Character Analysis Of Pauline Cushman

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“Thousands of our noble soldiers have gladly given up their lives for their country. Should I hesitate to do as much?” This is a direct quote from the famous heroine, Pauline Cushman. She was a very courageous Union Spy and American Actress. Not only was she was a mother of three, but she also had a total of three husbands. Pauline wouldn’t let anything stop her- not near death experiences, not a sentence to execution- not anything. She focused on the task at hand and put aside any fears or doubts. Pauline Cushman is sustained as prevalent American figure because of the courageous atmosphere she supplied. Not only is she famous for her achievements, but, more importantly, for her character traits. Everyone can gain knowledge about courage when …show more content…

This could not only be risky, but could also get her killed if they found out what she was- a spy. Not many people were up for the job and this information may not have been presented to the Union if she hadn’t existed. Even still, without her, the war may have taken longer, or not ended up favorably. She chose to ignore any doubts and push forward. She knew the potential price she may have to pay; she knew the cost, the risk, the danger. Instead of pitying herself, she decided to be courageous and do her duty- to almost any extent. For example, she was once caught by the Confederate army for spying, and was sentenced to death by hanging. Nevertheless, she stayed calm, never gave up, and improvised her way out. She used her previous acting experience to pretend to be sick. The court allowed her to get better first, but acted weak at court, and they took pity on her. They eventually released her free of charge. Although she showed bravery and courage nearly her whole life, there was one exception. Towards the end of her life she killed herself. She didn’t feel like fighting for a good life. So, she made the selfish, cowardly decision to commit suicide. This was during the time when her third husband and her child had passed away. She also was very poor, having spent all of her money on fine living. She had rheumatism and had been taking morphine for the pain. So, one day she overdosed herself- …show more content…

He will not leave you nor forsake you.” God wants us to be courageous through him; to not fear anything. In Matthew 14:27- It says that Jesus told them to “be of good cheer” (not be fearful) and to not be afraid since it is He who is with them. In Joshua 1:9- God tells them that He has commanded them to be strong and courageous. God doesn’t want us to be frightened or dismayed, because He is with us everywhere. He wants us to be afraid of nothing but Him. We have to be courageous through him and fear nothing. So of course, He would appreciate this theme that she showed. However, we need to be courageous through the only one who can save us. Although she was raised Catholic, I am not sure how much of her life Pauline gave to God. He expects us to pray to Him to give us strength and courage, so we can use it to glorify Him and spread his word. We need to ask him for courage, not just rely on our own strength. If we rely on ourselves to be courageous, we are not only bound for failure, but also are drifting from Jesus- the only one who can save us. So the lesson here is to rely on Jesus to give us courage and bravery to do His will. We can’t expect that we will be alright with little fears by