Theme Of Heroism

The theme of heroism is universally applicable. The need for a hero is essential in any community to inspire hope, pride and respect. Even though there are different sorts of hero’s, they all follow the same path of: separation, initiation, and return. Heroism is universally applicable because people “talk about their heroes” (90) and “they talk about the dead and about how great the dead had once been.” (90). Every community has their own dead or alive hero’s. For example, in the African American community before the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, they had two similar heroes’. One hero was Joe Louis, who was a boxer who had just “lost the first fight against Schmeling”. After the fight, if one was “to be caught laughing for any reason

During the times of the pre-civil rights movement, several African Americans believed that the only decision was to “run” (167) away from the oppression and the South. However, for the people that stayed, they needed a real hero, who could inspire hope. These people not only needed a big time hero as Jackie Robinson or Joe Louis, but they needed a local hero which people can relate to. Jefferson is this local hero. Jefferson’s execution impacts the community as a whole. Jefferson, walking to the chair a man resembles a hero. For example, Paul states that Jefferson “was the strongest man in that crowded room” (253), and “straight he walked” (254). Jefferson walking like a man, inspires hope to the community because he shows self-respect, dignity and pride. Paul goes onto say “I don’t know what you are going to say when you go back in there. But tell them hew was the bravest man in that room today” (256). Telling the children that Jefferson was extremely brave, and heroic for being a man, might make the next generations better off. This will make the children stand up for their rights, as Thomas Jefferson wrote “live, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” and “all men are created

The hero’s narrative a three step process, separation, initiation, and return. In this story, separation is Jefferson going to jail for committing a crime that he did not do. The initiation sequence is all the tasks and the lessons that Grant teaches Jefferson until Jefferson’s execution. These lessons are geared towards making Jefferson find pride, self-respect, and dignity within himself. The return phase is Grant becomes a real teacher, and Jefferson become s a local