Angela Duckworth True Grit Analysis

Lateefa Lee Ms.Milliner EES21QH-05 1/19/17 In “True Grit” by Angela Duckworth she describes grit as “ essential as intelligence. That's a significant finding, because for a long time, intelligence was considered to be the key to success” (15) . Having grit is being able to overcome adversity when things are hard and don't give up easily . To have grit you have to use other skills other than intelligence to help complete a goal. People with a fixed mindset aren't able to learn from their mistakes . They have to prove themselves over and over . People with a growth mindset are able to learn from their mistakes so they can become better at it . The characters from Othello all express these

types of traits. In the beginning , Othello is an outsider in society . He is a Moor , a foreigner and a black man from North Africa. However , his skill as a leader and a military general make him a valuable to the Venetian government. Othello is a gritty person . When Desdemona father disapprove of their relationship and sought after him , he had gotten Desdemona to tell her father the truth . For instance , My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty … So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor , My Lord (1.3 .180-189). Even though Desdemona's father, Brabantio, didn't like Othello he had gotten his daughter to profess her love for him . He could of quit trying to save his and Desdemona's relationship but he kept on trying . Othello has a fixed mindset because he isn't able to learn from his mistakes . Othello tends to make fast decisions that he regrets afterwards when he does stop to think about it. For instance , “ Look . if my gentle love not be raised up I'll make thee an example (2.3.250-251) . He fired Cassio for fighting while drunk in the middle of the night without knowing the full story .

Othello was also too prideful to admit that he was wrong . Part of having a fixed mindset is not being able to learn from your mistakes and Othello expresses this . Iago is a antagonist in Othello and he is a gritty person . He is always trying to get what he wants by manipulating people. Iago kept trying to get Othello believe that Desdemona was having an affair with Cassio and he fell for it . For instance , “ O beware , my lord , of jealousy; It is the greened-eyed monster which dock moth the meat it feeds on” ( 3.3.163.2-165) . In this scene he is keep on raising Othello’s suspicions about Desdemona , He is warning Othello to beware of Desdemona “affair” . Part of the reason that Iago is gritty is that he doesn't actually have a motive . He does thing out of spite , pure evilness , and pure satisfaction . Throughout the play Iago continues to manipulate others so they can do his “dirty” work for him. Iago has a growth mindset . He is easily able to learn from his mistakes . He uses those mistakes to destroy those around him . While people like Othello deny their own flaws , Iago realizes what his are and uses them to his advantage . After finally convincing Othello that Desdemona is having an affair , Othello

finally takes action against it . For instance , “I am bound to thee forever” (3.3 10). Othello told Iago that he is grateful for him after Iago told him that he loved him . Iago used his manipulation to help get what he wants so that he can destroy those around him . He didn't give up and learn new ways to achieve his goals.For example , “Jim Marshall, former defensive player for the Minnesota Vikings, relates what could have easily have made him into a failure … he scored for the wrong team” (54).Jim Marshall could of gave up on the game after that embarrassing moment , but , he kept going and helped his team win. Just like Jim Marshall , Iago had to cope with his mistakes and learn from them and you need to have that in order to have a growth mindset. Roderigo is a weak and he is a very manipulated character . He has a fixed mindset because he doesn't learn anything from his mistakes. He was also a passive character in the play. Roderigo says , “ I take it much unkindly/ That thou Iago, who hast had my purse / As if the string were thine , shouldst know of this” (I.i1-3) . Roderigo allowed Iago to control his money and from the tone of his voice , he seems unhappy about it . But, he does nothing to change the situation .

He complains but never takes any actions to make changes . Dweck states that ,”If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character - well then you'd better prove that you have a healthy dose of them”(52). Due to , Roderigo being passive and weak , he has a fixed mindset because he doesn't know how to learn from his mistakes. Roderigo also isn't a gritty person . Roderigo is in love with Desdemona but , she is married to Othello .He doesn't really do anything to get her . Except for things himself to get Desdemona , he relies on Iago to do it . Iago eventually takes advantage of Roderigo situation . For example , “Thou art sure of me .Go make money. I have told thee often, and I re-tell thee again , I hate the Moor. My cause is hearted. Thine hath no less reason” ( act 1 , scene 3 ) . Roderigo gave Iago money to help get him Desdemona. After some time had passed Roderigo confronted Iago about it to no avail. Instead of doing things himself he had somebody else do it for him.Having grit requires you to rely on yourself. Desdemona is the wife of Othello . She is considered to be a gritty person . After Cassio lost his job , she tried to help him

get it back.Being the kind girl Desdemona is she wanted to help out her friend. She promised Cassio to , “ talk him out of patience; His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift; / i'll intermingle everything he does/ With Cassio's suit” ( III.iii.27-30) . Even though she usually gets what she wants , she doesn't get her way this time. She makes the situation worse by annoying Othello about Cassio . She raises Othello suspicions . She tried her hardest to achieve her goal . She was determined to get Cassio job back . Having determination is an essential part of having grit . Even though Desdemona have grit she also have a fixed mindset . When faced with circumstances she does not understand , she becomes weak . She starts to cry because Othello is angry, and she does not know what she did to make him angry . For example , “fetch me my handkerchief - my mind misgives” ( Act 3 scene 4 ) . Othello is asking for handkerchief because he has doubts . She is scared about the location of it and isn't able to tell the truth about where it is at . Instead of telling him the truth she changes the subject and accused him of avoiding the issue with Cassio . That wasn't the best decision for him to make because she would eventually be killed by him . Instead on telling the truth and learning from her mistakes . Desdemona choose to do things her way . Even though she felt that her choose was right . her actions had a lot of consequences . Apart of having a fixed mindset is trying to prove yourself over and over . Desdemona was trying to prove herself , but , it lead to her downfall in the end . In “True Grit” by Carol Dweck she also talks about having the two mindsets is actually a choice . For example , “ When you enter a mindset, you enter a new world. In one world - the world of fixed traits - success is about proving you're smart or talented. In the other - the world of changing qualities - it's about stretching yourself to learn something new. Developing yourself” (56) . All the characters in Othello have a choice to choose what mindset they want to have . They all have distinctive characteristics about them that makes them have that mindset. Othello is an outsider and he has a fixed mindset . Iago is very manipulative and he has a growth mindset . Roderigo is a weak character and naive and he was a fixed mindset . Desdemona is used to getting what she wants and she has a fixed mindset because of that . When you have grit you work harder to achieve your goals . People rely on other things besides intelligence . Duckworth describes it as , “Nevertheless, individuals differ dramatically in their stamina for long- term goals . Gritty individuals are tortoise-like , distinguished by their propensity to maintain “effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity , and plateaus” (27) . Othello is an hard worker and he has a lot of grit . Iago is a gritty person and he uses it to his advantage to destroy those around him . Roderigo has to be convinced to do things and he isn't a gritty person . Desdemona has a lot of grit for someone who doesn't have to work hard . All the characters in Othello express these mindsets in different ways .