Joan of Arc
She was only nineteen when she died. At this age, she was accused of witchcraft, found guilty, and burned at the stake. Yet the results of her life are evident today. France became a nation. Her spirit blooms in the chests of anyone who hears of her story. She is considered a Saint. She accomplished in nineteen years what most people will never accomplish. All of this may seem unbelievable, but there is much more to the life of Joan of Arc than just the story. In order to appreciate this nineteen-year-old woman, both sides of her life must be told. I present to you two histories of the same girl. The first is a historical account of Joan's life. The second version is Joan herself. So this is not a story of a girl, but rather, a truthful account of a person that demands admiration. Imagine a little peasant girl in the 14th century. Small pigtails hanging around her face, playing in wheat fields. Smiles light her face. She is thirteen. Only this thirteen old girl has a special gift that would be the controversy of Europe only two years later. Joan could talk to God. As history goes Joan first began to hear "voices" that she kept from everyone, even her father (Paine 9). Already, though, this
The purpose of this is to show how Joan faced the stereotype of women as peasants. Joan was not considered to be a leader simply because she was born under a thatched roof. Again, one must admire the courage and strength to persevere through the turmoil of being a poor woman in 15th century France. Apply this to modern days and one will see a parallel. Women of higher classes, and of higher positions typically do not identify with lower class women. Certainly, then, one can appreciate the determination for Joan to break the class boundaries and become such a heroine. Wood, Chalres. Joan of Arc and Richard III: Sex, Saints, and Government in the Middle Ages. London: Foxbourgh Printers, 1959.
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Approximate Word count = 2699
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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