Henty Essay Contest Winners

SECOND PLACE WINNER — 17-18 CATEGORY

Grant Hackney

LESSONS by a MASTER STORYTELLER

For Stories that show the pinnacle of good character in young men, turn to the stories of George Alfred Henty G. A. Henty was nineteenth century novelist for young men who wrote over 200 books, both long and short His stories give back a forgotten era of true manhood The character traits in Henty's books are ones that we as young Christian men greatly long for.

All of his writings give us pure models of action and adventure, while giving sterling examples of desirable character traits Works of fiction by other authors appear shallow by comparison We as Christians need these excellent examples to help us to shine as lights for our Savior Jesus Christ in a dark world that has forgotten etiquette and well-bred behavior.

I am learning many valuable lessons from Henty's books, but I have chosen six that stand out paramount in every book These are lessons I am learning in chivalry, courage, respect of peers, respect and proper treatment of women, resourcefulness, and the use of good English.

I have chosen to discuss chivalry first, since many of the traits in Henty's books are the fruits of chivalry The golden age of chivalry shone with its qualities Chivalry was the behavior of an ideal knight These included the qualities of honor, courtesy, honesty, and for the most part, his treatment of others A true knight would treat his enemies with respect He disdained anything that would be cowardly or that would take advantage of someone when they are at a disadvantage He would also treat women kindly and with great respect All true qualities of chivalry are set forth as the prevailing standard in all of Henty's books The following lessons I have learned are the most exalted articles of chivalry.

The second lesson that I am learning about is courage To effect a proper execution of the duties of a knight you must have courage A knight must be stouthearted and daring when outnumbered by his enemies He must be master of his nerves in desperate situations and never give an inch of ground to gnawing doubts He must stand up, and tell others what is right when no one else will As a knight should do this, so should we We should behave with good manners and standards in public, even if no one else does People do notice, and sometimes it just might give them the courage to do so themselves.

Thirdly, and one of the most important traits I am learning from Henty's books is a young man's duty to respect his peers In all of Henty's books when the main character, the young man, has a very interesting plan or a different opinion than that of his elders, he expresses it in a very polite, straightforward manner No contradictions are spoken, just a respectful difference of opinion This respect of authority is desperately needed by young people today If our respect of authority does not differ from that of the world, how will they see God's light shine in us? This trait of respect, no matter who is in authority, is a very valuable character trait to possess.

Fourth, Henty has taught me the precious lesson of respecting women, and treating each one as if she were my sister In Henty's books, there is usually a time when a young woman enters the character's life When this happens it is not as in the usual fiction books The lady is treated with respect as well as being properly cared for When the men fight to protect a woman from harm, it is not to gain her admiration, but instead they exemplify a knightly example of treating women as if each were their own life and blood When the young lady in the book returns the young man's favors in the way a true lady should, it combines to teach some very valuable lessons regarding honor in our relationships.

Fifth, I am learning that resourcefulness in time of need is truly priceless Sometimes when it seems that all possibilities are closed, there is a way to succeed However, you must strive by God's grace and enablement to find it yourself Raw courage and determination are sometimes helpless at the feet of our adversaries Resourcefulness is needed to make a way where there isn't one It is sometimes necessary to use whatever you have on hand to get yourself out of an impossible situation In an age when people are only too glad to throw up their hands and give in to technical support, we need strong citizens who can use their God given wisdom and discernment for their own good, and God's glory.

A case in point would be Henry in Henty's book In the Reign of Terror A father entrusts his daughters into Henry's care, and they are faced with an impossible situation Henry knew that his singular courage and duty would not suffice He went for a solitary walk and carefully thought out a means of escape He did not lose hope, but brought his resourcefulness to bear, and they were delivered from a certain death Oh, that we would be able to do such ourselves when faced with challenging situations.

Lastly, I would not be giving all the credit that is due to Henty's books if I did not mention his pure use of the English language This is not the stiff, formal style used in classic British literature, but true grammatical English It is so refreshing to read a book without the blemish of modern day terms and slang The excellent choice of words used by Henty will find its way into your distorted view of the English language, and it will enable you to speak your feelings more clearly The excellent example of words, sentence structure, and plot should be an example to us in out own writing.

So you see, I have learned and am in the process of learning many valuable lessons from the pen of G.A. Henty Whenever I finish reading one of his books, I strive to be like all of the young men he has set forth I want to pattern myself after all of those traits listed above, as well as many others as I further explore his wonderful books.

Within the pages of his books are preserved traits that need to be passed down to the younger generation, and lessons that are valid for this age in which we live I have taken these priceless lessons to heart, and found that they enrich my mind and strengthen my witness for Jesus Christ Don't let another day pass with your bookshelves bereft of these treasures, for they are the fiction that teaches.

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