When someone is portrayed as stubborn, it is usually considered as a fault in the person's personality. However, this is not always the case, because to be stubborn is to be obstinate, in other words, to be so determined and strong willed that you are willing to stand up for your beliefs no matter who or what gets in the way. In the story, of Joan of Arc, she is a strong willed, determined woman who strongly believes in her convictions and is not concerned about what people think or say about her. She has no regard for how people perceive her and is even willing to risk her life for what she believes in.
Joan is a young, illiterate woman who is perceptive, fiercely loyal and stubborn. Her stubbornness is one of her strong traits that help her to achieve her victories, through out her journey. Many people who first meet Joan perceive her as “mad” and a “slut of a girl” (Shaw, page 51), but she does not allow their comments to affect her nor to abandon her mission for God. God has given her two missions, the first is to crown the Dauphin and the second is to drive the English out of France. Her first obstacle, in her long journey is to persuade Robert de Baudricourt to help her by providing men, horses and armor. He is not easily persuaded and instead of leaving she becomes even more persistent and explains that “I am not mad until I talk to them, squire. But you see that this is the will of God that you are to do what he has put into my mind” (Shaw, page 53). Still he does not believe her and becomes even more tempered and tries to frighten her, but he is unlucky and she still insists “that is what God is sending me to do” (Shaw, page 53). Eventually, Robert de Baudricourt concedes and allows her to take what is needed. Joan's stubbornness works to her advantage, because she is not intimated by people and truly believes in what she is doing.
Joan's stubbornness helps to keep her focused because no matter what anyone says to her, she still goes on with her mission. Her obstinacy makes her victorious in both of her missions. If, she had not been so stubborn and so determined then she would not have achieved her mission of crowning the Dauphin or driven the English out of France. Our world would be very different today. Her strong will and determination to defend her convictions and her belief was remarkably brave and Joan of Arc will always be known as one of the great and influential person in history.
