The Undaunted

There is a line spoken by Edmond Dantes, who masquerades as the Count of Monte Cristo in the novelle of the same name by Alexandre Dumas. I know, he is a frenchie writer dude, but even the most hated of nations can produce an author who writes truths about life hidden in between dramatizations of adventure in fiction.

The line is what the Count says to his long-lost son. His son doesn't know that he is the Count's son. Edmond was taken away from his beautiful wife (who was pregnant) and jailed for a long period, only because Edmond's acquaintace took a fancy to his wife, and wanted her for himself.

The Count returns very wealthy after finding some treasure that a hermit whom he helped spiritually in prison guided him to before dying, and finds his lost family. He however, does not reveal his identity till the very last. He poses instead as a rich noble from a distant land, finally come back to France after a long trip abroad. His son takes a liking and develops what can almost be called as Hero-Worship towards The Count, and that angers the son's legal father, who is infact, Edmond's enemy who caused him to be imprisoned on the charge of treason.

Once, on a trip to Marseille, to see the Carnival with some friends, the son is beset by robbers and kidnapped.

The Count sets out to rescue him, and when he finally does penetrate the lair of the robbers, he does it alone. When the son realises that he is being saved only by one man, even his unshakable trust in the ability of the Count shivers. And he breaks down, cries and confides in the Count - who is trying to untie the son before the robbers return - that he is afraid.

The Count then speaks the line that I have written so much about in the preceding paragraphs. He says :

When a storm comes up and threatens to pull you under, say unto the storm - "Do your worst ! For then I will do mine.... And we shall see whom history records as the victor!"

I believe that is the bravest and the grandest - not to mention the most magnificient - line ever written. It speaks of fortitude, of courage, of acceptance of the fact that all might not turn out to be well, but daring, perseverance, and committing your full self to the endeavor none the same.

This is courage, this is valor, this is the very embodiment of the word "Dauntless".

And that is the ideal we strive for, those of us who think about it. Those of us who want to be more than who we perceive ourselves to be. Those of us who find faults in ourselves, who find something less than perfect, and who recognize that although perfection is never to be really acheived, effort is never to be abandoned either.

These are the stalwarts of the world, these are the doers, these are the strategists who never give up despite overwhelming odds. These are the desperados carrying on for honor's sake against obviously lost causes.

If these people (and us normal people ought to be proud that we belong to the same noun that they do) can hold on to their dreams, their aspirations, their goals, their values, and their guiding lights in such darkness, surely mediocre mortals such as us can bear a little discomfort now and then, even if it seems to pull us under.