What makes a hero

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A hero is defined in the dictionary as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities” (Webster’s dictionary.com), but does a hero have to be these things? In this essay, I will take you on an adventure to find what a hero really is. One might define a hero by the characteristics of selflessness, persistence, and being fearless, but what is the real definition and how can they be so different?
Many people say that a hero is a supernatural being with special powers that they use in order to help society and defeat an evil villain; others may say that a hero has to wear a cape and have a cool name. These things can be concluded from various stories, movies, or fairy tales and can be very commonly dispersed among people all over the world. Heroes of today, such as firefighters, policemen, or doctors, don’t have to be these things and might never be. Never less, they are heroes because they all want to help people no matter what the cost, even their lives. This is called being selfless and wanting what’s best for others, not yourself. Anyone can be a hero to someone if they do something to help another person who is unable to do a certain task,but this is not the only quality of a hero. This can include taking the trash out for the elderly. Some, like John Barth, say “Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story.” This also means that one does not have to defeat anyone to be a hero because one could be having an internal conflict with oneself. The characteristic being selfless is a prime example of how the heroes of today are and what they do for society through their selfless acts.
In the book Anthem, Equality 7-2521 is fearless and persistent in many ways. The book directly shows how...

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...et of morals that cannot be tainted with things such as fame or fortune.
Heroes are ordinary people who do unbelievable things. Heroes are people who stand up for what they know is right no matter the consequences. Most of all, heroes are men and women who see an opportunity for change and seize it. They use these opportunities to not only make things right, but to make things happen.

Works Cited

"Hero." Websters Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. .
Barth, John. "Heroism." Quoteland.com. N.p., n.d. Web. .
"Anthem." Quoteland.com. N.p., n.d. Web. .
"Captain America: the First Avengers." IMDb. N.p., 2011. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. .

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