...and inequity rose from the lower class. However, many of those who we consider heroes didn’t necessarily volunteer open handily; heroes aren’t born but rather made and their purpose of existence is to undue the wrongs and pave a better life for the poor. Suggesting that setting did play a big role in structuring the ideal hero, we can assume that those who lived in a third world country suffered most and probably had a higher chance of corruption and political issue. However, views change depending on the social class, those that fight for the people are looked as bad individual and is label as outlaws while those with powers and authority are treated and...
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...Jorge 10/03/2013 How’s your Hero? What is your definition of a hero? Someone you look up to? Someone that does heroic acts? Or just someone that is fictional? These are the questions to consider when trying to define a hero. People today have their own unique definition of a hero as we do not live in ancient times. In ancient times heroes were suppose to be of divine ancestries, who were endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for their bold exploits, and who were favored by the gods. According to Merriam-Webster today, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. Throughout history tall tales have been told of ancient heroes like Hercules, Beowulf, and Moses of how they helped their people overcome difficulties in their society. Although most of these ancient heroes are fictional, many may be regarded as great and heroic in literature. In the last 300 years or so there have been influential that have change the world or contributed to make the world a better place, and therefore earning the right to be called heroes in their society. Many tend to look up and define as a hero who they think are worthy of such a title. Parents may be consider as such as they always support and do their outmost to help their children succeed. This is the case in “The Train from Hate” were the mother consoles her son while teaching him a valuable lesson about after being kicked out of the train. Teachers, policemen, or even friends can be considered...
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...organ donor for the 63-year-old former baseball hero. According to the Southwest Organ Bank, Mantle was moved ahead of others on the list because of his deteriorating medical condition. But, many people believe that he was moved to the top of the list because he was a celebrity. Others suggested that since Mantle had overcome immense obstacles in the past, they argued that the medical system should provide exceptions for heroes. Another issue with moving him to the top of the transplant list were his medical problems. Mickey Mantle was a recovering alcoholic which complicated the ethical implications of the case. Doctors estimated that he only had about a 60 percent chance for a three year survival, whereas usual liver transplant patients typically have about a 78 percent chance for a three year survival rate. There were many mixed feelings on the decision to move him to the top of the transplant list over others who had been waiting for a long time. In my personal opinion I am on the fence on whether or not the system should make exceptions for real heroes. On the one hand I believe that it is completely unfair to the people who go through the proper channels and are forced to wait the set amount of time before actually receiving a transplant. There are also many patients who die waiting on the transplant list to receive an organ,...
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...Heroes and Celebrities April 27, 2014 Heroes and Celebrity When looking up the definition of hero, I came across some slight variation. I looked up online the Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s (n.d) definition an is defined a hero as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability” and an” illustrious warrior, a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, a man that shows great courage, the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work.” The online Oxford Dictionary (n.db) defines a hero as “A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities: The chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize” Both sources cite the same definitions for heroines as well. The variations between the two online definitions is Merriam-Webster reefer’s to a hero as a mythological figure while Oxford simply refers to a hero as a person. When talking about a celebrity, some may confuse the definition of a celebrity with a hero, but the definition, according to Merriam-Webster is that a celebrity is the state of being famous or celebrated. This is not mention of outstanding achievements, quality of character, or displays of courage or is endowed with strength and abilities. Although the definitions don’t show the similarities, they do exist in our pop culture and the...
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...Kitty Kelley once said “A hero is someone we can admire without apology.” People shouldn’t be ashamed for having an appreciation of their role models. Heroes are people who do things so extraordinary and inspirational that nobody should be embarrassed for taking an interest in them. Some people like their heroes because they fight for the greater good of others. For instance, a man named Frederick Douglass fought for the freedom of others. Furthermore, “this Douglass, this former slave, this Negro beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world where none is lonely, none hunted, alien…” (Hayden 70). Douglass struggled so others wouldn’t have to struggle like he did. A soldier is also an example of someone who’s a hero that fights for...
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...Heroes don't all have to be perfect. The Outsiders is a book about the Greasers and the Socs. The greasers are poor and not have all of their basic needs met as the Socs are rich and get everything thing they want. this starts a rivalry. S.E Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was only 16 because she was a teenager it provides an accurate portrayal of what being a teenager was like in the 1960s. The book was based in the 1960s and took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this book there is a lot to argue if the greasers should consider themselves heroes or villains. The greasers are heroes because they stand up for what they believe in, they risk their lives for others, each and every one of them has had to overcome hard challenges, and they help each other become stronger. The first characteristic that make one or more of the Greasers heroes is that they stand up for what they believe in the fourth chapter ponyboy says to the Socs. “You know what a Soc is? White trash with mustangs and Madras.”(page 55) this is an insult to the Socs because the Socs had been cussing out Ponyboy and Johnny for picking up their girls, and they were not ok with that. Ponyboy had gotten fed up that the Socs and...
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...When people are determined, they can overcome anything.” The determination of these people is what makes them different from everybody else. They go on to accomplish and achieve greater things in life and have people look up to them. Heroism involves helping others, showing determination, but they may not always get recognized for their deed. Heroes lend a helping hand to others, even if it’s not a life threatening situation. For example, Frederick Douglass, an escaped slave, wanted to help all the other struggling slaves in the plantations. In his autobiography he says, “ I have been engaged in pleading the cause of my brethren-with what success, and with what devotion, I leave those acquainted with my labors to decide.” This quote describes how Douglass wants to defend all of the other slaves and and leaves anyone else who is also an abolitionist to help him up to them. Secondly, there are many unrecognized people who also help others, even though many people wouldn’t think of them as a hero such as scientists who are working hard to find cures for cancer and other diseases. Many people would think otherwise because they get paid for it, but they also were the ones who chose the profession. Overall, being...
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...The Concept of A Hero By: Drew Sullivan What defines a hero is not just all the good deeds they have done in their life, although that is part of it. A real hero changes from weak to strong, poor to rich, and anonymous to famous. The transition into a hero is what makes my Grandma a hero to me. Odysseus is a famous Greek hero made by the poet, Homer, while Homer was writing The Odyssey. Odysseus may have slain monsters and passed the Greek gods’ tests, but while my grandma may not have done any of that, she and Odysseus are both heroes who are neither greater nor weaker than each other. It is the hero’s transition that makes them a hero and though both Odysseus and my grandma went through different trials, they are both heroes. My grandma...
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...Many people define heroism as someone with powers, or someone who has saved someone, but that is not always the case. Heroes can be simple people that live carefree lives. Heroes don’t have to be these well known people. Heroes help make the world a better place, heroes make brave decisions, and heroes do not make bad decisions or make things worse than they are. I believe heroism is making a brave decision (whether someone realizes it or not) that affects people positively. Additionally, heroism is showing people that you can make a difference. In “where I find my heroes” by Oliver stone, it says, “who is heroic? Scientists who spend years of their lives trying to find cures for diseases. The teenager who says no to crack. The inner-city kid who works at McDonalds instead of selling drugs.” These people may not seem like heroes, but they make people’s lives better by choosing the right path and not doing wrong. In “the narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass an American slave”, by...
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...We see heroes display the behaviors needed to succeed in life, better society and exterminate evil from the world. Although these are some universal traits that define a hero, who we consider a hero is very personal. We see this all around us where a hero to one section of society is a villain to others. Take Adolf Hitler or Osama Bin Laden as an instance. It’s quite clear that these figures were the epitome of iniquitous, or to put is simply, evil. Both of these people had large groups of devoted followers who may have considered their leader as their hero because the ideas that they spread may align with their own ideals. Having said that, heroes are not always larger than life. I personally believe that heroes often reveal the qualities that we wish to see in ourselves.They often take the path we wished we would have or could have taken in tough situations. A hero to me is ordinary and altruistic. It is human instinct of save yourself first, but a hero does the opposite when they put all others before themselves. Their willingness to make a personal sacrifice for the benefit of others is what earns them that title. It is the unsung heroes of the world who pass us by on the streets everyday. Those who never seek recognition for their deeds. People such as teachers who continue to shape the lives of their students...
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...Alternatively, should we seek to dispense with heroes? These questions linger in the mind of most critics of heroism and its relevance to the society. For instance, Isaiah Berlin argues that Romanticism towards heroes led to start of fascism (Thompson, 113). Thus, he suggests that due to the conflagration of the Holocaust it is dangerous for any individual to heroize another and a childish refusal to enlightenment and resistance of “essential destiny” of the human nature. Furthermore, Thompson inquires if have we reached a point in our pursuit of autonomy that we need to do away with childish things like heroes (113). Alternatively, should the intense cynicism of the current times protect an inextinguishable need for something better perhaps some hope of a future worth pursuing and heroes to lead us there? For instance, consider a society without a history, or take away the history of the United States, could there be a meaningful thing without histories and histories. According to Lindberg, if a person conducted a study to ascertain the importance of history, to study, clarify, and analyze the components of the past, present, and future in the historical characters, he/she can...
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...Who can be a hero? What makes up a hero? These questions have been brought up in every superhero fans’ mind. Superman is a hero because he has great power and he uses it for the right cause. Spiderman is also a hero because he sacrifices himself for the good of others. But What about heroes in real life? What will makes a person a hero? Actually there are a lot of heroes in real life that we can think of at once. Famous people like Albert Einstein. Throughout his restless hard work, many great theories were created. The Theory of Relativity he created is still inspiring modern scientist for further research. People usually consider him as the builder of milestone in science, but seldomly consider Einstein as a real hero. Albert Einstein contributed...
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... A hero is anyone from any background who keeps the innocents in a community safe at all costs even if it puts their own life in danger. An Anglo-Saxon hero is someone from noble ancestry and reflects the image of a “knight and shiny armor”. A modern hero like Harry Potter, from the Harry Potter series, and an Anglo- Saxon hero like Beowulf, from Beowulf, are fairly similar, yet are completely different. These heroes have different motives, these two heroes are set in different times. Harry Potter was set in the nineties and Beowulf in the eighth century. Having different time settings makes the motives of the heroes different. Harry Potter’s reasoning to do things is based out of love. Love is a big part of his life even though his parents, his godfather and his mentor died he is still able to love. Without love he wouldn’t be alive, he would have died an infant. Harry relies on love to trust in his friends to help him in his battles. Beowulf never really had anything close to family, so he did not have anything equivalent to love. Which made him have different motives. That were simply fighting in favor of his king. His battles were never for personal reasons because he did not have an emotional attachment to anything. For example, when he went to go fight Grendel it was because he owed him a favor not because the battle was centered around him. Beowulf is very self-confident. When he was waiting in the hall he said that “Grendel...
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...Comparison and Contrast: Medieval Characteristics Heroes of the Ages ENG 106: Survey of Literary Masterpieces Kelly Victor Phoenix University Online Heroes of the Ages Literature is full of adventurous heroes from the classical to medieval periods. Heroes are symbolic to the beliefs, culture, and nation in which they live. The classical hero and medieval hero will be the focus of this essay. Three great heroes from the early classic to medieval periods are Beowulf, Achilles, and Sir Gawain. The paper will look at the similarities and differences of literary heroes in order to discover how heroes changed over time. Beowulf and Sir Gawain are romantic heroes full of bravery, loyalty, humility, courage, and virtue. Beowulf and Sir Gawain were both involved in battles of great magnitude and admired for their super human strength. Both of them battle with the intent to bring honor to the King: Sir Gawain to honor King Arthur and Beowulf to honor Hrothgar. The battles they fight are against good and evil, “Grendel is a shepherd of evil” and the Green Knight represents pre- Christian tribal paganism. The custom of the time period was to keep their word and honor the one who helped them rise to knighthood. Beowulf kept his word as seen in the poem as he returns from the adventures and presents all his gifts to Hygelac as a sign of loyalty (line 2145). Sir Gawain keeps his word with Lord Bertilak, by agreeing to exchange their winnings at the end of each...
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...But We Can Be Greater Heroes By Heart Since 1995, the National Heroes Committee had recommended several heroes to be proclaimed the National Hero of the Philippines; among which are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Apolinario Mabini, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Sultan Dipatuan Kudarat, Juan Luna, Melchora Aquino, and Gabriela Silang. However, the country has been granting greater credits to Jose Rizal as he has been regarded as the National Hero, but by the words of Americans. Furthermore, he was labeled “United States-sponsored hero” and many were taking doubts in the said veneration. But in the present, still there is no definite law supporting the said claim and that only means that our denomination of Rizal as our National Hero, though in some sense significant, has never been official and continuously remains to be the subject of debates. But first, let me ask the question: why is it important to declare a National Hero for our country? And who is really deserving to be called our National Hero? By declaring a national hero, we do not only recognize the important persons who had contributed much for the good of the country, for struggling to achieve independence from Spanish conquerors, and for living an exemplary life that would ignite every Filipino’s sense of nationalism. In my own view, a national hero should at least be a reflection of who we are or who we should be as Filipinos in general, our simple love for our land and respect for our Filipino...
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