Courageous Actions In Junot Díaz's 'The Terror'

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Intro Paragraph: Robert Frost, an American poet and recipient of four Pulitzer Prizes, once said "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." The narrator from "The Terror", Joseph McNeil, and Desmond Doss all represent the quote, through their various courageous actions that changed their and others' lives. Being courageous is worth the risk when the result has positive benefits. Body Paragraph 1: One example of courageous actions is in "The Terror" by Junot Díaz, a short story about a kid standing up to his bullies. In the story, the narrator is jumped by a group of kids that. The incident caused the narrator to live in fear of them for years, running away every time he saw them. However, one day after seeing his bullies, he was "brought up short by an appalling vision: [him] running away forever" (Díaz 13). The narrator's vision causes him to stop short and realize something must change. He realized that if he did nothing, he would live in fear of his bullies forever. After the sighting, …show more content…

"Thousands of American and Japanese soldiers were killed, and the fact that Doss survived the battle and saved so many lives has confounded and awed those who know his story" (Blair). Doss's courage is clearly displayed since he served in a battle where thousands of soldiers died, and without carrying a weapon "saved 75 men over a 12-hour period. The same soldiers who had shamed him now praised him" (Blair). Desmond's courage allowed him to save 75 soldiers, even while under heavy fire without a weapon. His courage was worth it, since he saved the lives of nearly one hundred men, saving the families of nearly one hundred men. Overall, we all have courage, whether we have a large or little amount, we can use it to positively benefit others and