About Loyalty

    Loyalty is an emotion that we are willing to devote ourselves to others out of our trust. The loyalist trusts its target and makes the decision to dedicate itself to it. In the story poem the Highwayman, Bess and the Highwayman trusted each other and devoted their lives to their love. In the novel After Twenty years, Jimmy struggled with being loyal to his friend or morality and finally he adhered to his professional ethics. In the story the Good Samaritan, Rey helped Mr. Sánchez change the tire while rejecting future invitations although Mr. Sánchez took advantage of him before. In the story Thank you, Ma’m, Jones let Roger, who tried to rob her, in her home to teach him lessons. They both have conflicts with each other but chose to be loyal to their targets, proving that a heart of loyalty is something that everyone possesses and has a timeless value.

    Loyalty is not the privilege of just one or two individuals. Anyone may possess a heart of loyalty, or be treated with loyalty. This is something inherent in human nature as social beings. Old ones like Jones, young ones like Rey, females like Bess, males like the highwayman, Jimmy who follows the path of justice or Bob who engages in robbery and theft, each have their own preferred ones of loyalty. Loyalty has nothing to do with genders, ages or vocations. Everyone chooses to be loyal to the one which is considered to be worth trusting. For an individual, "loyalty" might be a necessary element for establishing oneself in society. At the same time, "loyalty" has gradually become a trait shared by the majority of people.

    Loyalty is a single word with a complex connotation. Loyalty comes in different styles, explicit or quiet, wide or narrow, and is caused by the differences in people's concepts. The highwayman and Bess’s loyalty enlighten the benighted with a tragic ending, while Rey’s trust to Mr. Sanchez, which is simply based on Rey's own feelings, is completely unspoken. Jimmy’s loyalty is to his responsibility and morality, while Bob’s loyalty is to his friend. Loyalty can be as big as the loyalty to one’s own country, loyalty can be as small as the loyalty to a single person. They each devoted themselves to the things they cherished and chose to be loyal. The ones they are loyal to are different, the styles of the loyalty are also different, but they all have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to this cause.

    However, obstacles come across loyalty. It is difficult for us to understand the inner thoughts of others or realize whether it is worth loyalty. External factors may act as obstacles. Death was the highwayman and Bess’s love’s obstacle which prevented them from enjoying a fulfilling life. Even the personal conflicts within oneself can also become a hindrance. It’s no doubt that Jimmy was loyal to his friend Bob as he kept his promise with Bob, but his loyalty to his responsibility became the obstacle of their promise. As time passes by, loyalty might gradually become moral dilemmas, and keeping loyalty itself comes at a cost. Being loyal to a person or justice, or even something like ideals? Such questions with no answers sometimes bring people the loss of freedom or life, playing the role of obstacles.

    As a common human trait, loyalty accompanies each of us throughout our lives, enabling us to establish a foothold in society. Loyalty comes in different styles and sometimes comes across obstacles, turning it into a moral dilemma, but that doesn’t change the importance of loyalty to an ordinary person like us. For us, loyalty is more than simply trusting, but more like a kind of spiritual sustenance where we can have a  brief glimpse of the significance of one's own efforts. Loyalty can be trouble and bring us difficult choices but can be blissful when we find it meaningful. Loyalty is our remarkable quality, that’s why we cherish it.