Harshita Saha

Mrs. Evard

Lit/Writ, Period 6

13 April 2017

Prompt 1

Broken Heroes

Although there are a lot of people in modern society to whom the general definition of a Hero applies to, the

concept of a Hero has disappeared as people are finding it increasingly difficult to name their Heroes because

they have been deceived countless times.

While it is true that numerous people fit in the description of being considered Heroic, ultimately, they

are not being recognized due to society’s fixed perspective of what can be called true Heroism. Therefore, it is

the ignorance towards human nature present in Heroes and not faults in Heroes themselves that is largely

responsible for the diminishing of such idealism.

Society has come …show more content…
He is extremely intelligent as shown where in his encounter with Polyphemus he calls out “Nobody is

my name… are my companions” (Book 9, Line 366 – 367) so that when the giant called out for help he would

be ignored. During the fight with the Cyclops, Homer tells the readers that Odysseus was creating an elaborate

plan to escape from the cave, “They left then… we waited for dawn” (Book 9, Line 412 – 434).

He is also portrayed to possess extraordinary strength as said by Eurylochus, “You’re a hard man… A

real Iron man” (Book 12, Line 286 – 288). Over the course of his journey home, he perseveres for ten years in which he blinds a Cyclops, goes to the underworld and manages to survive the wrath of several gods. When he

does eventually reach his destination, he strings a bow, something only he is capable of, to prove that he is

indeed the Hero Odysseus and kills all the suitors in his palace who had come to woo his wife, Penelope, and is

successfully reunited with his family and his people.

As a Hero, Odysseus is also empathetic. As said, when he cries as the famous singer Demodocus …show more content…
Another situation where his Heroism is displayed was when he wrote a letter to the British authorities

while he was held hostage in his house in 1943. He says, “It is unthinkable that when India’s millions are

suffering from preventable starvation and thousands are dying of it, thousands of men and women should be

kept in detention on mere suspicion when their energy and the expense incurred in keeping them under duress

could at this critical time, be usefully employed in relieving distress… the huge place in which I am being

detained with a large guard around me, I hold to be a waste of public fund. I should be quite content to pass my

days in any prison.”.

What we don’t realize however, is that Heroes are still as human as we are and not as idealistic as we

assume, but that doesn’t mean that they are not Heroes anymore. They themselves have not changed, only our

perception has. Therefore, the true deception stems from the people and not the Heroes.

Though Odysseus has numerous qualities, which make him fit to be called a Hero, he has one big flaw,

his pride. He is proud to a point it is questionable if it extends into Hubris*. He taunts Polyphemus