PA 9- American Film
The Cowardly Lion
We are always faced with fears and most of the time these fears hold us back. In the film The Wonderful Wizard of Oz based on the book by American author L. Frank Baum, one of the characters is plagued by fear. The Cowardly Lion believes he lacks courage and cowers away from many obstacles because of his fear. During the story he believes that the Wizard gives him courage, and he is then able to face many scary encounters. In the end he is told that the Wizard of Oz is not really a wizard and that he had always possessed courage from within, therefore courage is not something you are given but something one posses from within.
This film connects to courage through the character the Cowardly Lion. As the movie goes on we follow this character through frightening battles for instance standing up against the Wicked Witch of the West, fighting off freaky flying monkeys and breaking in to save their friend Dorothy. In the film the Cowardly Lion states “ All Right, I’ll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, i’ll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but i’m going in there.” (Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). This line from the film represents courage because The Cowardly Lion was willing to go to any means necessary to save his friend Dorothy even if he was the “cowardly Lion” he possessed courage from within to risk his life and save his friend.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the character the Cowardly Lion connects to me in many ways. As I grow up scary situations have come and gone that I have had to find the courage from within me, even when I feel like I am lacking it. For me a quote from the movie that I connected to states “You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.” (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). I found myself deeply relating to this quote because it made me think about my life and the obstacles I have to face day to day and to get through them all I need is courage from within to carry me. An example from my life that this quote is represented through is in my childhood years where I would be faced with a traumatizing nightmare which slowly tortured me through the dark nights. These dreams made me fear the nights and regret having to lay back down and go to bed. While having these nightmares in the depths of the night it took every ounce of courage I had to not call out for “mommy” or “daddy” to come and rescue me. I realized that even though I feared these ongoing nightmares there was nothing I could do until the day that I defeated them. And that is exactly what I did, I would not back down and call for help but I would rather stand alone with courage in my soul to strengthen myself to conquer my nightmares and soon not fear them any longer.
The Cowardly Lion is closely related to that of American Culture because a lot of the time we as Americans when we are scared to face something we turn to others to take off the stress but in reality we are a lot like the Cowardly Lion because we have all the courage we need to get through anything just like he did we just don’t have the eyes to see that the courage is and always has been inside us. From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the quote “My goodness, what a fuss you’re making! Well naturally, when you go around picking on things weaker than you are. You’re nothing but a big coward! -Dorothy “ You’re right! I am a coward! I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself. -Cowardly Lion” (L. Frank Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). This quote correlates with American culture because Dorothy is telling the lion that from him picking on and undermining things that aren’t a big or strong as him the king of the forest, the lion. Americans are also culprits of making people feel bad about themselves to make them feel a sense of self power. This is very common in the teens of our generation with bullying, and cyberbullying making their peers feel cowardly and that they don’t have the courage to stand up for themselves, just like the Cowardly Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Cowardly Lion is a perfect representation of our generation today. As the story goes on he realizes that courage isn’t something you go to a wizard to get possession of, but rather that courage comes from within and will always stick with you, courage is facing danger when you are afraid along with sticking up for yourself or in looking out for friends. All in all courage is hidden in every single person, and in this case, lion, you just have to face what scares you most to realize how courageous you can really be.
We are always faced with fears and most of the time these fears hold us back. In the film The Wonderful Wizard of Oz based on the book by American author L. Frank Baum, one of the characters is plagued by fear. The Cowardly Lion believes he lacks courage and cowers away from many obstacles because of his fear. During the story he believes that the Wizard gives him courage, and he is then able to face many scary encounters. In the end he is told that the Wizard of Oz is not really a wizard and that he had always possessed courage from within, therefore courage is not something you are given but something one posses from within.
This film connects to courage through the character the Cowardly Lion. As the movie goes on we follow this character through frightening battles for instance standing up against the Wicked Witch of the West, fighting off freaky flying monkeys and breaking in to save their friend Dorothy. In the film the Cowardly Lion states “ All Right, I’ll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, i’ll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but i’m going in there.” (Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). This line from the film represents courage because The Cowardly Lion was willing to go to any means necessary to save his friend Dorothy even if he was the “cowardly Lion” he possessed courage from within to risk his life and save his friend.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the character the Cowardly Lion connects to me in many ways. As I grow up scary situations have come and gone that I have had to find the courage from within me, even when I feel like I am lacking it. For me a quote from the movie that I connected to states “You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.” (L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). I found myself deeply relating to this quote because it made me think about my life and the obstacles I have to face day to day and to get through them all I need is courage from within to carry me. An example from my life that this quote is represented through is in my childhood years where I would be faced with a traumatizing nightmare which slowly tortured me through the dark nights. These dreams made me fear the nights and regret having to lay back down and go to bed. While having these nightmares in the depths of the night it took every ounce of courage I had to not call out for “mommy” or “daddy” to come and rescue me. I realized that even though I feared these ongoing nightmares there was nothing I could do until the day that I defeated them. And that is exactly what I did, I would not back down and call for help but I would rather stand alone with courage in my soul to strengthen myself to conquer my nightmares and soon not fear them any longer.
The Cowardly Lion is closely related to that of American Culture because a lot of the time we as Americans when we are scared to face something we turn to others to take off the stress but in reality we are a lot like the Cowardly Lion because we have all the courage we need to get through anything just like he did we just don’t have the eyes to see that the courage is and always has been inside us. From The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the quote “My goodness, what a fuss you’re making! Well naturally, when you go around picking on things weaker than you are. You’re nothing but a big coward! -Dorothy “ You’re right! I am a coward! I haven't any courage at all. I even scare myself. -Cowardly Lion” (L. Frank Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz). This quote correlates with American culture because Dorothy is telling the lion that from him picking on and undermining things that aren’t a big or strong as him the king of the forest, the lion. Americans are also culprits of making people feel bad about themselves to make them feel a sense of self power. This is very common in the teens of our generation with bullying, and cyberbullying making their peers feel cowardly and that they don’t have the courage to stand up for themselves, just like the Cowardly Lion in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The Cowardly Lion is a perfect representation of our generation today. As the story goes on he realizes that courage isn’t something you go to a wizard to get possession of, but rather that courage comes from within and will always stick with you, courage is facing danger when you are afraid along with sticking up for yourself or in looking out for friends. All in all courage is hidden in every single person, and in this case, lion, you just have to face what scares you most to realize how courageous you can really be.