Being Valiant

The theme of what it means to be valiant is an understated theme, but present nonetheless as Murray makes the point that a person’s valor cannot be judged solely by big acts of courage, but must also be judged by the smaller actions of a person’s life where courage takes a quieter, though no less important, role.

Throughout the novel, Murray presents examples of great courage through the actions of the individuals. Some of those acts include Casement and Ward exploring Africa, Casement returning a snatched purse, Casement saving a man during a flood, the Ward men joining the military, and Casement’s involvement in Irish activism. However, these are not the actions that Murray seems to believe truly indicate the valiant nature of a human being. Murray builds up this conclusion through the final months of Ward’s life during which he...