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Joan of Arc

by Alexandria Greenhall from San Diego, California in United States

“What a cruel thing war is... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors” (Robert E. Lee). One of the longest, most horrible wars was the Hundred Years' War between the French and the British. The hero of that war was a French maiden, Joan of Arc. Joan’s childhood was full of obstacles. At the age of 13, she started to hear the voices of Saints. Four years later, her city was attacked by the British, so she went to King Charles VII and created her own army. When she was 19, Joan of Arc was murdered by the British. Twenty years after her murder, Joan of Arc was canonized by the Pope and a statue was erected in her honor in Notre Dame. Joan of Arc’s statue helps remind the French of her heroism (Lanhers & Vale). To be a hero, one must be selfless and brave. Joan of Arc is a hero because she possessed selflessness and bravery; she used her traits to protect her country.

133343https://commons.wikimedia.orgJohn Everett Millais [Public domain]

Due to her selflessness, Joan of Arc was a hero. The true start of Joan of Arc’s life, joining the militia when she was 17 years old, caused her to be disowned by her family. “Her father had dreamed of Joan going off with men of arms... her father said to her brothers, ‘If I thought that my dream was coming true, I’d want you to drown her'” (Spoto 35). Joan of Arc’s father would rather her be dead than pretend to be a man and fight with men. Yet, despite her father’s thoughts, she still went and fought. She selflessly went against her family and saved the lives of hundreds. Throughout Joan’s life in battle, the French went on hundreds of sieges. However one, in particular had an effect on Joan’s life. “Joan had been wounded but quickly returned to the fight, and it was thanks in part to her example that the French commanders maintained the attack until the English capitulated” (Yvonne). During a battle, Joan of Arc was painfully wounded, shot in the neck" (Cavendish). Thankfully for the French troops, she continued to fight. And “it was thanks in part to her example” the French won. Selflessly she continued fighting, which proved to her armies that they could win, and they were able to keep one of their cities. Joan was a selfless leader and she always put her country before herself.

133342Joan of Arc on horsebackMusée Dobrée [Public domain]Joan of Arc is a hero because of her bravery. Joan of Arc had always been brave; however, in her first battle she portrayed bravery unbeknownst to women in that day and age. “Joan, dressed in all white and riding a white horse, led the army. The army was able to drive the Anglo-Burgundian forces from Orléans” (“Joan of Arc”). Joan of Arc, at the age of 17, led an army to help defeat the British. Her bravery allowed the French to win that battle and regain some land. Winning the battle helped boost the morale of the French and helped them to inevitably win the Hundred Years' War. Her heroic life partially stemmed from her bravery. Much later on in the war, near the end of Joan’s life, the British “targeted a number of French holdings north of Paris to help in the defense of the capital city. When the city of Compiegne was attacked, Joan and a number of eager soldiers rushed into battle” (McGill). While the French troops were trying to regain Paris, the British troops were trying to gain more cities around the capital. The troops invaded a city nearby Paris, and Joan ran in weapons at the ready. Her bravery helped France win their battles and helped save the lives of thousands of Frenchmen. The bravery Joan of Arc portrayed throughout her teenage years shows that she is a hero.

Joan of Arc was a selfless and brave hero. Joan of Arc was a leader, a selfless citizen, and a brave fighter. She also fought for her country without reserve for her own life. She bravely went against everything her family believed to follow her life's mission. Joan of Arc became a patron saint after being murdered due to 15 different charges. She is a pinnacle for women's rights. She proved to the world that women, even girls aged 17, can do anything. She was raised in the 1400s, when women were still thought to be their husband's property. Joan faced many hardships throughout her entire life and slashed through all of them to the end. Joan of Arc is an inspiration to all of womankind and is one of the most heroic figures in the world.

 

Works Cited

Cavendish, Richard. “Joan of Arc Born at Domrémy.” History Today, 1 Jan. 2012,

www.historytoday.com/archive/joan-arc-born-domr%C3%A9my.

"Joan of Arc." Gale Student Resources in Context, Gale, 2016. Student Resources In Context,

https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/AGLDRY177359316/SUIC?u=powa9245&sid=SUIC&xid=23ccf254. Accessed 27 Apr. 2019.

McGill, Sara Ann. “Joan of Arc.” Joan of Arc, Aug. 2017, p. 1. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=18052878&site=brc-live.

Spoto, Donald. Joan: the Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint. HarperOne, 2008.

Yvonne Lanhers, and Malcolm G.A. Vale. “Joan of Arc, Saint.” Britannica Biographies, Mar. 2012, p. 1. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=32414069&site=brc-live.

 

Page created on 5/9/2019 12:59:26 AM

Last edited 5/13/2019 10:38:42 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Joan of Arc - Ancient History Encyclopedia - A summary of the hundred years' war and Joan of Arc's place in it.
Joan of Arc - A summary of Joan of Arc's most important moments.
Saint Joan of Arc - French Heroine - A short biography of Joan of Arc, highlighting the heroic moments in Joan of Arc's life.