Essay Questions

Do you agree with the narrator when he says, “This is a book about that most admirable of human virtues—courage”?

Kennedy has not taken any instance in the entire book to define courage but the reader can comprehend from his descriptions that human existence intends to do good actions to others. Human beings have many characteristics but the most important virtue according to Kennedy is the courage of observing human virtues and doing good things to others. Therefore, even if the definition of courage is not outright in this book, it is indeed true that the most admirable of human virtues is courage to do good deeds to others.

How does John F. Kennedy use the characters Webster, Thomas and Sam to bring out the motif of slavery and war?

Webster, Thomas, and Sam are portrayed as bravest individuals during the outburst or the Civil War and slavery. The cause of the civil war and slavery is the succession of the South. The motif behind the three is the depiction that the role of politicians is to answer difficult questions revolving the justice of the people they represent. This is an uphill task for genuine politicians because it is a difficult decision to make. There is a moral question revolving most politicians because most of them are after their interests but not the well-being of the people they represent. However, it is ironic that the politicians in this book are of moral standing because Kennedy describes them as men who stand firm to represent their people from a just perspective.

What are the two examples of ironies used by John F. Kennedy in Profiles in Courage to make it more attractive to the reader?

Literature writers use ironies to depict what is contrary to the expectations of the reader. Firstly, there is an irony of the public opinion in which politicians such as Norris and Adams among others offer opinions that do not offend anybody. This is ironic because most politicians use attacks and sentiments that demean their opponents. They do not disagree either with what their opponents say and this contradicts the expectations of the reader. Secondly, there is the irony of Houston. Houston’s bravery surprises other politicians because it is ironic for him to decline promotions and positions of power. Most politicians are angry for power and that is why they seek higher political offices. However, Houston decides to remain to his initial course of remaining loyal to the union.