Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc)

Joan of Arc (http://www.goingpostalt-shirts.com/)

“I am not afraid…I was born to do this.” We hear these words uttered each and every day, but many of us don’t stop to think about who came up with these inspirational words. Was it a fireman about to save someone from a burning building? Was it a soldier about to fight in the war? The truth is, it wasn’t a man at all, nor soldier or fireman. It was a woman. Joan of Arc, also known as Jeanne d’Arc or la Pucelle (the Maid), sometimes is best known for saying this motivational statement. Starting off as a poor farmer’s daughter, she received visions from three Saints (St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret) around the age of 13 and, soon, she made it her life mission to cast the English out of France. She had a determination and perseverance to fulfill this task, which are some of the things that made her a true hero.

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc is known as a very influential hero from her time and ours is for her show of determination. Since she grew up hearing voices, and having no one to confide in because everyone around her thought it was an act of attention or that she was crazy, she had to believe in herself to try and follow through with her pursuit. “Joan knew that her father would not let her seek the King with the word of her visions; so in an act of disobedience…she persuaded her uncle to take her to the local authorities, where she reported her visions to Sir Robert de Baudricourt” (Discovering Biography). Once Joan received these visions from her Saints, she believed they were telling her that she needed to fight for her country and to expel the English out of France. So she didn’t give up asking her parents to give her a fair chance to talk to anyone who would listen. Joan also didn’t stop conveying her message of fighting for her country until people understood what she was saying and would allow her to lead armies in the war against the English. Joan had a determination that drove her to fight for her Saints to carry out her mission. Her determination also led her to get her time with the King and to persuade him to let her lead many of the battles for France. “In September 1429, Joan of Arc became wounded in a minor battle but nonetheless she was able to keep herself conscious and forced herself to be able to motivate her troops to keep fighting for their beloved country” (Joan of Arc; Insignias). It takes a great deal for a person to continue fighting after all they have been through, but that’s exactly what Joan did. Even when wounded, she was able to continue her fight verbally by helping and motivating her troops. All throughout her life Joan had an unwavering determination to fight for what she desired and what she believed in. She used her influence to persuade others to fight in a battle that seemed unwinable.

Joan at the Coronation of Charles VII (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc)

Consequently Joan of Arc is also a true hero through her perseverance that was clear to many people. She kept herself persistent in the belief that her need to defend her country would come through. Perseverance, in this case, is basically a steady persistence for a purpose. Joan believed that her purpose in life was to listen to her Saints and to expel the English out of France, which she did. “Joan of Arc met with the King of France, who at the time was Charles VIII, and he allowed her to lead his army into battle. But she also wanted to free the capital and even though the King doubted it was possible, he let her finish what she began and she pulled through thirteen days later” (Beyond the Myth: the Story of Joan of Arc). Even though Joan had no idea the king would allow her to lead his armies and wasn’t certain if she should go to him at all, she went anyways and was ready to go back to him over and over again until she achieved her task. Having perseverance can take a lot of practice, but people already have that skill without even knowing it. Joan had a patience that no one would have deemed possible from a woman that was hearing voices. “Of the love or hatred God has for the English, I know nothing, but I do know that they will all be thrown out of France, except those who die there” (Joan of Arc). What Joan said here proved that she had a steady persistence that helped her achieve her goal of getting the English out of France. She knew that if she tried hard enough and didn’t let herself get carried away, she could achieve her goal beyond anything she imagined. And even though she was captured by the English and burned at the stake, she believed and knew that if she was patient enough, she would get things to end up her way.

Saint Joan of Arc: 1821 (http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-joan-of-arc-gallery/)

At long last, Joan of Arc proved to be a very inspirational hero in two ways. She was determined to get to her goal and to achieve her mission and she also had perseverance because she had the patience and persistence to try and get herself where she wanted to go. She was courageous and brave even when she didn’t need to be. She showed that she wasn’t afraid to do something she felt she was destined to do. Joan of Arc proved to be a great hero to men and women all around the world and she still is today.

Works Consulted

Edward M., Peters. "Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431)".

Suzanne M., Bourgoin. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale Research1998.

Brooks, Polly Schoyer. Beyond the Myth, The Story of Joan of Arc. New York: J.B. Lippincott1972.

"Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431)." DISCovering Biography. Online ed. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Student Resource Center - Gold. Gale