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| Sunday, 28 August 2005 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Joan of Arc - a French heroine Joan of Arc is one of the most famous women of Western Civilisation. She was just twenty years old when she was put to death, but she made many important achievements in her brief life. Through her prophesy (predictions), drive, and courage in battle, she inspired the French to important military victories and was instrumental in seeing the rightful heir to the French crown, Charles VII, coronated (crowned) as the King of France.
Her wearing of men's clothes made her one of the most famous cross-dressers ever. Dressing in the male attire was just one aspect of her unique personality, but it eventually became the centrepiece of her trial and the reason for her execution. Born in Lorraine, France in 1413, Joan led an ordinary life until the fall of 1428. At that time, she approached French rulers notifying them that heavenly voices had given her a mission. From these voices, she learnt that she would lead an army that would drive the English away from France and see the English king replaced by the heir to the French crown. Joan's first mission was accompanying troops to Orleans. There she informed the troops of her vision, and hastened several unexpected French military victories against the English. French warriors were impressed by Joan's voice of prophecy. After the siege of Orleans, Joan accompanied the French commanders in a succession of French victories against the English. These victories made possible the coronation of Charles VII in the City of Reims. Joan presided at this important event, which sealed her success as a national heroine, making this the height of her prophecy and the peak of her triumph.The events that unfolded afterwards led to Joan's downfall and ultimately to her demise. Joan and the newly crowned King Charles had opposing strategies on how to press the French advantage. King Charles was interested in a diplomatic truce and relegated Joan to an insignificant role. The reality was that Joan never truly had command of an army, though she was instrumental in persuading the French leaders and soldiers to fight. Urged on by Joan, Charles reluctantly accompanied her and the French army as they captured small towns near Paris. When Joan opposed a truce, Charles allowed her to attack Paris on her own. Facing massive superiority in men and arms, Joan bravely stood in full view during the battle and urged the French army to victory. She was wounded during her heroic stand, receiving an arrow through the thigh, but remained undaunted and urged King Charles to continue the attack the following day, where they were defeated. After this defeat, not much is known about Joan's life. Her popularity and inspiration dwindled. However, she was captured during another battle and was condemned as a witch and a heretic (those who go against traditional religious beliefs). She was tried by the theological faculty of the University of Paris, an ecclesiastical (Christian) court. Joan was convicted, but was allowed to correct herself by confessing to calling up evil spirits and going against the decency of nature by wearing male attire. She was given a dress, which she immediately put on. Five days later, however, Joan returned to wearing male clothes in her prison cell. The clothing was placed in her cell by guards, who probably tricked her into wearing them. This event brought her before the court again. This time, however, she was excommunicated from the church and sentenced to death. Two days later she was burnt at the stake. Spinning adventure stories Mark Twain was an American writer, journalist and humorist, and won a worldwide audience for his stories of the youthful adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Sensitive to the sound of language, Twain introduced colloquial speech into American fiction.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens was born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri. He was brought up in Hannibal, Missouri. After his father's death in 1847, he was apprenticed to a printer and wrote for his brother's newspaper. He later worked as a licensed Mississippi river-boat pilot. The Civil War put an end to the steamboat traffic and Clemens moved to Virginia City, where he edited the Territorial Enterprise. On February 3, 1863, 'Mark Twain' was born when Clemens signed a humorous travel account with that pseudonym. In 1864 Twain left for California, and worked in San Francisco as a reporter. He visited Hawaii as a correspondent for The Sacramento Union, publishing letters on his trip and giving lectures. He set out on a world tour, travelling in France and Italy. The success as a writer gave Twain enough financial security to marry Olivia Langdon in 1870. They moved the next year to Hartford. Twain continued to lecture in the United States and England. Between 1876 and 1884, he published several masterpieces such as Tom Sawyer (1881) and The Prince And The Pauper (1881). Life On The Mississippi appeared in 1883 and Huckleberry Finn in 1884. In the 1890s, Twain lost most of his earnings in financial speculations and in the failure of his own publishing firm. To recover from the bankruptcy, he started a world lecture tour, during which one of his daughters died. Twain toured New Zealand, Australia, India, and South Africa. He wrote such books as The Tragedy Of Pudd'head Wilson (1884), Personal Recollections Of Joan Of Arc (1885), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1889) and the travel book Following The Equator (1897). During his long writing career, Twain also produced a considerable number of essays. The death of his wife and his second daughter darkened the author's later years, which is seen in his posthumously (after his death) published autobiography (1924). Twain died on April 21, 1910. |
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She became a national heroine and was decisive in the awakening of
French national consciousness. For centuries she was a focus of French
national unity. Many years after her assassination, Joan of Arc was
canonized and became the subject of many poems and plays. 
