Importance of Loyalty
Rahwa Nurhussein Loyalty is defined as faithfulness to love, promise or duty, an act to practice and strengthen relationships, especially when it is respected. Arthur can certainly be viewed as a person who excels at demonstrating loyalty. In the past and in the present, Arthur had continued to exhibit loyalty, with his family in mind, yet his family only took it for granted. Firstly, Arthur had served his family in a positive manner, but it was not always appreciated. His family had chosen to unacknowledge all he had done, as long as they would benefit. Secondly, all these loyal demonstrations resulted in payment through lies and betrayal. Throughout the course of his lifetime, Arthur continued to trust his family, …show more content…
From sunrise to sunset, Arthur works on his farm, not only to support his family, but the people of Struan and people off in war. Arthur carried his family's weight, but they will never be able to tell how hard the work he’s doing really is.This represents how seriously Arthur takes his duty as a farmer. Considering how hard Arthur worked on the farm, his family still chose to acknowledge it as useless. When Arthur had asked to quit school and pursue working on the farm to help his father, he was not given the option. After consulting his mother about the matter, she deemed, “A man without an education is at a disadvantage….” (Page 74). Despite all Arthur had done to assist his family, he was denied the opportunity to help his them further, as well as follow his passion. Aside from working on the farm Arthur has also devoted himself to protecting his younger brother: Jake. As the older and more mature sibling, Arthur believes it is his responsibility to protect Jake and, “In the last couple of years his role as his brothers protector had widened to include protecting him from the consequences of his own actions.”(Page 41) Although Arthur works hard, to protect Jake, his brother still chooses to disregard him and continue his reckless …show more content…
In Arthur’s case, it can be considered that he had hurt himself on numerous occasions. For instance, Arthur had played a dangerous, knife throwing game with his brother Jake, despite not being very skilled with the tool itself. This game required the two brothers to throw knives at each other’s feet, while being barefoot. The aftermath, resulted with Jake being in perfect condition, however, “Arthur found himself staring down at the knife embedded in his foot.” (pg.6) Following this incident, Arthur had not told his parents what happened to save Jake from all the trouble he would have to face. Even though he was able to protect Jake, Arthur faced potential infection, and worsening the condition of his foot. Moreover, Arthur constantly worked on the farm, even after his father’s death. Doing such a high, intensive job, all on your own would certainly take a toll on your health. According to Harvard Medical School, “Deep relaxation has many other potential benefits as well—it can decrease blood pressure, relieve pain, and improve your immune and cardiovascular systems.” Yet, from morning until night, Arthur sacrifices his energy and his health, with little to no relaxation. Aside from hurting himself physically, Arthur’s loyalty to his family has also hurt him emotionally. When Jake had decided to visit Arthur and his wife Laura, it had not ended in