There is a great number of different forces which influence human beings and make them go further, develop themselves and investigate something new, even if it is hidden somewhere deep in a persons soul. These acts of self-cognition and negotiation of own fears, problems and taboos demand great power, will and bravery. The last one can be called one of the most important qualities which human being possesses.
The long way usually starts from the first step and to make this step a person should be brave enough to cope with the fear of change and uncertainty. Being a very important issue, bravery was praised by a great number of authors and a great number of masterpieces of the world literature are devoted to the investigation of this question.
The novel The Bath by Janet Frame and the short story The Hollow of the Three Hills by Nathaniel Hawthorne also make readers think about the manifestations of bravery. These two works center around the stories of two women. Being different, they, however, describe the womens determination to perform their intentions, though it demands great bravery from them.
The first novel under analysis is The Hollow of the Three Hills by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This writer is known for his adherence to dark romanticism. In his works, he often touches the issues of sin, guilt, and evil. Being tightly interlaced in his works, these issues help to create a unique atmosphere, peculiar for all his works. The Hollow of the Three Hills is not an exception. The story centers round the life of a young and beautiful women, who had some sins in her past, which she wants to forget.
However, she realizes that it is no use running from problems as they will still catch you. Being a kind and loving women, she could not forget her close people. That is why she agrees to the witch’s proposal. Having agreed to this ritual, she signed a death warrant to herself.
Though, she did it voluntarily. She could not but suppose that she would die; however, she agreed. This case can be taken as the manifestation of her bravery. She was not afraid of the old witch and the place which was rather horrifying. Moreover, she managed to overcome the fear of death, hoping to see her close people for the last time.
Another work which touches this issue is The Bath by Janet Frame. This is a short story devoted to the life of the old widow, who has to spend her last days alone in her grief. Being not able to accept her husbands death, she lives in the past, doing the same actions, which became some sort of a ritual for her, day by day. However, there is still a place for her bravery in this story. Being rather weak and almost helpless, she dares to take a bath.
Throughout the story, the author compares the bath with the grave, underlining its symbolic and horrifying meaning for the old lady. Though, she still decides to do it. There are several possible explanations for her actions. The most obvious is that she does not want to make up her mind with her helplessness and challenges this bath.
This action of the old lady shows great bravery which still lives in her soul. She knows that there is no one to help her in case of emergency, though she risks. Her bravery is emphasized by her loneliness, as it is very difficult to remain concentrated and save some desire to struggle to be alone.
These two works seem to be different, though they still have some common features. The young woman wants to forget her past and see her close people at this very moment, while the old lady wants to return her husband. Their desires seem to be quite similar. However, there is also one more thing which unites them. They both are desperate. The young woman is tired from attempts to avoid her past and hide from the world.
The old lady cannot live alone anymore, visiting her husbands grave every day and turning it into the ritual, which helps her to fill another day with sense. That is why their bravery can be called the desperate daring. They have nothing to lose, and they do not want to continue their lives in the way they exist. Being so different, these two ladies have common motifs for the manifestation of their bravery.
Having analyzed these two stories, it is possible to come to certain conclusions. The issue of bravery is very popular among writers of different times. That is why it is not surprising that there are two more works devoted to this issue. However, they try to show readers that there is some special kind of bravery, which appears when a person stands at the edge. It can be called desperate daring. Having nothing to lose, people can do a great number of unexpected things and even change their destiny.