Maintaining the VirtuesIn everyday life, people are faced with a wide range of decisions. Some of these decisions are transitory, such as what clothes to wear. Other decisions we make could have a lasting impact not only on the person making the decision, but also on other people around them. An example would be driving while intoxicated. The moral code often dictates what you should do in situations, but it is up to each individual to live up to that moral code and choose to make virtuous decisions. As I face the challenge of leading a virtuous life, I am drawn to the times of Sir Arthur and the Round Table. More specifically, I'm intrigued by Sir Gawain. In the story Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I admire the way Sir Gawain attempts to be virtuous, but I also empathize when he fails to maintain these virtues. Although Sir Gawain fails to maintain his virtues throughout the story, his constant attempts to return to virtuous decisions make him a virtuous person. Sir Gawain is introduced to us at the beginning of the story when he takes Sir Arthur's place, in the Green Knight's Challenge. The Green Knight openly challenged all the Knights of the Round Table to strike a blow, and in exchange, the Knight had to allow the Green Knight to return the blow within exactly one year. Initially, none of the knights accept the challenge, forcing their leader, Sir Arthur, to accept. Sir Gawain performs the virtuous act of accepting the challenge in Sir Arthur's place to protect his lord from taking any part of an unusual challenge that could kill a man. In the story Sir Gawain explains why he took his lord's place: “I consider no one more honest of purpose, no figure more just on the field where they fight. I'm the weakest. I'm aa... middle of the paper... use positive results and I could stop that person from making a bad decision. The most impactful measure in this story for me is Sir Gawain's continued return to virtuous decisions, even though every decision he has made is less than virtuous. It helped me understand that I can return to virtue after any of my failures. I have also learned that by sharing the story of my failures, I can prevent others from choosing the wrong path and help them remain virtuous too. Works Cited Kadir, Djelal, Ursula K. Heise, David Damrosch, Sabry Hafez, and Pauline Yu. The Longman anthology of world literature. Second ed. vol. AB. New York: Pearson, Longman, 2009. Print."Ramelle." Saving Private Ryan:. Saving Private Ryan Online Encyclopedia, April 21, 2009. Web. April 6, 2014. Steven Spielberg. Dir. Saving Private Ryan. prod. Steven Spielberg. DreamWorks Pictures, 1998. DVD.