Odysseus, Stephen Kumalo: My Hero In Life

Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.” -Brodi Ashton. This shines true but is overlooked in today's society . A hero in today's society clashes with the genuine meaning of hero. A hero is someone who is sacrificial, selfless, and modest. A hero is somebody who is bold and valiant and to a great degree dedicated to something. A hero is a selfless individual who puts and the needs of others before their without seeking any attention for fame. A heroic person is prepared to yield his/her life for society and for what is best for the people. These qualities are constant throughout time. They may change a little bit depending on the society's values. Some heroes throughout history are Odysseus, Stephen Kumalo,

and Helen Keller.
Odysseus may not reflect these specific qualities but he reflects what his society considered a hero. Odysseus’s society thinks a hero is someone who shows loyalty,perseverance, and strength. In the terms of Greeks societies rules of heroism, Odysseus is the optimum candidate. Odysseus shows loyalty when he stands up to Circle and demanded that she turn his men back into humans saying”’ Ah, Circe! What man with any decent feeling could have the heart to taste food and drink, until he should see his friends free and standing before his eyes? If you really mean this invitation to eat and drink, set them free, that I may see my friends before my own eyes!”’. Odysseus shows perseverance throughout the story. The Odyssey is stories of how Odysseus perseveres through every obstacle. This is shown when Eurylochus says “‘ You are a hard man, Odysseus. Your force is greater, your limbs never wear out. You must be made all of iron, when you will not let your companions, worn with hard work and wanting sleep, set foot on this land, where if we did, on the seagirt island we could once more make ready a greedy dinner; but you force us to blunder along just as we are through the running night, driven from the island over the misty face of the water."' (279-285) Odysseus shows strength when he faces all 100 of the suitors and takes all of them down.

My hero in life is Helen Keller.

Helen is a deaf and blind women. She got to be deaf and daze when she was hit with a serious fever at 19 months old. Her family did not know how to manage her, she had numerous temper fits and was spoiled. Everything changed when her parents welcomed Annie Sullivan to help Helen. Annie taught Helen Sign Language through the procedure of making Helen touch certain things then spelling the name of the item in her hand.Helen then went to move numerous individuals through her written work and life story. Helen is my Hero in light of the fact that she battled through numerous challenges, and wound up on top and is a symbol for deaf and blind individuals all around. Helen was told often throughout her youth that she was not good enough and would never make it but rather she demonstrated every one of them to be wrong. Helen is inspiration to numerous individuals over the globe.

All of these people are great examples of heroes in their time periods from Odysseus to Stephen Kumalo to Helen Keller. Odysseus shaped greek culture with his values and story. Stephen Kumalo risked everything to help save his brother. Helen Keller influenced society with her with her struggle and writings. They all chose their own paths they were not born heroes. They all influenced their societies in one way or another and that is truly what makes a

hero.