Who was Joan of Arc and why was she an important figure in history - Research Paper Example

Joan of Arc of client> taken> JOAN OF ARC A short overview of her life Joan of Arc was a great warrior in the history of mankind, who fought for the rights of humanity. She was the first woman who demonstrated the capabilities and potential of moral womanhood. She was a spiritual leader for all the mankind who believed that wrong can be fought with right. She is a masterpiece of beauty within the heart. She gave her life for social justice. She is a heroic inspiration for all of us who sacrificed herself over the sake of humanity (Stevens, pg 4).

Joan saved people of France and united all of them by winning several battles in Orleans and Patay, which is popularly known as the Hundred Years War. Joan did what could not be done by anyone else so far. She kept France from becoming a colony of the English. She was a great warrior for her own people but the English hated her and ultimately captured her and put her into a trial . Twenty five years later the illegality of the trial was uncovered in another trial held by the Church that declared her as a martyr.

In 1920, Joan became an official Saint of the same Church that had executed her (Thirion). Detailed biography of her life Joan of Arc was born on January 6th in 1412 to Jacques d’Arc and his wife Isabelle in the little village of Domremy of France (Williamsom). Catholicism was considered to be an official religion in France during the 1400s. She was brought up as a good catholic, pious and a kind hearted person (Yeatts, pg 4). Joan of Arc was born into a dangerous era of France. She was born during the Hundred Years War, which was already started 75 years ago before her birth when France was battling with England.

The conflict started within the French royal family when the king of France died in 1328 without leaving an heir to the crown. As per the rituals, royal fathers pass on their crown to their sons. But now the line of succession was broken. More than one potential king was ready to take the crown (Yeatts, pg 5). Armagnacs and Burgundians In France, there were two battling groups known as Armagnacs and Burgundians. Burgundian territory was nearby Domremy, an Armagnac village, where Joan used to live.

Joan’s childhood was affected by the conflicts among these two groups. Joan unfortunately grew in a divided France which had no strong ruler (Yeatts, pg 6). The Domremy girl, who delivered France and suffered martyrdom at Rouen, reveals how the world’s work is achieved through faith and lost through will. Her life for her is simple and clear, free from any controversies. She is a symbol of inspiration for womanhood defending her family group from invading beasts of conquest and from this task; she enters into death struggle against wills (Stevens, pg 8).

The Maid of Orleans is a message and a way, a masterpiece of evidence in faith keeping. In believing in herself, and maintaining the faith for a human cause considering she was so young and inexperienced, she becomes a heroic figure in the history. For her, faith meant practical work. She had only one thing in mind all the time, that is, deliverance of right from the might of wrong. The wonder woman of the world did wonders in her life and left us all her admirer. She made an army religious; she gave courage to cowards, turned people into patriots, and in a few weeks fought the hundred years’ war so that a lost nation was restored to civilization (Stevens, pg 9).

Her parents wanted her to marry but Joan believed there was a greater mission ahead of her. For her, it was said that whenever she used to encounter any problem, whatever confronted her, she understood in a moment, she solved the problems, she met the rain of arrows and bullets, she faced doctors and clerks, and she acted like a captain, like an experienced woman of the world at an age of less than eighteen (Stevens, 45). Her life was a beautiful example of divine charity and forbearance (Gower).

France before Joan of Arc Before Joan of Arc, France could hardly be called a nation. There was no unity of language, loyalty, or in government. France was an unhappy land in terms of miser, poverty, desolation, confusion, solitariness and fear. In such conditions was born a girl whose was full of faith and was the noblest of all in the world. France was not only delivered and restored by Joan of Arc, but was also created and established. She was the heart of France. She can be called not only Deliverer of France, but also the mind and soul of France (Stevens, pg 23).

All in all, Joan of Arc is the subject of an amazing quantity of scholarship that focuses on numerous topics beyond merely telling her story. She would be an inspiration for the whole mankind till the end of this world (Richey). References Gower, Ronald Sutherland. Joan of Arc. The echo library, 2006. Print Richey, Stephen Wesley. Joan of Arc: the warrior sain. Praeger Publishers, 2003. Print Stevens, C.M. The Wonderful Story of Joan of Arc and the Meaning of Her Life for Americans. Cupples and Leon Company, 2005.

Print Thirion, Eugene. Joan of Arc-Maid of heaven:All about Joan of Arc. 8 May 2011. 9 May 2011 . Williamsom, Allen. Joan of Arc, brief biography. 2005. 9 May 2011 . Yeatts, Tabatha. Joan of Arc: Heavenly Warrior. Sterling publishing, Inc, 2009. Print