Facing The Lion Essay

Facing the Lion “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” - Mary Anne Radmacher. Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, a 2003 graduate of Harvard University with a master’s degree in educational policy, built up his success from nearly nothing. He grew up in a Maasai nomadic tribe on the savannas of Kenya. Joseph was like any other boy in his tribe until one of his brothers was told he must attend school. His brother refused to go, and soon Joseph was the one going to school every morning. Joseph continued on until he got accepted to college in America. If Joseph had thought and acted differently however, he may not have made it so far, and his setting may have been the biggest impact on these thoughts and actions. By giving him courage, strength and perseverance his setting impacts his thoughts and actions.
The setting impacts Joseph because the lion gives him strength and courage throughout the book. “I had run away from the lion,” Joseph admits (18). To Joseph’s culture, and many other Maasai nomadic tribes, lions are a big deal. To kill a lion is a major achievement, and by running from one Joseph causes a wave of negative comments about him to spread throughout the tribe. Joseph then knows he must prove himself to his family and his tribe. Later, the president of Kenya personally asks Joseph to make sure his team wins an upcoming soccer game. Immediately, Joseph believes that this soccer game could make up for the previous lion encounter. He writes, “It was only about a year since I ran from the lion, and now the goalkeeper was the lion to me” (88). This quote shows a time when Joseph is recalling his lion encounter and this time he is determined to defeat the lion. If lion’s were not such a big deal to Joseph’s culture, he would not feel the need to prove himself and conquer the lion. Joseph uses this lion mirage to win the game, and feels in a way he has proved himself.
Joseph’s