Amy Poehler Analysis

President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Heroism is not only the man, but the occasion.” Amy Poehler is an actress, writer and comedian commonly recognized for her work on Saturday Night Live and Parks and Recreation. She is the ambassador for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation and has a YouTube channel where she posts brief videos giving young girls advice. Poehler also considers herself to be a humanitarian and a feminist. Odysseus was a Greek king and the protagonist in Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus’ treacherous journey home after ten years of war is documented in said epic. Even though Poehler and Odysseus were born thousands of years apart and live in monumentally different times, each of them contribute to society in a different way. While

Poehler’s decision to perform five days before giving birth was not only dangerous, but painful, according to her autobiography Yes Please. Her strength to push through the agonizing Saturday Night Live sketch successfully and appropriately masked the fact she was in such great pain. A hero is someone to look up to and she is just that -- hardworking and selfless. In contrast, Odysseus’ strength in the archery contest is effortless. Perhaps he would be considered even more of a modern hero because of his ability to perfectly shoot the arrow through the axes with such great ease. His physical strength must not have been easy to attain, either. He had to be dedicated to become so strong, which is physically draining and absolutely exhausting. Both Poehler and Odysseus put themselves in physical pain to benefit others. His strength is just one aspect of his heroism. Another vital characteristic of a hero is perseverance. Poehler was hired at Saturday Night Live in August of 2001 -- just a mere month before the September eleventh terrorist

Today, soldiers are also seen as heroes even though they have done the same as Odysseus. However, while that is a valid point, Odysseus did it to seek revenge and it was the ultimate ending to his journey. In fact, many cannot see The Odyssey ending any other way than Odysseus’ grand victory. The positive aspects of him greatly outweigh the one negative, especially because he only killed the suitors to protect his family. Though heroism is subjective, Odysseus is a very clear candidate for it. He is clearly comparable to a modern hero and would be considered one