Cowardice is a human weakness that arises at a crucial moment. A coward is afraid of difficulties, independent decision-making, sometimes even hopes for help from a brave person. Cowardice betrays a person: his eyes are rounded with fear, from the responsibility that falls on his shoulders, the mind turns off. Such behavior is formed on the subconscious and it is very difficult to control it, especially if the coward has already shown himself.

There are many examples in the literature about courage, but also a lot about cowardice. By endowing the characters with such a quality, the author wanted to show how ugly and shameful it is to be a coward, and, most importantly, useless for society.

The protagonist of the poem "Eugene Onegin" possesses cowardice of character. He agreed to a duel, although he could have refused, but then society ceased to respect him, and their opinion was important to him, as a secular person. Only an opinion, not the position of everyone. Onegin's cowardice lies in the fact that he did not want to admit his weakness, he wanted to be ideal for everyone, which ended sadly for him.

Cowardice is also reflected in the novel of centuries and generations "War and Peace". A striking example is the behavior of Zherkov, who was ordered to inform his colleagues about the retreat from the left front. He was afraid to cross the combat territory, he was afraid that he might die. He was sent there twice, and both times he did not fulfill the order of the general. The consequences of his cowardice were terrible: many companies did not know what to do and rushed into the loose, thereby being overtaken by the enemy. Because of the cowardice of one person, hundreds, and even thousands, suffered. In this example, cowardice played an important role, it took the lives of innocent soldiers.

Thus, cowardice in any of its manifestations does not bring good, and sometimes is fatal. A cowardly person is insecure, selfish, unable to overcome his fear, even if the price of his act is another human life. There is not a single case when cowardice helped a person in life. Maybe the instinct of self-preservation works, but you should never forget about the consequences.

Letting on self-confidence, courage, can only be a shell, and inside a little coward, afraid of his own shadow, not to mention vital deeds. It is better not to have a relationship with such people, because a coward will give himself away and abandon you at the most inopportune moment when help is really needed.

Courage. What it is? I think that courage is decisiveness in thoughts and actions, the ability to stand up for yourself and for other people who need your help, overcoming all kinds of fears: for example, fear of the dark, of someone else's brute force, of life's obstacles and difficulties. Is it easy to be brave? Not easy. Probably, this quality should be brought up from childhood. Overcoming your fears, moving forward despite difficulties, developing willpower in yourself, not being afraid to defend your opinion - all this will help to cultivate in yourself such a quality as courage. Synonyms for the word "courage" - "courage", "decisiveness", "courage". Antonym - "cowardice". Cowardice is one of the human vices. We are afraid of many things in life, but fear and cowardice are not the same thing. I think that meanness grows out of cowardice. The cowardly will always hide in the shadows, stay aloof, fearing for his own life, betray in order to save himself.

Courage and cowardice are most clearly manifested in people in difficult life situations, when it is necessary to make a decision on what to do, and in war. Let's look at some examples from the literature.

In the work of A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter" the main character is Pyotr Grinev. He serves in the Belogorsk fortress. There are two young officers here. The second is Shvabrin. They act differently when the Pugachevites captured the fortress. In the face of death, Grinev boldly behaves. He is ready to die, but not to violate the oath to faithfully serve the Fatherland. But Shvabrin is not like that. To save his life, he goes to the service of Pugachev. Of course, who wants to die young. But it is in such situations that hidden human qualities are revealed: the best and the worst, courage and cowardice.

In the story of V. Bykov "Sotnikov" there are two main characters. They are also young and also face death: they fall into the clutches of enemies. Courageously keeps Sotnikov. Beaten, tormented, he does not agree to go to the service of the Nazis. Not only devotion to the Motherland lives in him, but, of course, courage. Courage, courage, loyalty to his native land help him to remain a man to the end. And what about the second - Rybak? He was already afraid when he left a comrade on the road, who alone was shooting with the policemen. And only the fear of the partisans made Rybak return. He was also afraid in the face of death: he agreed to go to the police to save his life, and even became an executioner: he knocked out a stool under the gallows on which Sotnikov stood. Courage and cowardice are most clearly manifested in war.

Speaking of courage and cowardice, one cannot help but recall the story of Boris Vasiliev "The Dawns Here Are Quiet." Five anti-aircraft gunners are sent with foreman Vaskov to detain a detachment of German saboteurs. Let us recall the episode in which it is told how Zhenya Komelkova goes to swim in the lake in order to force the Nazis, who are hiding on the other side, to go to the railway by a detour, to lose time. Was she scared at that moment? Of course, it's very scary. But Zhenya did a bold deed, she did not think about herself at that time. Behind her were comrades, in her heart lived devotion to her native land. And the brave Zhenya dies heroically: she leads the enemies away from her comrades, from her wounded girlfriend. And Galka Chetvertak? Is she the meanest? Then why is her name also engraved on a monument standing at the edge of the forest? She didn't die because she was scared. Just fear seized her when she saw enemies very close for the first time in her life. Let's not blame a very young girl for this, let's not say that she chickened out. Indeed, in war, adult men are also afraid of a lot, they just know how to overcome the feeling of fear.

In conclusion, I would like to say that this topic of the essay made me think about the role courage and cowardice play in our life, how to cultivate the best human qualities in ourselves, become brave and strong, not be a coward.

Dear high school students!

This educational material will help you navigate the arguments for an essay in the Russian language at the Unified State Examination.

Location of teaching material

1.Volume, part, chapter number novel by L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" (VOLUME 1 PART 2 CHAPTER 19 - 20)

2.Subject, for which this fragment can be used

3.Fragment

In each fragment, key words are highlighted in bold.

VOLUME 1 PART 2 CHAPTER 19

THE ROLE OF THE TUSHIN BATTERY IN THE BATTLE OF SHENGRABEN

The attack of the 6th Chasseurs ensured the retreat of the right flank. In the center action of the forgotten Tushin battery who managed to ignite Shengraben, stopped the French. The French put out the fire carried by the wind, and gave them time to retreat.

MAN AND WAR. HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN WAR.

The Cowardice of Headquarters Officer Zherkov

Zherkov, smartly, without taking his hands off his cap, touched the horse and galloped off. But as soon as he drove away from Bagration, forces betrayed him. On him found an overwhelming fear, and he could not go where it was dangerous.

Approaching the troops of the left flank, he did not go forward, where there was shooting, but began to look for the general and the chiefs where they could not be, and therefore did not give orders.

MAN AND WAR. MAN'S ATTITUDE TO WAR.

HUMAN BEHAVIOR DURING THE TESTS.

HOW NIKOLAI ROSTOV PARTICIPATED IN THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN OF 1805-1807?

NIKOLAI ROSTOV THOUGHT ABOUT LIFE, WAR AND DEATH.

"Hurry, hurry!" - thought Rostov, feeling that at last the time had come to taste the pleasure of the attack, about which he had heard so much from his fellow hussars.

“Well, get caught now, whoever it is!” thought Rostov, pressing Grachik’s spurs, and, overtaking the others, let him go all over the quarry.

... and Rostov felt, as in a dream, that he continued to rush forward with unnatural speed and at the same time remained in place.

"What is this? am I not moving? - I fell, I was killed ... - Rostov asked and answered in an instant. "No, I am wounded and the horse is killed." Where were ours, where were the French - he did not know. Nobody was around.

“What are these people? Are they French?" He looked at the approaching French, and despite the fact that in a second he rode only to overtake these Frenchmen and cut them down, their proximity seemed to him so terrible that he could not believe his eyes. " Who are they? Why are they running? Really to me? And why? Kill me? Me who is loved so much by everyone? He remembered the love of his mother, family, friends for him, and the intention of his enemies to kill him seemed impossible.

He grabbed a pistol and, instead of firing it, threw it at the Frenchman and ran towards the bushes with all his might. Not with that feeling of doubt and struggle with which he went to the Ensky bridge, he fled, but with the feeling of a hare running away from dogs. One inseparable feeling of fear for his young, happy life dominated his entire being.. The Frenchman stopped and took aim. Rostov gathered his last strength, took his wounded left hand into his right and ran to the bushes. There were Russian arrows in the bushes.

VOLUME 1 PART 2 CHAPTER 20

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE WAR.

SOLDIER'S MORAL DISCUSSION.

PANIC AND FEAR AMONG THE SOLDIERS.

Infantry regiments, caught unawares in the forest, ran out of the forest, and companies, mingling with other companies, left in disorderly crowds. One soldier spoke in fright terrible in the war and meaningless word: “Cut off!”, and the word, together with a feeling of fear, was communicated to the whole mass.

Despite the desperate cry of the regimental commander’s voice, which was so formidable for the soldiers, despite the furious, crimson, dissimilar face of the regimental commander and brandishing a sword, the soldiers kept running, talking, shooting into the air and not listening to commands. The moral hesitation that decides the fate of the battles, obviously, was resolved in favor of fear.

TRUE HEROITY OF TIMOKHIN

Everything seemed lost, but at that moment the French, who were advancing on ours, suddenly, for no apparent reason, ran back, disappeared from the edge of the forest, and Russian arrows appeared in the forest. It was Timokhin's company, which, alone in the forest, kept itself in order and, sitting in a ditch near the forest, unexpectedly attacked the French. Timokhin, with such a desperate cry, rushed at the French and with such insane and drunken determination, with one skewer, ran into the enemy that the French, not having time to come to their senses, threw down their weapons and ran ... The fugitives returned, the battalions gathered, and the French, who were divided into two parts the troops of the left flank were momentarily pushed back.

SHOWING HEROITY OF DOLOHOV

Your Excellency, here are two trophies, - said Dolokhov pointing to French sword and bag. - I have captured an officer. I stopped the company... The whole company can testify. Please remember Your Excellency!

But Dolokhov did not leave; he untied the handkerchief, tugged at it, and showed the blood clotted in his hair.

- Wound with a bayonet, I remained in the front. Remember, Your Excellency.

GENUINE - UNSHOWN - HEROITY OF CAPTAIN TUSHIN.

INDEPENDENCE OF CAPTAIN TUSHIN'S DECISIONS.

LACK OF FEAR AND DETERMINATION ON THE TUSHIN BATTERY.

The Tushin battery was forgotten, and only at the very end of the case, continuing to hear the cannonade in the center, Prince Bagration sent the staff officer on duty there and then Prince Andrei to order the battery to retreat as soon as possible. The cover stationed near Tushin's guns left on someone's orders in the middle of the case; but the battery continued to fire and was not taken by the French only because the enemy could not imagine the audacity of firing four unprotected cannons. On the contrary, according to the energetic action of this battery, he assumed that the main forces of the Russians were concentrated here, in the center, and twice tried to attack this point, and both times he was chased away by four cannons standing alone on this hill with grape shots.

Soon after the departure of Prince Bagration Tushin managed to light the Shengraben.

Wow, confused! Burning! Look, there's smoke! Deftly! Important! Smoke something, smoke something! said the servant, brightening up.

All guns fired in the direction of the fire without orders. As if urging, the soldiers shouted to each shot. “Smart! That's it, that's it! Look you ... Important! ... the enemy put up ten guns to the right of the village and began to hit Tushin with them.

Because of the childish joy excited by the fire and the excitement of a successful shooting our gunners noticed this battery on the French only when two cannonballs and after them four more struck between the guns ...

… the gunners were still cheerful and lively.

In the smoke, deafened by incessant shots that made him shudder every time, Tushin ... ran from one gun to another, now aiming, then counting the charges, then ordering the change and harnessing of the dead and wounded horses, and shouted in his weak, thin, indecisive voice. His face became more and more animated.

As a result of this terrible rumble, noise, the need for attention and activity, Tushin did not experience the slightest unpleasant feeling of fear, and the thought that they might kill him or hurt him painfully did not occur to him. On the contrary, he became more and more cheerful.

"Well, our Matvevna, he said to himself. Matvevna imagined in his imagination a large extreme old-cast cannon. He imagined the French near their guns as ants ... He himself imagined himself of enormous growth, a powerful man who throws cannonballs at the French with both hands.

Well, Matvevna, mother, do not betray! - he said, moving away from the gun.

COANY BEHAVIOR OF STAFF MILITARY

What are you, crazy? You are twice ordered to retreat, and you…

“Well, why are they me? .. - Tushin thought to himself, looking at the boss with fear.

But the colonel did not finish everything he wanted. A close-flying shot made him bend over on his horse. He jumped away.

PRINCE ANDREY BOLKONSKY, UNLIKE THE HEADQUARTERS OFFICER, SHOWED COURAGE AND CARE FOR SIMPLE SOLDIERS.

A minute later, with the same order to retreat, Prince Andrei arrived.. He did not leave the battery. Together with Tushin, he took up cleaning the guns.

And now the authorities were coming, so it was more likely to blow, - the fireworker said to Prince Andrei, - not like your honor.

Well, goodbye, - said Prince Andrei, holding out his hand to Tushin.

Goodbye, my dear, - said Tushin, - dear soul! Farewell, my dear, - Tushin said with tears that, for some unknown reason, suddenly came into his eyes.

As soon as Tushin with his guns got out of the fire, he was met by the authorities, including Zherkov, who was sent twice and never reached Tushin's battery.

THE DESIRE OF SOLDIERS TO HELP EACH OTHER

WOUNDED ROSTOV AND CAPTAIN TUSHIN

Captain, for God's sake, I contused in the arm he said timidly. - For God's sake, I can not walk.

It was clear that this cadet had asked more than once to sit down somewhere and had been refused everywhere.

Juncker was Rostov. He held the other with one hand, was pale, and his lower jaw was trembling with fever. He was imprisoned ... Captain Tushin sent one of the soldiers to look for a dressing station or a doctor for the cadet and sat down by the fire. Rostov also dragged himself to the fire.

He glanced first at the fire, then at the weak figure of Tushin ... Tushin's large and intelligent eyes fixed him with sympathy and compassion. He saw that Tushin wanted with all his heart and could not help him in any way..

MILITARY COUNCIL WITH PRINCE BAGRATION.

FEAR OF CAPTAIN TUSHIN IN FRONT OF THE AUTHORITIES.

"TRUTH OF LIFE" IN THE WAR IN THE EYES OF PRINCE ANDREY: WHO IS THE TRUE HERO.

Not far from the fire of artillerymen, in the prepared for him hut, Prince Bagration was sitting, talking with some of the chiefs. There was... and Zherkov, uneasily looking around at everyone, and Prince Andrei, pale, with pursed lips and feverishly shining eyes.

Somewhere I have seen, Your Excellency, pavlograd attack,- uneasily looking around, intervened Zherkov, which did not see the hussars at all that day, a only heard about them from an infantry officer.

…many knew very well that what Zherkov said was a lie, based on nothing.

-… How are two guns left in the center? - asked Prince Bagration, looking for someone with his eyes.

Appeared on the threshold Tushin, timidly making his way from behind the generals. Bypassing the generals in a cramped hut, embarrassed, as always, at the sight of the authorities, Tushin did not consider the flagpole and stumbled on it. Several voices laughed.

Tushin now only, at the sight of the formidable authorities, in all horror imagined his guilt and shame in the fact that he, having remained alive, had lost two guns. He was so excited that until now he had no time to think about it. He stood in front of Bagration with a trembling lower jaw and barely said:

I don't know... Your Excellency... there were no people, Your Excellency.

You would could take from the cover!

That there was no cover, Tushin did not say this although it was the absolute truth. He was afraid to let the other boss down by this and silently, with fixed eyes, looked straight into Bagration's face, just as a student who has gone astray looks into the examiner's eyes.

Prince Andrei looked at Tushin from under his brows, and his fingers moved nervously.

Your excellency, - Prince Andrei interrupted the silence with his harsh voice, - you deigned to send me to Captain Tushin's battery. I was there and found two-thirds of the men and horses killed, two guns mangled and no cover.

And if, Your Excellency, allow me to express my opinion, ”he continued, then we owe the success of the day most of all to the action of this battery and the heroic stamina of Captain Tushin with his company.

Prince Andrei followed Tushin.

Here Thank you, helped me out, my dear, - Tushin told him.

Prince Andrei glanced at Tushin and, without saying anything, walked away from him. Prince Andrei was sad and hard. It was all so strange, so unlike what he had hoped.

THOUGHTS OF A MAN WOUNDED IN THE WAR

REFLECTIONS OF THE WOUNDED NIKOLAY ROSTOV ABOUT HIS CONDITION, ABOUT HIS FAMILY, ABOUT THE MEANING OF HIS PARTICIPATION IN MILITARY ACTIONS

"Who are they? Why are they? What do they need? And when it all ends? - thought Rostov ... The pain in his arm became more and more painful.

He forgot himself for one minute, but during this short interval of forgetfulness he dreamed of an innumerable number of objects: he saw his mother and her big white hand, saw Sonya's thin shoulders, Natasha's eyes and laughter, and Denisova with his voice and mustache ...

"No one wants me! thought Rostov. - No one to help or pity. And I was once at home, strong, cheerful, beloved.

... He looked at the snowflakes fluttering over the fire and recalled the Russian winter with a warm, bright house, a fluffy fur coat, a fast sleigh, a healthy body and with all the love and care of the family. "AND why did I come here!" he thought.

1. Courage is a positive trait of a person's character. It manifests itself in the immutability of decisions, confidence in their actions. This quality has been considered by philosophers from different angles for a long time. Courage can be conscious, that is, a person’s actions are thought out and not accidental, but sometimes courage is instantaneous.

In this case, the decision is made quickly and spontaneously. What drives a person at this moment? Not known. One thing is clear: the result can be completely different.

2. Cowardice is a negative quality of a person's personality. This is not confidence, but doubts about the future, the inability to make the right decision. It greatly affects a person's life and changes it in a variety of ways. Sometimes people are embarrassed by their cowardice and pass it off as the inability to perform an action for any other reason, sometimes cowardice entails various losses, even in the quality of human lives. But the most worthy example of a strong character of a person is to overcome his cowardice and do a brave deed, having made a real victory over himself.

3. In the immortal epic novel "War and Peace" by L. N. Tolstoy, an example of a real cowardly person is given. Zherkov was twice ordered by Bagration to inform the left front about the retreat. But this man began to move cowardice. He was afraid to cross the battle line, because the fear of death was higher for him than the order of his superiors. Fear in war will never lead to anything good. This is what happened in our situation. The French began to advance, and the companies fled into the loose. People did not know what to do, because not a single order had been received. There was a commotion, which was completely predictable. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people died because of the cowardice of one person. And it turns out that all these lives could be saved if Zherkov could overcome his fear of death.

4. A delightful example is in the poetic work of K. Vanshenkin "A coward pretended to be brave in war." We are talking about a man who experienced an inexorable fear of battle and death. But this coward was able to overcome himself. He was shaking and pounding, and then these feelings began to recede, and only courage remained. You can show a cowardly person in completely different ways, but, perhaps, such an example of a cowardly person is really worthy of respect and attention.

Updated: 2017-12-05

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Useful material on the topic

• What qualities does a person show in a war? How is courage shown in war? Why do people show cowardice in war? Courage and cowardice. Composition of the Unified State Examination Arguments, examples from the literature

In general, no one else, perhaps, has portrayed human stamina and indestructibility in such grandeur and brilliance as the author of War and Peace.

N.I. Soloviev

Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace" is one of the most famous works of Russian literature, the action of which is closely connected with the history of Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. It was the time of the Napoleonic wars, when the French army marched victoriously across Europe, advancing to the borders of our Motherland. The only force capable of stopping this movement was the Russian people, who had risen to fight the invaders. The theme of the Patriotic War of 1812 is devoted to most of the novel "War and Peace", on the pages of which the author draws images of Russian soldiers who defended the Motherland, their exceptional heroism, courage, loyalty to the oath.

But all these wonderful qualities appear only when the soldiers understand what they are fighting for. Therefore, the military campaign of 1805-1807 failed. It was a war on foreign territory for foreign interests. Started for the sake of glory, for the sake of the ambitious interests of the court circles, it was incomprehensible and not needed by the people. Russian soldiers, being far from their homeland, not realizing the goals of the campaign, do not want to lay down their lives in vain. As a result, during the battle of Austerlitz, the Russian troops fled back in a panic.

If the battle turns out to be inevitable, the Russian soldiers are ready to fight to the death. This is what happened during the Battle of Shengraben. Having shown miracles of courage, the Russian troops took the brunt. A small detachment under the command of Bagration held back the onslaught of the enemy, "eight times" outnumbering him. The unit of officer Timokhin also showed great courage. It not only did not retreat, but also struck back, which saved a significant part of the army.

The author has great sympathy for Captain Tushin. His portrait is unremarkable: "a small, dirty, thin artillery officer without boots ... wearing only stockings." There was something "completely unmilitary, somewhat comical, but extremely attractive" in his "figurine". The captain lives the same life with the soldiers: he eats and drinks with them, sings their songs, participates in their conversations. Tushin is shy in front of everyone: in front of the authorities, in front of senior officers. But during the battle of Shengraben, he is transformed: together with a handful of soldiers, he shows amazing courage and heroism, bravely fulfilling his military duty. His special attitude to combat is striking. The captain calls the guns by name, speaks affectionately to them, it seems to him that he is throwing the cannonballs at the enemy. The example of a commander makes soldiers fight merrily and die merrily, laugh at the adjutant who orders to leave the position and cowardly hides from the cannonballs. They all know that they are saving the retreating army, but they do not realize their own feat. On the example of such modest heroes, Tolstoy showed the true patriotism of Russian soldiers, based on a sense of duty and loyalty to the oath.

But the patriotism of Russian soldiers manifested itself especially strongly during the Patriotic War of 1812, when the enemy invaded the territory of Russia.

According to Andrei Bolkonsky, the outcome of the battle depends on the feeling that lives in all participants in the battle. This feeling is popular patriotism, the huge rise of which on the day of Borodin convinces Bolkonsky that the Russians will certainly win: “Tomorrow, whatever it is, we will win the battle!” Realizing the importance of the upcoming battle, the soldiers even refuse to drink the vodka they are supposed to, because it is "not such a day."

Describing the battle through the eyes of Pierre Bezukhov, the author notes a high sense of camaraderie, a sense of duty, the physical and moral strength of soldiers and militias. On the Borodino field, the French army first encountered an enemy whose morale was so high. Tolstoy believes that this is why the French were defeated.

The consequence of this was a guerrilla war that unfolded in the territories occupied by the French. The whole people rose up against the invaders - soldiers, men, Cossacks and even women. A prominent representative of the partisan war in the novel, a person who embodied the main moods and feelings of the Russian people, is the partisan of the Denisov detachment Tikhon Shcherbaty. This is the "most needed person" in the squad. He is brave, brave, the French are enemies for him, and he destroys them. It is Tikhon Shcherbaty who combines those features of the people that were especially manifested in a terrible time for the Fatherland: hatred of the invaders, unconscious, but deep patriotism, courage and heroism in battle, steadfastness and selflessness. The guerrilla war in the understanding of Tikhon Shcherbaty, Denisov, Dolokhov and others is retribution for the ruin and death of the Russian people, it is a club that "with all its formidable and majestic power ... rose, fell and nailed the French until the whole invasion died" . This is the embodiment of "a sense of insult and revenge."

But the quick-witted Russian heart cannot keep hatred and bitterness in itself for long. They are quickly replaced by mercy towards the former invaders. So, having met in the forest hungry and frozen Captain Rambal and his batman Morel, the Russians show compassion: "the soldiers surrounded the French, laid out an overcoat for the sick man and brought both porridge and vodka." At the same time, one of the privates says: “They are also people ... And wormwood grows on its root.” Former enemies, despite the evil they have caused, in their present miserable and helpless state deserve indulgence.

So, recreating pictures of the past, Tolstoy showed us a lot of very different, sometimes unfamiliar to each other, Russian soldiers. We see that most of them are united by hatred of the invaders, deep patriotism, loyalty to duty and oath, boundless courage and steadfastness. But most importantly, each of them is ready to sacrifice his life in the name of saving the Motherland. This is the strength of the Russian warrior.

Thus, L.N. Tolstoy, in his novel “War and Peace”, argues that a people with such defenders cannot be enslaved.