Henty Essay Contest Winners
FIRST PLACE WINNER
Curtis Adams
A WARRIOR and a GENTLEMAN:
G.A. Henty and the True Meaning of Manhood
True Christian masculinity is a fine balance of seasoned leadership (the tireless
warrior) and selfless servanthood (the considerate gentleman). A man comprised of
only one of these sides does not function as a true man ought to since his tough
side is not counterbalanced with a caring side. Nineteenth century author, G.A.
Henty, provides examples of masculine imbalance in too-tough characters such as
the Jackson father and son (With Lee in Virginia) and the Spanish Inquisitors
(Under Drake’s Flag), and in too-soft characters such as the cowardly
Robert Rivers (A Knight of the White Cross). As Doug Phillips has written,
“There are ten thousand road obstacles to accomplishing a godly vision, but
true leadership requires an indefatigueable willingness to work for a righteous
cause to the end.” The heroes of G.A. Henty’s novels are characterized
by conquering difficult obstacles with fortitude and compassion, thereby portraying
a godly vision of manhood.
The tough, unbendable side of a mature man should consist of reliance on his God,
perseverance in his faith, confidence in his physical strength, and courageous determination
in his protection of women and children.
First, he must fully know what he believes about Christ and he must be accepting
of the task Christ has given him in the world. He must then stick to those beliefs
with his whole heart, neither looking to the right nor to the left; in the face
of a challenge, he glories in not swerving from the straight path. However, this
does not mean that he will reject all ideas other than his own, nor will he reject
the holders of those ideas, but he will not let false doctrine into his thinking.
The true man is persevering and determined to do what is right. This determination
is well portrayed in the lives of the Christian martyrs, who, among other things,
endured the fire rather than give up their beliefs. An admirable example of both
holding fast to the Lord as well as respecting other beliefs is presented in the
character of Edgar Clinton (The Dash for Khartoum). Edgar, while a captive
was offered the chance to become the Sheik Bakhat’s son if he would renounce
his religion and follow Allah. Instead of scorninly refusing the Sheik’s offer,
Edgar wisely referred the question back to El Bakhat himself, thereby making it
simple to explain the reasons for Edgar’s own refusal.
Like Edgar, the true man is confident in his determination. While on the one hand,
he is humble (neither exaggerating his achievements nor looking down on the poor
and weak), on the other hand he holds a healthy amount of dignity and respect for
his capabilities.
Second, a true man not only develops his mind, he also develops his physical body.
He delights in conquering challenges and problems where he can conquer the earth
and beast with brute strength; he is not bowed down by the sight of a task that
requires hard physical labor. When faced with a daunting physical task, he knows
when to lead through example, and when to oversee the work of others. He has the
ability to galvanize peers or subjects under him to accomplish a set goal, but he
is not a tyrant, and does not demand the physically impossible.
Third, he is protective of those weaker than himself. A fitting example of this
protectiveness of females is illustrated in the character of Gervaise Tresham (A
Knight of the White Cross). Gervaise, while still a slave himself, saw the
evil Hassan’s cruel treatment of a helpless slave girl, and chose to stick
up for her to the point of exchanging blows with his captors.
A protective man recognizes the weakness of women and children and does not hold
them to the same standard as he holds himself in terms of work output, strength,
and endurance. An example of this is found in Tom Wade (In the Heart of the Rockies).
While on board the ship that is to take him to America, Tom — without being
asked to — helped the anxious and distressed women with their young ones and
their baggage. This outgoing spirit of willing helpfulness is one of the basics
of true Christian manliness.
The true man is also fiercely protective of his wife, striving to protect her until
death or incapability overtakes him. If he is physically unable to protect either
her or his children, he is very troubled. Although he understands persons of the
opposite gender to be weaker physically in some ways than himself, he does not assume
their inability, rather it gives him a sense of fulfillment as he gladly steps forward
to do the hardest and most unpleasant tasks. He is not overcome by fear in the face
of danger. He will feel fear, but by confronting and analyzing his fear, he will
rise above it and continue.
These are all qualities of the protective warrior side of the true man; there is
also a gentle side that completes him. A gentleman is characterized by unconditional
love, passionate zeal, faithfulness in speech, and a positive, compassion that is
attentive to the needs of those around him.
The foremost character quality in a gentleman is his submissive, yet passionate
spirit to his God. He recognizes that the Lord not only created him, but that the
Lord desires to walk with him and bless him for his obedience. In his zeal for serving
God, he becomes like David, who, when he heard Goliath’s challenge, saw it
not as a merely temporal speech, but as an affront on the name of his God, and was
therefore, filled with a righteous anger and a burning desire to uphold his Lord’s
name from tarnish.
A true man also loves his wife, not based on any conditions, but just as she is.
He does not allow himself to think for a moment that another woman would make a
better spouse, but he is thankful for what the Lord has given him.
Second, a true man is gentle in his choice of words, speaking neither roughly nor
harshly to those around him. His gentleness and loving spirit draw women and children
to him, inviting them to confide in him. His moral faithfulness to his wife begins
with what comes out of his heart; he is loyal to his wife in the way he talks about
her with others. He is loyal not only to his wife and children, but to any who wish
to share their hearts with him. This means that a true man will not allow others
to speak negatively to him about someone else behind their back, and neither will
he do so to them, especially about his wife.
His focus on faithfulness in positive speech, and his determination to never indulge
in a negative attitude releases his energies to a playful spirit and a youthfulness
that negates the accumulation of years.
Third, he is attentive to the needs of those around him, and he seeks to understand
them rather than having a critical spirit towards them. Jack Simpson (Facing Death),
demonstrated this understanding spirit in an incident with his friend, Nelly Hardy.
In this incident, Nelly told him that she hated him and then she ran away from him.
Instead of being offended, Jack realized that he had been impetuous, thinking only
of himself when he called her forward earlier to publicly praise her. Directly after
he realized this, he went to her to apologize and to seek restoration of their friendship.
Fourth, he has compassion on destitute people, and on those who are indulging in
evil, knowing that all will be judged in the end. Henty provides an excellent example
of compassion in the character of James Walsham (With Wolfe in Canada). Even
though Richard Horton treated James as an enemy and tried to hurt him through denouncing
him as a spy, James forgave Richard. The consequence of Richard’s treachery
would have been certain death for him, yet James helped Richard to escape, thereby
saving his life though Richard did not deserve such compassionate treatment.
To summarize, the true meaning of manhood is shown in the heroes of G.A.Henty’s
novels through their balance of qualities as iron leaders and sterling gentlemen.
The true man could be described as a seasoned farmer with strong, work-worn hands,
who picks up a young kitten and strokes it tenderly while it purrs. The weatherbeaten
hands of the farmer possess the strength to kill the creature with one squeeze,
yet his tender care of the kitten shows his mastery over his strength. This is,
as one writer described President Lincoln, “gentleness combined with a terrific
toughness, an iron strength”. Such is the character of a true man who has the
iron fortitude of a leader and the caring thoughtfulness of a gentleman.
ABOUT CURTIS TODD ADAMS
I am 14 years old, the eldest of a family of five children. I am an avid outdoorsman,
enjoying hiking, backpacking, fishing, and archery. When not outdoors, I enjoy reading,
classical piano, and woodworking. I live in the countryside of California’s
Central Valley where my family and I daily seek to put God first in our priorities,
to live out the importance of good relationships with one another, and to enjoy
ourselves in the process.
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