Standing Up For Your Beliefs

Walter Dean Myers’ stories contain many strong-willed characters. They are extremely determined and they don’t give up until they get their points across, no matter what consequences await them in the end. They have strong beliefs and strong minds and that’s what keeps them going. If they believe something is right, they will fight for it no matter what will harm them. Examples of these determined characters are shown in stories such as Glory Field and “Monkeyman.” These stories made it clear that working hard for your goals and dreams will lead you to success, even if it means suffering a bit before doing so.

The novel Glory Field is separated into different time periods, each showing the story/life of one generation of the Lewis family. In 1964, the 7th generation of the Lewis family, a character named Tommy lived in the era in which segregation took place. The “non-colored” people gathered a small meeting so they could “…announce a new policy of not allowing any demonstrations of any nature…” Tommy did not agree with this new policy. He thought that is wasn’t reasonable; why couldn’t the “colored” people express their thoughts and feelings? He knew what he could do to have them change their minds. He took the shackles that were passed down in his family for many generations. He went to the meeting and chained himself to the officer that was there. Tommy took his stand and by doing so, was put into jail. Tommy stood up for what he believed in, jeopardizing his chances of going to college. He was warned that his scholarship could be taken away from him if he took part in any demonstration against segregation, but he took his chances just because he wanted to get his point across, that there shouldn’t be segregation. This took pure heart and bravery because Tommy desired a college life, and Tommy put his dream on the line to fulfill another dream, to go places and not have to go to “colored” bathrooms or “colored” tables.

In the story “Monkeyman,” the character Monkeyman got challenged to a fight because he defended and prevented a girl from getting “cut” by Peaches. Monkeyman arrives to the “fighting site” unarmed. He brings along his grandfather and a nun. Before the fight begins, Monkeyman’s grandfather pleads with the Tigros but they don’t pay him any mind. They beat up Monkeyman. After every kick, every blow, Monkeyman didn’t fight back. He was harmed a lot because he didn’t defend himself. He thought that violence was not the answer. Monkeyman believed that by fighting back he would only create bigger problems. Monkeyman didn’t care about his wounds; he just wanted to show everyone in the community that fighting back will only lead to more serious problems in the future. Even though Monkeyman got hurt, he had his point across. People saw the damage done if they choose violence as the answer. Also by not fighting back, people sided with Monkeyman and not the Tigros. The Tigros looked like the bad guys. Monkeyman might have been seriously hurt, but he didn’t care. He got his message across. “I was hurt, but they were wrong, not me.”

This lesson was important in both stories and contributed to them in many ways. If Tommy did not “take a stand,” then no one would have had the courage to, due to the new laws. By chaining himself to the officer on the television broadcast, Tommy showed everyone that segregation should not be allowed and if people would not defend themselves, Tommy would do so. Everyone watching the news would have seen what Tommy did and would have also built up the courage to take their stand, overpowering the “non-colored” people. By not fighting back and taking the punches, Monkeyman showed the community that fighting back in the first place will lead to worse and more dangerous predicaments.

This lesson is also very important in life because if you give up what you believe in, you won’t be able to achieve any of your goals. For example, if Dr. Martin Luther King didn’t protest against segregation or march in protest, segregation might never have been eliminated from the United States of America. He took part in many demonstrations and even got arrested. Even these put-downs did not stop him from continuing fighting. In the end, he reached his goal of discontinuing segregation. Though all the hard work and consequences, Dr. King, along with others, helped put an end to segregation. Another good example of a person not giving up for what she believed is Susan B. Anthony, a women’s activist who fought for the right for women to vote. She gave numerous speeches and worked extremely hard to gain womens’ voting rights. She sacrificed a lot and never gave up, because she believed that men and women should be equal. In the end, Susan B. Anthony and millions of other women in the United States attained their right to vote.

There are times when you shouldn’t stand up for what you believe in. These times include situations when you are wrong or when you are doing something illegal for only a minor cause. If you are obviously wrong and you know it, do not continue arguing your beliefs; there isn’t any point. Arguing against the opposing opinion won’t ever make your opinion right no matter how long you fight back. Also, when you are doing something illegal, it isn’t worth going to jail just to stand up for a small thing you believe in. Yes, Dr. King did go to jail but it was for a major cause.

Never giving up in your morals and beliefs is one of the best qualities a person can have in himself. Not standing up for your beliefs won’t get you anywhere in life. You will not achieve any of your goals or dreams because your beliefs are similar to your opinions and outlooks on life and if you don’t stand up for your opinions, people will push you around all your life and you won’t get any higher on the ladder to success. The successful people in this world stand up for themselves and their morals and beliefs.