<p>I've written the below essay, originally in pencil, in 25 minutes. The prompt was </p>
<p>Does true courage always require putting something that is very important to you at risk? </p>
<p>Please tell me what you think and give an approximation of what you see my grade as being. </p>
<p>My essay: </p>
<p>To be courageous is an important quality and a virtue found in few people. Real bravery is the ability to overcome fears which hold us back in our efforts and to achieve what we once perceived as implausible. Those who are brave do not needlessly put themselves at risk, but are willing to face adversity to reach their ultimate goals. </p>
<p>In the masterpiece novel War and Peace by Tolstoy, we see the contrast between what is sometimes erroneously thought to be courage, and what it really implies. Throughout the book, Nikolai Rostov goes into ostentatious feats of reckless risk-taking, yet achieves nothing substantial in the end. His eagerness to show bellicose valor meets with failure, and his acts of bravery are there only to display* to his comrades and earn a reputation for himself. </p>
<p>On the other hand we have Andrei Vasilyevich**, who throughout the book shows true valor, both on the battlefield and in his private life. He gets wounded trying to rouse his routing comrades to turn back and fight, and he disregards the norms of his day and eradicates serfdom in his estates. Moreover, he pursues love at the cost of being shunned by society, and goes into recluse to recompose himself. He is brave through and through, not because he takes superfluous risks, but because he overcomes adversity and censure to achieve what he believes is important. </p>
<p>These two characters serve as models for courage. Rostov's courage is feigned and premeditated, and is there for the purpose of being displayed. It must be argued that this is no real courage, because it serves no function but to jeopardize Rostov. Prince Andrei's deeds are to be hailed as truly honorable and valorous, however,*** because to him courage is merely a means to realize his goals and do what he believes is right. </p>
<p>As is so often the case, Tolstoy's characters represent perfectly the two opposite models of human behavior. They demonstrate that courage is true so long as it helps to reach worthy goals and destroy barriers standing between one and his dreams, and that shows of temerity are vacuous if they serve no purpose. </p>
<p><em>[it should've been 'be displayed', I am aware]
</em>[I misremembered, it's Nikolayevich, and I forgot his surname Bolkonsky]
**[should've started with 'on the contrary' and taken out 'however', but didn't have time to proofread] </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>