Patriotism

Whyarepeoplewillingtorisktheirownlivesforsuchastonewhichseemsveryordinary?Isitmagic?No,that’sallbecauseofpatriotism.Infact,thestoneofdestinyisnotanordinarystoneasitlooksbutthesymbolofScotland.ItwastheCoronationStoneofScotland,andeveryScottishmonarchstoodonthisstonewhentheyhavebeencrowned,untilEdwardItookitasaspoiloftheinvasiontoScotland.Evennow,manyScotsfeltashamedofbeingplunderedofit.Therefore,thebackofstoneofdestinyawakesandinspiresthepatriotismofScots.Inthisfilm,thesefourstudentsshowtheirstrongpatriotismbecausetheyareproudofbeingScottishandsacrificethemselvesfortheircountry.AsImentionedabove,thesestudentsdisplayverysincerelovetotheircountryastheyallhavestrongsenseoftheirnationalidentity.AlthoughScotlandhasbeentakencontrolofEnglishforseveralhundredyears,theystillconsiderthemselvesasScottish,notBritishbutScottish.Forexample,Hamiltonalwayssaystheyare“childrenofScotland”.Soeverytimetheyseethewords“NorthBritain”todescribetheircountry-Scotland-onapubmirror,theyallfeelextremelyindignantanddepressed.Theytrytoawakethepatriotismfromtheircompatriot’sdeepheartandbringbackthegloryoftheircountry.TheyhopesomedayScotlandwillbegovernedbyScotsandeveryScotfeelsproudofbeingScottish.WhentheyretrievedthestonefromLondon,theyfourcelebratedinpub,andGavinchangedthewords“NorthBritain”to“Scotland”andaddedabig“exclamationmark”.Byseeingthat,everyoneinpubwasexcited,andatthatmoment,theprideofScottishcameback.Tosumup,thesefourstudentsaresoproudoftheircountryandtheirScottishidentity.Additionally,thesefourstudentsdisplaytheirstrongpatriotismbyriskingtheirownlivesforbringingbackashortgloryfortheircountry.Althoughtheyarecollegestudentsowningbrightfuture,theygaveuptheirbrightfuturesandaccomplishedwhatotherswanttodobutdarenotdo,withtheaimtoinspiretheircompatriot’sawarenessoftheirScottishidentity.Atthebeginningofthefilm,Ian’sbestfriendBillplanedtoretrievethestonewithIan,butonceherealizedhowseriousIanwasaboutthestone,hebackedout.ThatwasonlybecauseBillwasnotwillingtoriskhislifeandgiveuphisbrightfuture.However,theyfour-Ian,Kay,GavinandAlan-werewillingtosacrificealltheyhaveandeventheirlives,withouthesitation.Fromthat,wecouldseehowdeeplythesefourlovetheircountry.Attheendofthisfilm,theywereallarrested,butwecannotseeanyregretfromtheirfaces,sincewhattheydidisallfortheircountry.Toconclude,thesefourstudentsarerealpatriotsbecausetheyarethepeoplewhocansacrificedthemselvesyetotherscannotfortheirowncountry.ThebackofstoneofdestinymeansnotonlythebackofthesymbolofScotlandbutalsothebackofScottishspirit.Thesefourstudentstellusthemeaningofpatriotismbytheirbehaviorsandattitudestowardstheircountry.Tobearealpatriot,weshouldnotonlyhaveastrongsenseofournationalidentitybutalsohavewillingnesstosacrificeourselvesforthesakeofourowncountry.Throughthissimplecomedy,wehavelearntanimportantlesson.