“What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely” (Reeve). As pointed out here, Christopher Reeve says that it’s not the superpowers that make a hero a hero, but the wisdom and maturity. Even though heroes can’t always fly, they make up for the lack of superpowers by maintaining an optimistic attitude and always putting others before themselves. This means heroes could be anybody; your parents, neighbors, or strangers walking down the street. This is because a hero doesn't always need to be robust, just cordial with the mindset to change the world for the better. Heroism is a lot of things- and just brushing the surface, there is gallantry, courage, selflessness, sacrifice, and being humble. “You can find heroism every day, like guys working terrible jobs because they've got to support their families. Or as far as humor, …show more content…
For example, Abraham Lincoln, made one of the most immense sacrifices of them all, death. “..the prize is sought and won” (Whitman 69). This is displaying how what goal had been achieved, but a few lines later, it says “...the deck my captain lies, fallen cold and dead” (Whitman 69). This poem demonstrates how even though the goal had been attained, Lincoln had to pay the ultimate price, death. Lincoln’s passion for making things right was vehemence, and still has an effect on us till today, but don’t think he was the only hero of his time. Like Lincoln, Frederick Douglass had also done quite a few things to earn the title of a hero. He, an abused slave, escaped from the terrible life he was forced into. But instead of staying safe, he plunged his safety into contingency to help more slaves into freedom. “...I left my chains, and succeeded in reaching New York” (Douglass 71). That alone is enough to earn him the name of a hero, but what abetted in this was his bravery and compassion. Heros are truly
In order to be a hero, one must be courageous. Some people that are heroes are Susan B. Anthony and Harriet Tubman.
There were many heroes in the literature that has been read. Many have been courageous and showed their character through tough times. Through these tough times they were forced to make important decisions and this is where you get the real idea of who is deserved to be called a hero. The most influential though of all these was Huckleberry Finn. Through the innocence of childhood he is able to break through the societal pressures that are brought on him and do right.
Batman and Superman are superheroes whose qualities are exaggerated in a way that is reminiscent of the gods and heroes in The Odyssey. In Fact, the superheroes from comic books emerge from the epic tradition. Epics, as you know, celebrate the great deeds of one or more legendary heroes. This epic hero is generally involved with a quest to overcome hardship, and he (and it usually is a "he") succeeds. The hero performs superhuman exploits in battle, often saving or founding a nation or the human race itself. Sound familiar? And even in terms of the superhero's body, with his bulging muscles and larger‐than‐life qualities, such figures evoke the images of Baroque masculinity. What Becomes important in these retellings, then, is how the hero makes the journey, how he faces his obstacles, and what he learns in the process.
A hero is defined as a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. A hero is strong in mind and body, courageous in spirit, and selfless where others are involved. Superman and Beowulf both exhibit these characteristics. The differences between Beowulf and Superman are as obvious as their similarities. Beowulf and Superman share some of the same characteristics.
The most obvious characteristic of being a hero is being praised by fellow people within the surrounding area. Both Beowulf and Lincoln were looked upon by fellow warriors and politicians, respectively, to lead their nations to glory and stop the suffering of the innocent citizens. After
According to “The Hero’s Journey”, societies throughout history have lifted up exemplary individuals. There is almost always one individual who is a perfect example. He is the guy that leads others and is looked up to. The greeks valued a character that they could aspire to be. Also from “The Hero’s Journey”, the hero seems to be invincible and incorruptible. The hero is tested, but he always seems to prevail. In real life, this can be seen as a world leader or a famous warrior. As quoted from The Odyssey, “ He fought only to save his life and to bring his shipmates home.”(561). The hero always fights for good causes and for others. You never hear about a hero being selfish or foolish. They are always pure and just, so they are often well known and popular among the
Gary Engle describes Superman as the ultimate American, “Superman is the greatest American hero” (Engle, 677). After reading three comic books I notice an occurring theme of wanting to protect what is good, even though the comic books chosen span over eleven years. Several distinct things to Superman’s personality are his cape, the respect he has for others, the respect others have for him, his intelligence, his protection of all life and what is right, his origin, and the sacrifices he makes. Superman is considered to be the greatest American hero of all time.
A man who spent 20 years trying to get home. A father who took his own life for his family. A woman who risked her life to free strangers. True heroes give anything they can for the sake of other, something as small as a helping hand, or something as big as losing their own life. Heroes aren't bullies, they won't push you down just for their entertainment, they will pull you up back onto your feet. There are many types of heroes we all consider, Odysseus and Harriet Tubman are obvious while Rumpelstiltskin isn't as clear to see. Most of the time, heroes are not the stereotypical ones found in stories; real traits that define a hero are love towards one another, selflessness for others, and a strong devotion for what they believe in.
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.
One of the ways I see a hero is by someone being a catalyst for society change. That shows someone making a difference in life. One example shown is by Sherman Alexie where he talks about growing up reading books at home in Superman and Me. Most of the people in the reservation he grew up in didn’t feel like moving up in the world, Sherman was different than the others due to the reason that in his world a very smart Indians shows a lot of danger in their society for that even today tribes believe that “a smart Indian is dangerous” (Alexie 294). The danger of intelligence in their society means that either that they’ll no longer be a part of their society or that they could try to take over parts of their society.
To better understand what a heroic quality is it may be easier to describe what a hero is not. Nearly everyday on television people talk of athletes and celebrities as being heroes, but are they? To put it mildly, they are not heroes at all. Possibly role models, but for the most part, not in possession of heroic qualities. When Michael Jordan and Bruce Willis, by risking their lives, save an abandoned child from a typhoon they will possess the qualities to be called heroes in my opinion. Policemen and firemen are at times classified as heroes. Until they prove themselves they are just ordinary people. The title heroic is not given by occupation, rather by achievement.
There are many qualities that people think a hero should have. To name a few of those qualities there is; courage, determination, focus, compassion, dedication, honesty, loyalty, responsibility, and wisdom. (http://www.personalitytutor.com/qualities-of-a-hero.html). Most people believe these are very important qualities to have, probably because they themselves wish they had more of those traits. Most people believe that these traits are not just traits of “superheroes”; they are also the traits of everyday heroes, or real heroes-not super heroes- throughout history.
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.
Heroism is defined as an act of courage and an act of selflessness. They reflect the highest levels of morality in society. Heroes have embodied the morality codes of civilizations throughout the ages. When heroes display courage, observers often identify with that courage. The refusal to take the easy way out and the ability to act in spite of fear, is what makes a person a hero. This is the way everyone wishes to react in the midst of a crisis. As witnessed in literature and real life, mankind needs heroes to provide an inspirational role model, an escape from the mundane, and a guide for morality.
What makes the acts of heroism different from the daily lives of others? To people, the act of heroism can be from their favorite sports player or an actor. But, to some, they could be their family members. Each heroic act in the society is faced with great challenges, but the hero never backs down. In addition, heroic acts have many different purposes in our society.