coward- a person who is not brave and is too eager to avoid danger, difficulty, or pain
Cambridge Dictionary
To be a coward is to not be brave, is to run away in time that appears to be dangerous. One could say to be a coward is to also be complacent so to avoid danger, difficulty, etc. To be a coward is to be Link. Link’s relationship to Melba (while it proved to be useful at times) was based on secrecy. He was not outwardly proud or vocal in helping her and would only do so in secrecy. When faced with situations in which he had the opportunity to be vocal and protect Melba, he chose to keep silent and play along with the taunters. He chose to be a coward. For example, when Melba was in the cafeteria being verbally attacked by students and she noticed Link in the crowd with them. She tried to make eye contact with him, “and when he did, he looked down quickly” (pg 258). He avoided making eye contact with her because he knew it would expose him to his friends and show his true feelings.
Additionally, Link believed playing along was useful in order to get insight and deter them from doing harm on Melba. But he would never clearly say “leave her alone” or “this isn’t right” (all beliefs he had), instead he would behave like them so to create this idea that the damage has already been done (by him) and the perpetrators shouldn’t waste their time. He would become one of them – the perpetrator. For example, when Melba had ink sprayed on her favorite dress, he gloated to the guys that he did that to Melba.
He was a coward because he was never able to stand up for his beliefs or tell the perpetrators off directly. He would be “complacent” or be their “ally” to delay harm on Melba. He was never brave to express his true feelings and intent for Melba and lived a life of secrecy within the white community. But yet, he was only vocal to Melba in private that he did not mean the things he said in public.This makes him a coward because when facing the people that could potential inflict harm, he acted as their comrade and even fueled the taunting towards Melba by partaking in it. He avoided conflict with them so to save himself and keep himself from danger. That is the nature of a coward.
I completely agree with your breakdown of Link’s actions and what made them cowardly. His reluctance to openly support Melba during instances of her harassment shows a lack of courage and a decision to prioritize himself over his morals. By choosing to avoid confrontation and blend in with the perpetrators, Link not only failed to stand up for what he believed in but also indirectly contributed to the abuse.
Additionally, your insights have made me ponder more about how complex the decision to choose cowardice in the face of adversity can be. We must consider not only Melba’s feelings but also the internal conflicts and fears that led Link to make the decisions that he did. For example–how did Link’s fear of social repercussions impact his ability to act bravely?
Link himself may justify his behavior by calling it a means of protecting Melba without drawing attention to himself, but in reality, isn’t it also possible that his silence ended up empowering the bullies by leading them to believe no one saw fault in their actions? By asking these hard questions, we can better understand the complexities of moral courage and the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of danger and adversity.