FIPI comment on the direction "Courage and cowardice":
"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 evade the resolution of complex, sometimes extreme life situations. On the pages of many literary works, both heroes capable of bold actions and characters showing weakness of spirit and lack of will."

Recommendations for students:
The table contains works that reflect any concept related to the direction "Courage and cowardice". You DO NOT NEED to read all of the titles listed. You may have already read a lot. Your task is to revise your reading knowledge and, if there is a lack of arguments in one direction or another, fill in the gaps. In this case, you will need this information. Take it as a guide in the vast world of literary works. Please note: the table shows only a part of the works in which the problems we need are present. This does not mean at all that you cannot bring completely different arguments in your works. For convenience, each work is accompanied by small explanations (the third column of the table), which will help you navigate exactly how, through which characters, you will need to rely on literary material (the second mandatory criterion when evaluating a graduation essay)

An approximate list of literary works and carriers of problems in the direction of "Courage and cowardice"

Direction	Approximate list of literary works	Carriers of the problem
Courage and cowardice	L. N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"	Andrey Bolkonsky, captain Tushin, Kutuzov- Courage and heroism in war. Zherkov- cowardice, the desire to be in the rear.
	A. S. Pushkin. "Captain's daughter"	Grinev, Captain Mironov's family, Pugachev- bold in their actions and aspirations. Shvabrin- a coward and a traitor.
	M. Yu. Lermontov "Song about the merchant Kalashnikov"	Merchant Kalashnikov boldly goes to a duel with Kiribeevich, defending the honor of his wife.
	A. P. Chekhov. "About love"	Alekhine afraid to be happy, as it requires courage in overcoming social rules and stereotypes.
	A. P. Chekhov. "The Man in the Case"	Belikov afraid to live, because "no matter what happens."
	M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin "The Wise Gudgeon"	Fairy tale hero The wise gudgeon chose fear as his life strategy. He decided to be afraid and take care, because only in this way can one outsmart the pike and not fall into the nets of fishermen.
	A. M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil"	Danko took the liberty of leading people out of the forest and saving them.
	V. V. Bykov "Sotnikov"	Sotnikov(courage), Fisherman(cowardice, betrayed the partisans).
	V. V. Bykov "Obelisk"	Teacher Frost courageously fulfilled the duty of a teacher and remained with his students.
	M. Sholokhov. "Destiny of Man"	Andrey Sokolov(the embodiment of courage at all stages of life). But cowards were also encountered along the way (the episode in the church when Sokolov strangled a man who intended to give the Germans the names of communists).
	B. Vasiliev "The Dawns Here Are Quiet"	Girls from the platoon of foreman Vaskov, who took on an unequal battle with German saboteurs.
	B. Vasiliev. "Not listed"	Nikolai Pluzhnikov courageously resists the Germans, even when he remains the only defender of the Brest Fortress.

The topic "Courage and cowardice" was proposed among other topics of the final essay on literature for 2020 graduates. Many great people have talked about these two phenomena. “Courage is the beginning of victory,” Plutarch once said. “The courage of the city takes,” A.V. Suvorov agreed with him many centuries later. And some even made provocative statements on this topic: “Real courage rarely does without stupidity” (F. Bacon). Be sure to include such quotes in your work - this will have a positive effect on your assessment, as well as mentioning examples from history, literature or from life.

What to write about in an essay on this topic? You can consider courage and cowardice as abstract concepts in their broadest sense, think about them as two sides of the coin of one person, about the truth and falsity of these feelings. Write about the fact that courage can be a manifestation of excessive self-confidence, that there is a direct connection between selfishness and cowardice, but rational fear and cowardice are not the same thing.

A popular topic for reflection is cowardice and courage in extreme conditions, for example, in war, when the most important and previously hidden human fears are exposed, when a person shows character traits previously unknown to others and himself. Or vice versa: even the most positive people in an emergency situation can show cowardice. Here it would be useful to speculate about heroism, heroism, desertion and betrayal.

As part of this essay, you can write about courage and cowardice in love, as well as in your mind. Here it would be appropriate to recall willpower, the ability to say “no”, the ability or inability to defend one’s opinion. You can talk about human behavior when making decisions or getting to know something new, getting out of your comfort zone, the courage to admit your mistakes.

Other directions of the final essay.

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 betray himself and abandon you at the most inopportune moment when help is really needed.

A person struggles with his fears all his life. Overcoming them helps to reach new heights in life, as well as to get a high definition of "brave". Otherwise, you are constantly faced with some kind of restrictions, something interferes and does not allow you to open up, and you are just a coward. The theme of courage and cowardice, the struggle with one's fears and its outcome interested many writers. L.N. was no exception. Tolstoy, who reflected in his main novel many important moral themes, including this one. In this article, we list the arguments in the direction of "Courage and cowardice" from the work "War and Peace".

1) An example of true courage is a minor, but bright character - the staff captain of the artillery Tushin. In ordinary life, this is a modest and shy person with incredibly kind eyes. In battle, he acquires decisiveness, boldly takes command and takes responsibility. During the Battle of Shengraben, the battery led by Tushin accomplished a real feat: the soldiers set fire to the village of Shengraben, the French were distracted by starting to extinguish it, and the Russian troops were able to retreat. But they forgot about the battery, they did not give an order to retreat, it remained under fire from the enemy. Tushin did not violate the order, did not run, actively supported his subordinates, and did not hide behind their backs. The captain does not expose his actions as a feat, he simply makes decisions that are consistent with his concepts of honor and morality. In battle, you need to fight to the end, Tushin believes. Is this not real courage?

2) There are rarely brave people among the headquarters military and the retinue of commanders, otherwise they would go into battle. Zherkov, Bagration's adjutant, turned out to be just such a coward. The hero behaved like a jester, made grimaces, mimicked people behind their backs, trying to amuse everyone in order to curry favor, it is not surprising that at the decisive moment he chose his own interests. In the battle of Shengraben, Zherkov received the most important order: to transfer the order to retreat to the left flank. But this hero went in the right direction, saw that it was dangerous, that his parodic talent would not help there, and returned back. Because of Zherkov, many people died, Tushin's battery and Timokhin's company were left without support. Cowardice can harm not only the person himself, but also be dangerous for others, which is why it must be eradicated in oneself.

3) Cowardice and courage can manifest themselves not only in military, but also in civilian life. Anatoly Kuragin is a luxurious, dressed in a beautiful wrapper, cowardice. He is noble, rich, handsome, well-educated, but he is a stupid, depraved rake who is only interested in fun and women. In relation to them, his cowardice is manifested to a greater extent. He is secretly married to an unknown Polish girl, but he is afraid to admit it in society, and especially to Natasha Rostova, whom he almost seduced. Secret meetings, escape, secret marriage - all these factors are already alarming and show his mental poverty and unwillingness to be responsible for his actions. Cowardice is a faithful companion of meanness, this can be seen in the example of Anatole, which is why it is important to fight this quality.

4) Andrei Bolkonsky is one of the favorite characters of L.N. Tolstoy, therefore, he combines the best qualities of a person, although he is not without flaws. Andrei literally runs to the war with Napoleon in 1805, fleeing the suffocating world, an unsuccessful marriage, and disappointment in life. The hero liked Napoleon, he wanted to become famous like him, to wait for "his Toulon", like an idol. Bolkonsky dreamed of leading an army into a hopeless battle and leading to victory. And he really tried, took the banner and rushed forward, scorning fear and self-preservation. After that, the hero was seriously wounded, and his relatives thought that he had died. Using the example of Andrei, the reader understands that courage is a positive quality, but it should not turn into recklessness, and a feat should not be accomplished in the name of oneself.

5) Natasha Rostova is one of the main characters of the novel. She combines the best, according to Leo Tolstoy, feminine qualities: understanding, lively, able to listen (though not always understand). Nevertheless, the heroine has firmness, willpower, perseverance and courage in difficult situations. The Patriotic War of 1812 was such a situation for the girl. When the family fled from Moscow, Natasha took responsibility for everything: she helped to transport the wounded, she began to look after the dying Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. She did not perform feats, did not lead the troops, but her actions are no less courageous. After all, not everyone will be able to linger for the sake of strangers under the threat of death, to see how a person dies, and you cannot help - you need a lot of courage. Using the example of Natasha, the reader understands that one can be brave not only on the battlefield, but also in everyday life.

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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

The famous novel by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy "War and Peace" is filled with a detailed, accurate, realistic description of the military events that took place both on the territory of Russian lands and beyond. Due to the fact that the author himself once took part in hostilities in the Caucasus, and then in the defense of Sevastopol, he was able to talentedly, and, most importantly, truthfully describe the state of the war, its destructive power, the troubles that it brings with it .

In the novel "War and Peace" the reader watches the Shengraben, Austerlitz and Borodino battles. On the pages of the novel there is a description of the military operations of 1805-1807. Also paid attention to the author and the war on the territory of Russia in 1812.

Moments of military events acquaint readers with ordinary soldiers who do not know the concept of false patriotism, simulated deeds and actions. Also, we are watching the dubious military "top", which very often acted in their own interests, completely without thinking about the common people.

For example, staff officer Zherkov, after his expulsion, did not want to remain in the regiment, because he knew what and how was actually going on at the front. He was able to receive his numerous awards while sitting at the headquarters. Of course, simple, sincere, real and courageous warriors who were ready to defend the freedom of Russia to the end, contrasted perfectly against the background of such a low person as Zherkov.

With good reviews, Tolstoy describes the personality of company commander Timokhin. Having become an example for the rest of the battalions, Timokhin's company was able to stop the retreat of their own troops, who succumbed to panic and fled in different directions.

Of course, on the pages of the novel there are not only inspiring, heroic moments. After all, war is in many ways disastrous, destructive, chaotic. Such concepts can characterize the battle of Austerlitz, when boredom reigned in the ranks of the soldiers, when stupidity took place around, when the spirit of the soldiers fell down with every minute of the battle.

The war in Russia in 1812 was nationwide. With aggressive attacks, Napoleon's armies won glory in Europe. Now, it is the turn of the Russian lands. But, it was here that Napoleon felt the strength of a worthy opponent, whose troops rallied to defeat the enemy. And not only the soldiers showed their patriotic qualities. As soon as Napoleon began to enter Moscow, all the people, all its inhabitants, abandoned their homes and went away, showing the loyalty of the people.

Lev Nikolayevich paid enough attention to the description of the partisan detachments, which brought extraordinary benefits and played their role during the war. The reader will learn about the detachments of Denisov and Dolokhov. A few, secret, inconspicuous gatherings of partisans gradually destroyed the enemy. The war is over. And Tolstoy gives preference, due to those simple soldiers, ordinary people who showed their best qualities and were able to be useful in the course of hostilities.

Love for the motherland, for the Russian lands forced the people to rally and meet with the powerful forces of the enemy. As a result, Napoleon was defeated and lost his authority.