Coward or Hero? by Eugène Leclerc

"Coward or Hero?" by Eugène Leclerc is a fiction work written in the late 19th century. The story revolves around the timid young boy Paul Bicquerot, his struggle with cowardice, and his interactions with his soldier father who is disappointed in his son's fears. Faced with his insecurities, Paul grapples with societal expectations of bravery and finds himself in humorous yet challenging situations, indicating themes of childhood innocence and social dynamics. The opening of the narrative introduces us to Paul, who is quaking with fear at the mocking faces of a boy across the street. His father’s harsh criticism punctuates his anxiety, highlighting the tension between fatherly expectations and a child's emotional turmoil. In the midst of his fear, Paul contemplates his cowardice and compares himself to others, setting the stage for his desire to be brave. The initial chapters also introduce various characters like Colonel Boissot, who represents an old-school mentality about handling cowardice, foreshadowing the conflicting advice Paul will receive as he seeks to redefine his self-image amidst external pressures. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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About this eBook

Author Leclerc, Eugène (Dramatist)
Translator Barker, Sale, Mrs., 1841-1892
Title Coward or Hero?
Credits Produced by deaurider, Barry Abrahamsen and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)
Reading Level Reading ease score: 77.7 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Language English
LoC Class PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres
Subject Courage -- Juvenile fiction
Category Text
eBook-No. 56369
Release Date
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
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