Adverse Circumstance In Literature Essay

When faced with difficult hardships, it is common for people to change how they behave. A sudden exposure to an adverse circumstance has the ability to reveal a person’s true character. It also reveals how someone reacts when in contact with situations that are tremendous stressful or dangerous. This theme is common used throughout literature to the nature of humans and how they are affected by their surroundings. Characters show changes in the The Red Badge of Courage when Henry goes from being egoistic to altruistic and in The Outcasts of Poker Flat when Mother Shipton decides to starve herself to save someone else.
One important example of a change caused by an adverse circumstance is when Henry starts to worry about others and not just himself in the situation of war. Initially, Henry decides to enlist in the war because he feels that it will glorify him. Before the action starts, he is blindsided by his

romantic vision of war and all of the honor that he will receive from it. After he becomes settled into his regiment, he awaits battle and questions whether he will run from it or stand and remain courageous. When the first battle approaches, Henry stands his ground, but shots randomly like a madman. Just when he thinks the fighting is over, the enemy approaches again and Henry decides to flee. Henry’s egoism is shown through this action because he is only concerned with his own well being and not the success of the Union as a whole. As the story progresses, Henry continues to show egoism as he continually worries about himself and his lack of courage. All of the dangerous and adverse experiences that he encounters through war eventually cause him to change this egotistical attitude. In the last battle, Henry chooses to grab the Union flag and help the officers rally the men against the enemy. Here, it is clear that after being so overwhelmed with his own good he is able to break out of that mindset and help lead the men of his regiment to victory.
Similar to Henry, Mother Shipton also exemplifies change when she chooses to be selfless in a life or death situation.

After being banished from the town of Poker Flat for her actions as a prostitute, Mother Shipton and the other outcasts embark on a journey to Sandy Bar. When the group stops to rest, one of the outcasts runs off with the mules, leaving everyone else stranded at the camp in the snow. With a low amount of supplies and no way to leave, the group is now faced with a difficult situation. Due to the adverse circumstances, Mother Shipton begins to show a change in behavior. This change is exemplified when she says, “I am going….But do not say anything about it. Do not waken the kids. Take the bundle and open it…..Give ‘em to the child” (Harte 6). In the difficult situation that Mother Shipton is faced with, she decides to starve herself to save food for a younger women living in the camp. This selfless act shows that when an undesirable plight occurs, people are able to break out of their previous behaviors and act in an altruistic

manner.