Kelcie's+Editorial

This essay was the doorway to my final project. With this article, I was able to do a lot of research that would answer my essential question : does chivalry still exist? I knew that majority of the people in the modern society views chivalry as how a man treats a woman. However, I found that chivalry originated from the Middle Ages when it was based on the code of behavior for knights or warriors. Their duties for this code of behavior also included duties to their lord, leader, and God. At the end of my editorial, I discovered that there was no right or wrong answer to my essential question. After one reads this article, they too will discover that chivalry is not a trend amongst men, but an attitude of heart.
 * Man or Gentleman? **

EDITORIAL ASSIGNMENT

A typical girl goes on a typical date with a typical guy. They sit in a typical restaurant and eat typical food. The waiter brings the check and the typical boy pulls out his wallet. As he swiftly pinches two twenty dollar bills--enough to pay for the entire check--boom. The typical girl becomes polite and insists on paying for her half of the meal. During the middle ages, chivalry was a code of behavior or code of male ethics. It was originally based on the warrior ethic of their duties to countrymen, duties to their lord or leader, and duties to God (The Code). Over time, these duties gradually altered and included other virtues, one of which was duties to women, or courtly love. This idea of chivalry continued as an enlightening idea that contributed to the Western idea of a gentleman. However, as time progressed and Feminism gained its independence and strength, chivalry began to disappear. Does chivalry still exist in modern society? When the idea of men being the dominant figure came to mind, I immediately flashed back to my first date. I didn’t like the idea that my date would pay for my meal as well as my movie ticket. I persistently insisted that I would pay for my half of the check and my ticket. Of course, the “traditional” thing to do was for him to be the knight-in-shining-armor and tend to every aspect of the date. Then to my content, he let me pay for it. Did that mean he was not a gentleman? For the last eighteen years of my life, my father has raised me to live by the traditional ways. It just so happens that one of them is: when a boy wants to take you on a date, he pays for everything; but not once have I let any male pay for everything on a date. As a woman, I too have money to pay for my comforts and needs. I don’t like the feeling of being completely dependent on a male to take care of me. Now that females are becoming dominant in many aspects of society, are men still expected to show chivalry, or do they go ahead and let women take the lead? The idea of independence is appealing to both males and females. As more women take advantage of their equal independence to men, men at the same time begin to step away from their manhood, allowing women to become the dominant figure. Women absolutely love chivalry from men, whether it’s opening the door, pulling out her chair, holding out a helping hand, or allowing her to walk on the inside of the sidewalk. Most women, if not all, adore men for these qualities. But where have these qualities gone? “For decades gentlemanly behavior has experienced decline” because men hesitate or don’t often offer their service to women (The Rebelution). But it’s not just men that are less likely to offer service, “ladies are much more likely to refuse it” (The Rebelution). Then, “a man gives up his when his assistance is consistently shunned” (The Rebelution). At the same time, the woman who refused his service is still “left sitting in the car waiting for a gentlemen to open the door” (The Rebelution). Going back to my date, not once do I remember my date opening the door for me, pulling out my chair, holding out his hand to help me, or letting me walk on this inside of the sidewalk! Could it be that men have accepted the fact that women can take on a male dominant role? That could be one reason, but it could also be that “self-centeredness is the antithesis of what makes a man a gentleman” (The Rebelution). To simply review the appropriate chivalrous actions will not cause a lasting change. Chivalry is an “attitude of heart” and not a set of rules that men simply follow. So what is the solution to this? “The change in attitude is simply a decision to put the ladies first” (The Rebelution). From there, the mindset should become a motivation for males to do gentlemanly actions. The change in attitude could create a revolution for males: “When a man puts the needs and comfort of women ahead of his own he is well on his way to becoming a gentleman” (The Rebelution). When he has reached the stage of gentleman-ness, he “has only to allow consistency to establish his reputation” (The Rebelution).