...What is a Hero? When you hear the word hero, what do you think of? Do you think of Superman or Wonder Woman? Well you may be surprised to hear that there are heroes all around us in our everyday lives. They don’t have superpowers, but they do have special characteristics. Some become heroes because they are strong, and others are helpful. Many heroes are brave, they aren’t selfish, and they can be found in your personal life. Heroes are brave. Being brave doesn’t mean having no fears, it means choosing to face and overcome them. Standing up for what you believe in is a very bold thing to do, and there are many heroes around the world that stand up for their rights and values everyday. Heroes are amazing role models. They want to inspire and...
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...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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...Despite the popular belief that heroes are created only by Marvel, I believe that real heroes can be found all around the world. Although they’re not always recognized or acknowledged at all heroes are an important part of our community. When we need it, the people that own the title of a hero are there for anyone to fall back on. Even America leans on the hero soldiers of our country. Each and every hero contributes so much to our society and relentlessly fights for their goals. Another popular belief is that most heroes are already famous and reached a godlike status, but that’s actually quite incorrect. “Heroes represent the best of ourselves, respecting that we are human beings. A hero can be anyone from Gandhi to your classroom teacher, anyone who can show courage when faced with a problem. A hero is someone who is willing to help others in their best capacity” (Ricky Martin online). The message behind this quote is a great example of heroism, bravery, courage, can be shown from anyone and is key aspects of what makes a hero. Soldiers risk their life every day, most likely terrified, but they do what is right. If every man and woman volunteered to become a firefighter, risked their life to save a stranger, or did even the simplest acts of kindness our world would be incredibly amazing....
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...“Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They’re just braver 5 minutes longer.” (Reagan online) A hero doesn’t have to be big, BOLD, or outgoing; they just have to be someone who focuses on others rather than him/herself. A hero is someone who willingly helps, saves, and/or rescues someone. A hero can be anyone to anybody. For example, to someone a hero, maybe a superhero such as batman or superman because they save cities and even the world while to others, a hero may even be a firefighter. Both of these examples define because they put others before them and they don’t accept recognition. A good example of how a hero functions is the firefighters during the 9/11 attacks on the twin towers. According to the New York Times article “The Firefighters had 29 minutes to get out of the World Trade Center or die.”(Dwyer, O’Donnell online). This shows that these hero’s, knowing they had 29 minutes to get out, still rescued several people and taking them to safety. They put others before themselves even in this terrifying situation. It takes a lot of will power to be a true hero....
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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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...“They put others before themselves. They sprint into danger. They pay dearly for their courage, and they often go years--if ever--without the recognition they deserve” (Bill Murphy Jr). Heroes are everywhere you go, but they are invisible. People do average things to people who think that they are the most heroic thing that they can do for them. A hero, is someone who puts others before themselves. A hero is somebody who helps others. “A student climbed on top of the van, forced the sliding door open, and reached inside to free some of the passengers.” This shows that heroes help others before they even think about themselves. "I had to get my pop-pop out there cause he has really bad lungs. He was a smoker, but he stopped a while ago....
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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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...They Call Them Heroes People often refer to other people as Heroes. But why, what have they done? What makes one father a Hero for going to work and another father doing the same job just a good guy? Why aren’t there more women recognized as Heroes? If the goal is to label all of your favorite people as Heroes then how do we label those who go above and beyond? These questions have cause long debates in certain military and civilian arenas. Growing up my father was never around. My mother had worked two some times three jobs to support us. Often-going weeks with out spending quality time as a family. Other kids my age would talk about how their dads were their Hero and how they could throw a football a hundred miles. My mother surely could not do this; she didn’t have the time or energy to learn how to throw that far. She was no Hero by definition but she was by mine. My plate was always full, my cloths and school supplies were always taken care of, and she kept a roof over our heads. It was Superbowl Sunday 2001; the guys had stayed up all night to watch the game in Germany. It was one of many sporting events that red-blooded Americans had to watch. It was treated like a holiday but with blood, sweat, and cheerleaders. As the game played on and the beer began to take effect someone yelled out “now that’s a real American Hero right there.” Quickly my eyes glanced at the TV to try and see what amazing feat had been accomplished. Only to see that a player had a few tackles...
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...Definition Essay 06 September 2012 Definition Essay The key principals of heroism are courage, selflessness and a lasting impact. To some people that can mean a person admired for their achievements, to others it could be a renowned warrior. A hero to me is someone who shows great courage and puts others before themself but expects nothing in return. It is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as a mythical or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. Often heroes are portrayed as male figures in films and stories usually depicting warrior- like traits. Some dilute heroism when they attribute it to celebrities, giving them hero recognition when in reality they’re job is to entertain. Some illustrious political figures are also admired for their stature, sometimes being thought of as heroes. Many religions hold mere men as demigods or magnates. All of these fail the true definition of heroism in my eyes. Heroes can be described as someone who is able to resist fear. An individual who does a courageous act doesn’t necessarily have to affect society as a whole but can definitely change the lives of those involved. They’re putting themselves at risk, or using their resources purely to help someone else in need. These people may not get media attention, or be praised by hundreds of people, but they have certainly made a lasting impression on people’s lives. A hero, in Greek Mythology or folklore, was originally described as a demigod...
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...“All the best heroes are ordinary who do extraordinary things”- Gerald Way. While that name isn’t someone you hear every day; he is a famous singer/song writer. Gerald is the co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance. He speaks from his deep experiences of his life like when someone even attempted to take his life. He even said, “No matter how ugly the world gets or how stupid it shows me it is, I always have faith [in it].” Both of these quotes both show that anyone could be a hero if they do something to remember and don’t give up even if it doesn’t affect the world it could affect someone’s life. While Gerald is a celebrity you don’t have to be famous to be a hero. Although some others might think a hero is someone who is not only strong...
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...To fully answer the question depends on one’s definition of strength. In a macho, ultra masculine sense in which strength is defined as one’s ability to do as one pleases and be tough, he is definitely weaker due to his friendship, but due to the fact that he no longer wants what he wanted before. Enkidu is sent to to tame Gilgamesh’s “stormy-heart.” Before he was free to do as he pleased because he had no one to oppose him, so “neither the father’s son/ nor the wife of the noble; neither the mother’s daughter/ nor the warrior’s bride was safe” whereas now Enkidu satisfies him in a way this had not, so he stops. To many, this would seem to be a lose of power, an inability to exercise his macho-man strength, but in terms of strength of heart...
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...is a hero? What is a hero? By definition a hero is “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities" (Hero). We could even look as far back as the Greeks, with their gods and demigods, humans born with super natural powers that could take out an entire city with a flick of their wrist, because of their powers they were called heroes. These gods were feared and worshiped, religions were started because of their tales and accomplishments. Despite all these powers and abilities, one thing is not mentioned, core values. I feel a hero is a combination of values, because bravery without courage, integrity, humility and honor can mean all the difference between being a hero and being lucky. To me a hero is someone who puts all others in front of himself, who puts personal gain and ambitions on the back burner for the betterment of others or the greater good. Others define heroes as someone who signed their name on the dotted line to serve this country, or a person who gives blood in the Publix parking lot, we all have different views and opinions on what a hero is, but I think we can all agree, a hero puts others' lives before their own. What we should all understand, is that all of us have the potential to be a hero, the right person in the right place at the right time, can make all the difference in the world. After reading the other assigned stories I am drawn towards Bodega Dreams, the only character that could fit the definition of a hero is Mr. Tapia. He took...
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...Would you risk your life to save someone else, just like Harriet Tubman? My definition of extraordinary is special or unique, and my definition of ordinary is normal. I believe that heroes are extraordinary because they do many things that change how people look at the world differently, like saving people’s lives, for example. To begin with, let’s look at the legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, who is an extraordinary hero because he changed the MLB. After he retired, many MLB teams changed their strategies. He led the path for many African Americans who wanted to go to the MLB, and he also broke the color barrier in 60 years. Therefore, this makes him an extraordinary hero because he changed how the world looked differently towards...
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...FLOODED WITH HEROES? The Australian hero: Positive role model or commercial media fabrication? Every individual needs a positive role model to look up to. Australia, as a young country, is endowed with many heroes who have achieved different feats at a national and individual level. Today heroism plays a central part in our cultural identity and spreads pride throughout the hearts of many as effectively as floodwaters spread water throughout the Lockyer Valley. We greatly admire and respect those whom we have acknowledged as heroic because of there actions. Do we not sometimes ask ourselves whether their efforts are even worthy of acknowledgement? We call a crazy bushman wearing a ‘metal bucket’ on his head a hero and a musician who can create a tune from a wobble board who does not even reside in this country an icon. The majority of these so-called ‘heroes’ have done little more than a superhero’s side-kick which in most instances is little to nothing at all. They have been honoured, for example, for their mediocrity or acts of terrorism. The criteria for a real hero have been corrupted and flushed away by today’s technological knowhow via the materialistic communication media. A hero can be defined as an individual of “distinguished courage or performance, admired for his noble qualities” [First definition, Macquarie Dictionary: p. 832]. Nobility is not a popular concept in the current materialistic cultures of today’s world. It is evident that this definition does not...
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...Odyssey. As we have discussed in class, Odysseus is the archetypal Western hero: brave, strong, clever, quick-thinking, steadfast. The list could go one. My point is that as we read about this ancient and, I believe, still relevant hero I want you to think and write about someone who is a hero to you. This should be a fun assignment. I am sure you have heard all too often that there are no more heroes today, that everyone we look up to is corrupt and will ultimately disillusion us. I whole heartedly disagree. Heroes are everywhere we look: we just need to look. (In a book I read this Summer, one of the characters says, “We find what we look for.”) Heroes can be people we know personally and people we have only heard about. Here are only a few suggestions: Jesus Christ, St. Francis, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, your Mom or Dad, an athlete, coach, teacher, or friend. Again, the list goes on. Just thinking about and planning this essay (as well as writing it, of course) will be a good exercise in recognizing how many heroes you have – how many people strive for high ideals and live virtuous lives. They’re there: look for them. Part of this essay will include what you define as a hero. Is a hero someone like Odysseus: someone larger than life and almost supernatural? Or is a hero someone like Mother Theresa who lived her life in a very simple and humble way but profoundly affected thousands and even millions of people...
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