A hero is described as a person who is has exceptional success or honorable traits. After watching videos and reading articles, the two men mentioned have changed the world in their own distinct ways. Both heroes mentioned are remarkable people that carry out their legacies to others by their motivating stories. One heroic figure mentioned was Greg Mahle; a man of Zanesville, Ohio who spends two days of every month saving dogs from their “death row” in the south. In the article, “Homeward Bound,” it states, “32 shelters reported taking 62,540 dogs; 43,278 of them were put down, according to Maddie’s Fund, a nonprofit organization that tracks canine euthanasia statistics.” Greg has rescued dogs and then puts them in the safe hands of a loving owner. Zach Sobiech, a seventeen year old senior was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a cancerous bone tumor that develops in children in the year of 2009. He was running with his sister and noticed his side was hurting. After visiting a doctor, they found cancer throughout his pelvis and left leg. He would only live so long, until he departed to heaven above on May 20, 2013. Both Greg and Zach have differences where Greg is saving lives and Zach is dying. However, they are both showing the world true determination throughout their stories. Both heroes mentioned are extraordinary heroes that share their inspiring stories to others.
To begin with, Greg Mahle has been protecting dogs near death for nine years. He transports them from the Deep South, to the Northeast. The president of the Humane Society of Central Louisiana, Keri Toth says, “Southern shelters are overwhelmed by strays because spaying and neutering are not common practice.” In the end, Greg is saving hundreds and thousands of lives ...
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... Zach stands as a perfect role model to people who are going through a difficult situation. In the video his mother repeats what her son has said to her before. “I don’t wanna be in the hospital all the time. I wanna be out with friends. I don’t wanna feel sick, and I wanna be home.” Additionally in the video, Zach’s mother explains her son’s cancer perfectly. She says, “I think that actually one of the blessings of cancer is that you kinda come out of denial. And so doing that, things are better. You know, that life is richer, everything has means more, beauty is more beautiful.” From these two touching stories, the world learns a valuable lesson. Through difficult times, something or someone will always be there for you. In Zach’s farewell song, “Clouds”, he sings, “And I needed a way to climb and grab a hole, from the edge you were sitting there holding a rope.”
Although not every hero shouts “Avengers Assemble” before a worthy deed, heroism is shown in all aspects of the everyday world. Webster Dictionary has exactly 5 definitions under the word hero and still no two people explain heroism the same. Superman and Captain America are a glimpse of the fictional characters society titles a hero. Firefighters and Military portray heroism each day in the lives of every civilian. As Sullivan and Venter stated “individuals are referred to as ‘heroes’ for seemingly different reasons” and even through endless studies the adjectives referring heroes is ever changing. Among the various ideas of what it means to be a hero, boldness and valiance capture the essence of heroism.
Generally when you think of a hero, who do you envision? Most likely, you picture a strong and imposeing figure, someone capable of performing in high pressure situations, demonstrating bravery and passion to help his/her fellow man. Those who typically fit that role in society are firefighters, policemen, and soldiers. Those people deserve all the credit and recognition they receive for their courageous acts. However, what about individuals or groups who aren’t necessarily on the “frontlines” physically protecting others and saving lives, but who work extremely hard to improve the lives of others in some way? These everyday people deserve credit as well. After all, to the people they help, these volunteers or activists are heroes. An example of such a group is the Greensboro Four, a few African American college students in the early 1960s who helped change the landscape of segregation in the Jim Crow South.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
hero is what Jean Louise Finch is and if others can not see that they
One great quality of heroes is their devotion to help others in need. They see importance in all life, no matter animals or humans. In a poem, “Gracious Goodness” by Marge Piercy and short story, “What Happened During the Ice Storm” by Jim Heynen, the reader can see that a hero is someone who just wants to help others. In “Gracious Goodness” the speaker is depicting of a royal tern on the brink of death, as it was crippled with a hook and the fishing line. The speaker decided to help the royal tern out of the kindness of the speaker’s heart. The sp...
Weber, Ann. "WHAT MAKES A HERO? Ordinary People Put Their Lives on the Line to Help Others." The Blade [Toledo] 19 Apr. 2009, City Final ed., Toledo Magazine sec. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2010.
The word "hero" is so often used to describe people who overcome great difficulties and rise to the challenge that is set before them without even considering the overwhelming odds they are up against. In our culture, heroes are glorified in literature and in the media in various shapes and forms. However, I believe that many of the greatest heroes in our society never receive the credit that they deserve, much less fame or publicity. I believe that a hero is simply someone who stands up for what he/she believes in. A person does not have to rush into a burning building and save someone's life to be a hero. Someone who is a true friend can be a hero. A hero is someone who makes a difference in the lives of others simply by his/her presence. In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, the true heroes stand out in my mind as those who were true friends and fought for what they believed in. These men and women faced the atrocities of war on a daily basis, as explained by critic David R. Jarraway's essay, "'Excremental Assault' in Tim O'Brien: Trauma and Recovery in Vietnam War Literature" and by Vietnam Veteran Jim Carter. Yet these characters became heroes not by going to drastic measures to do something that would draw attention to themselves, but by being true to their own beliefs and by making a difference to the people around them.
To the world today, a hero is someone distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, or strength; but really, anyone can be a hero. A hero can vary from someone as well-known as George Washington to someone as unheard of as anyone’s very own mother. Someone who has done a good deed for someone else is hero. The biggest heroes are the ones in well-known books and plays, such as Odysseus from The Odyssey, or have made a huge difference in the history of this world, like Mahatma Gandhi. Siddhartha Gautama is a hero, but not in the same way Odysseus or Gandhi are. Although these three influential people went through different journeys in order to accomplish different things, they are all heroes in their own way and have been through the same cycle of the road of trials and crisis/salvation.
In today's modern times we hear the word hero all of the time. The news media throws the term around as if it is an everyday word. What exactly is a hero? Who, or what, can be classified as heroic? The correct definition of the word hero is: One invested with heroic qualities in the opinions of others. That is a fine definition for books and intellectual minds. To the average person, however, a hero is much more.
Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there lived a person who would change the face of the earth. Their ideas and their actions could revolutionize the way the world works. That person is you and that person is me. Each of us have gifts that enable us to be the heroes of our own stories, but if we play our cards right, we could help many others reach their happily ever after. Heroes are ordinary people that go on a journey to rid the land of problems that defile it. They come in different shapes and sizes, a hero could be a missionary or someone close to you, but what unites them is that they don’t just sit in a tower, waiting for someone to save them. Instead they go out and create positive change in the world.
Joseph Campbell defines a hero as “someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself” (Moyers 1). The Hero’s Journey consists of three major parts: the separation, the initiation, and the return. Throughout a character’s journey, they must complete a physical or spiritual deed. A physical deed involves performing a daunting and courageous act that preserves the well-being of another person. A spiritual deed calls for action that improves another individual’s state of mind.
What is a hero? That is the question that has many different answers depending on who you ask. There are some pretty popular answers to that question. One of those answers is; “A hero is someone who helps other people, or helps to make other people's lives better.” Another is; “A hero is a person who tries to make the world a better place.” or “A hero is a person who does something that is more than what is expected.” Still others are “A hero is someone that doesn't do something for his or her own problems but for the benefit of others” and “A hero is a person that doesn't want to be a hero just to be famous.” Those were just some statements about what people think a hero is, but what about the qualities a hero should have?
What is a hero? Why are they recognized in our society? A hero is someone who sacrifices and strives to help others, even if their lives are at risk. Heroes aren’t afraid, irresponsible, or frail. They don’t just lag around when problems are happening; they stand up for what is right and just for others. These role models inspire and protect others through the hardest times. Some major role models in our society today are Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Welles Crowther, and Nancy Gianni. These people don’t hesitate to stand up for the right cause though many trials rise before them. They aren’t afraid of the unknown path they are taking.
Movies have evolved a great deal since the days when a couple fighting scenes and a small love story satisfied audiences. Today movie plots are much more complicated and have much more action, thanks to modern day technologies. Although these new technologies seem to make movies increasingly complicated, some crucial roles in movies will never change. One thing that has remained constant in the film industry is the role of the hero. No matter what the genera of the film and or when the film was made the hero’s always share similar characteristics and are put through similar series of tests to prove their heroism. When these tests are completed it seems to pull everything together in their films. Although the hero Shane in the movie Shane and the hero Ripley in the movie Aliens are from two separate generas and are also from separate time periods, the hero’s in each movie share characteristics and are put through similar tests that make them, in theory, one in the same. Heroic characteristics start to become evident right from the start of each of the movies.
When I think of a hero I immediately think of someone who is strong, intelligent, handsome, and daring. Upon closer examination, many different qualities than these become apparent. Courage, honesty, bravery, selflessness, and the will to try are just a few of the overlooked qualities of a hero. The definition of heroism changes with the context and time. Heroes of the past are not necessarily heroes of present time and vise versa.