The courage of a character is not measured by how an action will be accepted by others, but by how his actions remain true to himself, even in a pressurized environment. The Firing Squad by Colin McDougall, a story about a young soldier's attempt at redemption, and Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell, an essay about Orwell's days in a British colony where he was called in to handle the situation with an aggressive elephant, are two literary works that demonstrate the effects. of courage. Courage takes many forms and in these two great works of literature it can be measured by looking at the characters and how they use courage and lack of courage as a determining factor in different ways throughout their story. Captain John Adam and George Orwell, both protagonists, show how their characters are motivated by the courage they choose to be. When Captain Adam was put into combat, he acted cowardly and fled. With the Brigadier's chance to redeem himself, Adam saw this as a chance, a chance to show everyone that he was not a coward but in fact a brave soldier. This is due to his reaction when given a chance to redeem himself: Brigadier Hatfield spoke softly. “If this report continues, you will be in a bad way – at least sent back to Canada to be placed at your disposal by the Adjutant General, a sort of second-rate release, reputation still clings to you…” Brigadier shook his head. “That would be a shame. » If the report went forward... A pulse of excitement pounded in Adam's throat. What did he mean: was there any possibility that the relationship could end there, that in the eyes of the world he could retain some respect for himself? Adam's breathing quickened; he stood up. It was the type of redemption n...... middle of paper ...... and courage. Both Captain John Adam and George Orwell demonstrated how their character led their courage to be deciding factors in major decisions. , whether negatively or positively. While Adam thought that what he chose was a better decision and until the end, he continued to be a coward until his finale and Orwell failed to be as courageous as Although it could have been, they both showed how their courage was a determining factor in succeeding. the most difficult decisions. Their courage was unquestionably shown in their actions throughout the stories, Orwell failed to find the courage to speak out against what happened while John Adam was strong enough to find the courage to go against the pressure of the people around him. These two stories show the importance of courage and the fear of being rejected by those around you and standing up for what is right...