Definition Essay: The Role Of Honor In Our Society

There are many concepts, that Americans are exposed to- and even use- in their regular day to day lives, that are not very clearly defined. Maybe these concepts are too confusing. Or too broad to clearly understand. Or they’re just vague. Or, perhaps, maybe these concepts simply are not valued enough within that American “go-go-go” mindset to have time taken to really think about and understand what they mean. One of these cheapened, romanticized concepts, is honor. Honor always has, and always will, exist in some way or form in every single society, including America, however morphed and faded it might be. In the early stages of society, when people traveled around in nomadic family clans, honor was existent, pivotal to a man or woman’s existence, manifested in different ways. A man was expected to be a strong, skilled hunter and if need be, warrior. A woman was expected to be an efficient, knowledgeable gatherer and
A law researched by historian and professor George Mason University, James Thompson demonstrated, what brought honor to women of that time. “If a woman’s husband died she had two, perhaps three, years in which to remarry; a divorced woman was only allowed eighteen months in which to get a new husband.” (Thompson) These laws had the simple purpose of promoting childbirth. Single women didn’t have children, and therefore were again, not useful and therefore, without honor. Men were able to attain and keep honor by being upstanding citizens, which was achieved through being part of the military. “The rewards of the Roman soldiers were small; he was paid in glory. No profession brought so much honor as the military.” (Alchin) The paper continues to explain how honor is found not only in themselves, but in their legion. Honor was being selfless and being willing to die for your comrades and your