through and execution of being courageous consciously. Patrick Henry knew what sort of peril he was facing when he stood up to speak his mind, and he was right in doing so. Though courage is a foolish, selfless, and illogical act mostly exhibited in the heat of the moment, it still has its rare moments of sanity in the hearts of men.
Works Cited
Henry, Patrick. “Speech to the Virginia Convention.” The Holt Reader. Beers, Kylene and Lee Odell, eds. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. 56-60.
Crane, Stephen. “A Mystery of Heroism.” The Holt Reader. Beers, Kylene and Lee Odell, eds. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. 174-185.
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925. 
(Patrick Henry: “Speech to the Virginia Convention)
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