Compare And Contrast Essay About Risks

Why do people take risks? Curiosity, overconfidence in abilities, to overcome fears or generate new possibilities? Any of these could be possible answers. Individuals in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, and A Night to Remember, all took risks that had positive or negative outcomes. The risks they took were very different, but the risks were taken in order to benefit others.

In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass unfolds the many risks he took. Born into slavery, Douglass, by law was refused an education. When he was a young boy, his mistress used to teach him how to read and write, until her husband told her to stop. After that, she would get mad if she caught Douglass reading or writing. Nevertheless, Douglass didn't stop there, he met local white boys who came from poor families. He offered them food if they gave him lessons on how to read. Even though it was “almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read in this Christian country,” they agreed to teach him. In addition, after Douglass escaped slavery, he had some white friends who helped enslaved people escape from slavery. Douglass says "some of our western friends have conducted what they call the underground railroad, but which I think, by their open declarations, has been made most emphatically the upperground railroad. I honor those good men and women for their noble daring and applaud them for willingly subjecting themselves to bloody persecution, by openly avowing their participation in the escape of slaves." The local white boys agreed to teach Frederick how to read in return for food which was risky because if caught, they could have been severely punished. The Underground Railroad conductors took a really big risk of helping enslaved people escape because they could have faced horrible punishments if they were caught. The conductor's risk had a positive outcome since they were helping enslaved African Americans get freedom, and the boys helped Frederick in his journey to becoming literate.

The crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger was out to make new discoveries in space. In the speech Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, President Ronald Reagon informs Americans that right after takeoff, the Challenger exploded and all seven people on it were killed. Nineteen years ago, three astronauts were lost due to a terrible accident on the ground, but an astronaut was never killed in flight until the Space Shuttle Challenger. The Challenger crew, and one ordinary civilian, in particular, risked their lives to benefit others through science and innovation. Regardless, President Ronald Reagon addresses that space exploration will continue and that accidents like this are part of the journey. (Paragraph 5) “painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. We’ll continue our quest in space”. The challenger crew took a big risk of sending people to space in order to benefit others through science and innovation. Unfortunately, they never reached their goal because the Space Shuttle exploded and they all died which was a negative outcome.

In the non-fiction book A Night to Remember, Walter Lord uncovers the many risks that the Titanic crew took. Fifth Officer Lowe was on lifeboat N.14. He was a brave officer who helped swimmers board the lifeboat he was in after the Titanic sank. (Page 101) “The cries in the night meant one thing to lively, impulsive Fifth Officer Lowe - row back and help”. He went back to the scene to help them, knowing well that it was dangerous. (Page 102) "There was, he learned, no need to wait until the crowd "thinned out". But at least Lowe went back." Officer Lowe was able to save four passengers who were in the water. Moreover, when women and children were given the priority to board the lifeboats, some women refused to board lifeboats because they didn't want to leave their husbands alone to sink with the ship and die. "Some of the wives still refused to go." (Page 48). "I have always stayed with my husband, so why should I leave him now?" (Page 49). Women were given a chance to board the lifeboats and save their lives but they refused to go. They wanted to be by their husband's side even if it meant to sink with the ship and die. Luckily, they were forced to board the lifeboats. Officer Lowe decided to go back to the scene and help the swimmers even though adding more people to the lifeboats could have caused the boat to sink. His risk had a positive outcome since he saved four swimmers.

The risks taken in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger, and A Night to Remember, were all different, but they were all taken to benefit others. The local white boys taught Frederick how to read even though it was illegal and they could have been severely punished. The Underground Railroad conductors helped enslaved people escape to freedom even though they could have faced horrible punishments. The Challenger crew risked their lives to expand "man's horizon". Officer Lowe went back to the scene to help passengers in the water knowing well that adding more people to the boat can cause it to sink. Women risked their chances of surviving in order to stay by their husband's side. Each of these individuals took risks in order to benefit others. What about you? Would you risk yourself for someone else?