Kelcie's+Research+Paper

This essay would be the "cherry on top" to my project and essential question. My research paper brought together my research and interviews to find the answer to my essential question: does chivalry still exist? I learned that some people believe that chivalry is dead, and some people believe that it is not dead but has been experiencing a decline. Some believe that chivalry is dead because of women. Feminism brought out a new attitude in women that changed society to view women as independent and equal to men. There is no doubt that chivalry is not the "old-fashioned" way that it used to be. Throughout my research I found different solutions that people have proposed to counteract the decline in chivalrous gestures. In the end, I found an answer that may leave others asking more questions. **To Be, or Not to Be Chivalrous**

Research Paper

Does chivalry still exist? It's a haunting question. It is not an everyday routine for one to witness, give, or receive chivalrous conduct, but it is a behavior that many people feel is lacking in the male species. There are various theories of how and why people feel chivalry has faded. Some blame it on women and claim that they killed chivalry. At the same time, some believe that it is the men who are less apt to offer service which has shown a decline in gentlemanly behavior (Horris). However, there are those hopefuls who believe that it's simply a mindset that motivates every gentlemanly action which men must grasp (Horris). Although society wants to believe that chivalry is long forgotten, it’s possible that chivalry exists where we least expect it. Dating back to the Middle Ages, chivalry was "a code of behavior of the knightly class" or a code of male ethics (The Code). During this era, chivalry was based on the conduct that warriors were to be loyal to the lord or leader (The Code). Warriors also had duties to countrymen and God (The Code). Over time, these duties gradually altered and included other virtues, one of which was duties to women, or courtly love. The new duties are now what society views as the Western idea of being a gentleman. One man said, “Chivalry is dead and women killed it” (Hengel). In some ways this statement is true, and in some ways it is not. There are women who are independent and feel offended when a man shows chivalrous actions and there are women who completely expect it (Hengel). At the same time, there is the “indifferent” group of women who don’t care either way (Hengel). Since the feminist movements, women have become “sexually liberated” (Hengel). When women give off the impression that they are independent and they can live without men, men are less apt to offer chivalrous gestures. It becomes harder for man to “realize that ladies to want to be treated like princesses” (Muller). When women are indecisive on how they want to be treated, it comes with a double standard that men are faced with: men have to know when women want their comforts and needs to be noticed, and when they want to be strong and independent (Muller). All the same, men are left with the feeling that “they are making futile attempts at being courteous when their actions go unnoticed and unappreciated by females” (Muller). Others have theorized that in order for men to regain their chivalrous title, they need cultural guidance (The Book). Without cultural guidance, a male’s energy becomes misdirected and unappreciated (The Book). On the other hand, some argue that chivalry disintegrated because of technology and self-centered attitudes (Muller). Old-fashioned chivalry used to be “personal letters (scented with your lover’s perfume),” but now people can send an email (Muller). In addition, self-centered attitude is another reason for the decline in chivalry. Egocentric attitudes include that society has become self-absorbed (Muller). Just when society thought that technology brought people closer together, the “easier it is communicate, the less we reach out to others personally and the more we tend to want to stick to ourselves” (Muller). As a whole, chivalry has plainly become a behavior common courtesy. But unfortunately, “kindness to strangers has become a rarity;” and “both men and women are guilty of this” (Muller). Many have ranted their reasoning on why and how chivalry has changed from its old-fashioned romance to generally being “kind and courteous to anyone, regardless if we are romantically interested in them or not” (Muller). But what is the solution? What should males do? What should females do? Or, what should society do? “Chivalry tells us, quite realistically, that we each need our own personal code of behavior” (Is Chivalry). Chivalry-Now believes that everyone makes their own “code of behavior” of important beliefs, values, and virtues (Is Chivalry). Similarly to Chivalry-Now, Horris stated that having gentlemanly behavior is not a set of rules, but a mindset. When “the proper mindset is attained,” chivalrous gestures like opening the door and offering chairs becomes “voluntary rather than compulsory” (Horris). However, it is the males who need a change in mindset (Horris). “This change in attitude causes such a huge revolution in someone’s actions is because this mindset is the motivation behind every gentlemanly action” (Horris). When a gentleman can put the needs and comforts of women before him then he has already arrived at being a gentleman and “has only to allow consistency to establish his reputation” (Horris). All of this may sound simple, but in society, males are conscious their gentlemanly actions being rejected and women are conscious about proving their independence towards men. An interesting point that will leave people pondering is “asking if chivalry is dead misses the point. The important question is this: is chivalry alive in you?” (Is Chivalry). It is true that chivalry isn’t a “thing” outside of everyone; it is the reclaiming of ones souls and bringing it to life” (Is Chivalry). “Chivalry lives as long as there are people who respond to it’s calling, who shape and strengthen themselves according to their own quest for truth” (Is Chivalry).