Code Name Verity: Pre-Reading Post

3. Discuss the difference between what makes someone a coward and what makes someone a hero.   

  

    A coward, in my eyes, is someone who, when put in a difficult problem, abandons all their beliefs for fear of consequence. A hero, if put in a difficult situation, stays true to his or her beliefs no matter what the consequences.  You can tell what a coward is through the book Code Name Verity when the author keeps giving up secrets to the Nazis during WW2 all because she is afraid of punishment. 

     We would all like to think that, if we had a strong belief we would stick to it, even if the repercussions were extreme. If we stand by our beliefs and do not throw them away because of fear, then we are heros, but if we are crippled by fear and choose to forget everything we once believed in, then we are cowards.  A coward, in my eyes, is someone who, when put in a difficult problem, abandons all their beliefs for fear of consequence.  

    In Code Name Verity the author gave up secrets that were vital to the well being of other people just so her life would be easier. She is a coward, because she dropped her beliefs in morality, her country, and herself. She didn't stand up for what she believed, unlike the other prisoners who, even though they were beaten and harshly interrogated, stayed true to themselves, their country and their morality. They are heros because they suffered for their beliefs. 

     The other prisoners in the book did not only stay true to their beliefs but also to the other people whom they saved. By keeping their secrets, they, in essence, protected the ones who would have gotten hurt. They were selfless and suffered for others like any hero would. Even the fake heros that we read about are faced with a difficult situation, overcome their fears and fight for people's lives. Cowards, on the other hand, are only worried about themselves, not other people. They fight for themselves at the expense of others, which is selfish. The villains that we have made up want something, whether it be money, power, or control.  They hurt people to achieve their selfish goals. That's what the author did in Code Name Verity. She risked people's lives so that she could survive and not be beaten. She wanted safety, and she hurt people to get it. 

     Situations, fears, and our selflessness or selfishness decide if we are a coward or a hero. Do we stand up for our beliefs at all costs or do we give them up to protect ourselves? We all have the tendency to be scared and selfish but fighting those feelings are what truly makes us a hero.