<p>Assignment : Do you believe sacrifice is the noblest of acts ?</p>
<p>Sacrifice , that is giving up oneself and one’s priorities for others , is one of the most difficult and selfless act anyone can perform . And the fact that people sometimes take it for granted makes it all the more difficult . Evidence of this is seen in literature as well as in today’s society .
In J.K. Rowling’s "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ", Harry whose perception of Severus Snape was that of nothing more than an evil backstabber, learns the truth about him . Severus Snape used to be a part of the army of Lord Voldemort , the antagonist . But he was also in love with Lily Potter , who was on the good side. Harry discovers that after her murder ,Snape was inconsolable and gave himself up to Dumbledore , Lord Voldemort’s greatest enemy . Dumbledore makes him act as a double agent ,so that he could get information on Voldemort . Snape agrees , so that he can protect Harry ,who is Lily’s son , even though he resents him because of his father’s behaviour to him in the past .In the sixth book , he was given the task of killing Dumbledore , a task he had to perform unwillingly ,just to maintain his cover. Finally ,Snape even sacrifices his life so that information on Harry is not compromised . Snape , who was a noble and brave person sacrificed his image ,his reputation ,and his life all for the defeat of Lord Voldemort . The suffering Snape had to endure to protect Harry ,a person who loathed and always suspected him , is the greatest indicator of how difficult a task sacrifice is.
Even in today’s society , thousands of patriots enlist in armies in countries all over the world to protect and save the country and its people . They puttheir lives in danger everyday and stay away from their families for people who take them for granted.
The most important thing to consider when ascertaining the value of sacrifice is the choice that those people have . They don’t need to do it , they know their efforts will not be acknowledged ,yet they still do it- for their love of their country ,their people and their loved ones . From the examples provided , it is clear that sacrifice is the noblest and most selfless act anyone can perform , and people need to be more grateful to such bravehearts .</p>