Chivalry In The Amazon Rainforest

Like sighting an endangered species in the Amazon Rain Forest, spotting acts of chivalry in today’s world are a rare sight. Perhaps its scarcity is due to the emerging power of feminism, or maybe the deterioration of classic manners. Whatever the cause, the decline of chivalry has taken a toll on society and the way that it functions. The real question is, is chivalry dead? And what should society do about it? As a sixteen-year-old girl with a single mother and younger brother, there have not been a plethora of opportunities for me to witness chivalrous behavior. So, when I ventured out on my very first date, I was absolutely astounded by the way boys could treat girls. He opened my car door for me, held open the door to the theatre, paid for my ticket, and helped me put on my coat as we were headed out the door. Never before had I seen someone act like this in a normal setting, especially a teenage boy. In all honesty, I did not know what to think. Having been trained at Marian to be a confident and independent woman, I was caught off guard and did not know whether to feel flattered or defensive. Here I was, a perfectly capable human being, yet this boy thought that I was helpless enough that
It thrives through the actions of young dreamers and elderly charmers. It survives in the smallest gestures that carry the utmost respect and care. Chivalry today is not dead, but in this day and age, it might be dormant. Young men do not seem to carry the grace and charm that their predecessors once cherished, and young women do not expect to be treated as a proper lady. Today, the concept of chivalry is misunderstood, therefore its values are tossed aside. The goal of chivalry is “to encourage mutual respect between the sexes. . . it is about putting other people first and serving others often in a heroic or courageous manner” (Smith 4). Much more than simply holding the door open for a woman, chivalry expresses the respect that words