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What is a hero
Frederick douglass portrayal of slaveholders
Douglass's argument in the narrative of the life of fredrick douglass
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Many people think that a hero is a person who monitors the skies defeating all unwanted agitators that cross the threshold of our near perfect society. Many people think a hero needs to have superpowers, like incredible strength, supervision, or super speed, but on the contrary, a true hero is what we see in the readings, “Oh Captain! My Captain, Fredrick Douglas by Robert Hayden, and Love Triumphs”. “This Douglass, this former slave, this Negro beaten to his knees” according to the passage Fredrick Douglass, there was a man, a man who had a dream, a man who got beaten to save the lives of others. This man exemplifies a hero. He wasn’t the smartest man alive, definitely was not the wealthiest, but this man, Fredrick Douglass, was a man to be honored. Despite the adversity he became reconciled to, he still fulfilled what he was put on the Earth to accomplish. By this I mean, as it says in the passage, “Fredrick Douglass will not be remembered with statues’ rhetoric, not with legends and poems and wreaths of bronze alone, but with the lives grown out of his life, the lives fleshing ...
Although not every hero shouts “Avengers Assemble” before a worthy deed, heroism is shown in all aspects of the everyday world. Webster Dictionary has exactly 5 definitions under the word hero and still no two people explain heroism the same. Superman and Captain America are a glimpse of the fictional characters society titles a hero. Firefighters and Military portray heroism each day in the lives of every civilian. As Sullivan and Venter stated “individuals are referred to as ‘heroes’ for seemingly different reasons” and even through endless studies the adjectives referring heroes is ever changing. Among the various ideas of what it means to be a hero, boldness and valiance capture the essence of heroism.
After suffering the overwhelming ferociousness and inhumanity of being a slave for over two decades , a black man by the name of Fredrick Douglass fled from enslavement and began to make a concerted effort to advance himself as a human being. Combating many obstacles and resisting numerous temptations, Douglass worked assiduously to develop into a knowledgeable gentleman rather than the involuntary alternative of being an unenlightened slave. In doing so, Douglass successfully immerged as one of the Civil War era’s most prominent antislavery orators. From his first major public speech at the age of 23, Douglass became widely renowned as a premier spokesperson for Black slaves and the movement for the abolition of slavery. In one of Douglass’ most distinguished speeches, “The Meaning of July 4th for the Negro,” he uses the intermittent occasion of speaking on behalf of African Americans to a multitude of White Americans to outline arguments against slavery. In that very speech, Douglass made it clear that, like countless African Americans during this time period,
Let us begin with what is, perhaps, the most famous Douglass quotation: "You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man" (64). This sentence serves as the turning point, the climax, of both Douglass' narrative and his life. Up until that point, throughout his entire life, the world had been busy making him a slave. From the moment he was born to a slave mother (even though his father was white), the forces of slavery had been suffocating his humanity. When he was forcibly separated from his mother, he lost the human closeness of family. When he helplessly witnessed his aunt being brutally beaten and was subjected to repeated beatings himself, he lost the human sense of pride. And, when he was denied education and literacy, he lost the human ability to obtain knowledge. In all of these ways, society turned Frederick Douglass, a man, int...
History has revealed that it is through the struggles and difficulties, that the good men and women come to light for doing what is right. These revolutionary men and women risk their lives going against what is morally wrong and fight for what they believe is right. One of these revolutionaries was Frederick Douglass. He was revered for escaping for doing what many slaves never thought would be possible. Through the different stages in his life as a slave, a free man, and an abolitionist, he proved himself worthy of admiration and respect.
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
The Life of Fredrick Douglass Response Paper Fredrick Douglass once said that “Without a struggle, there can be no progress.” Douglass grew up as a slave and when he was 20 years old he took the riskiest journey of his life to escape from slavery. The Narrative of Fredrick Douglass has a lot of points to reflect on; however, here are couples I’ve found important. His autobiography gave a glimpse into the horrors of slavery. The author shares his experiences of seeing his aunt being beaten and not knowing anything even their own birthdates.
Frederick Douglass is known through the eyes of many as a passionate abolitionist, who worked to gain rights for the African American population. In reality, he was much more than this. As an adult he was a prized author, an editor of a newspaper, a lecturer, and a salesman (Schmitt, 1). Such accomplishments were not gained overnight, though, his journey was a long one riddled with pain and challenges. He began his life as a slave, raised by his grandparents (3). As he grew older and more useful he was moved around to other plantations, at one of with he learned to read under the watchful eye of his master’s wife (5). After a few years here, it was observed by his masters that he had become “softened” by the relaxed life of a city slave, so he was sent to a renowned slave beater to be straightened out. To their dismay, by this point in his life Douglass was strong and courageous, and after six months at the hands of the slave beater he began fighting back (6). Scared of what Douglass would do to his reputation, the slave beater sent the boy back to his previous owner. It was at this time Douglass planned his escape to New York. At the age of 20 he made his move (7). Once free, Douglass lived
hero is what Jean Louise Finch is and if others can not see that they
What makes a hero? To me a hero is a person that does whatever is necessary to protect the people they’re serving or protecting. In the dictionary it says a hero is “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.”
Recently, students of Olympian High School have stumbled upon the question, "What is a hero?" In the school's 2013 Young Minds Essay Contest, students are expected to consider universal concerns and ideas. Many times when people think of a hero, they think of Superman, Batman, and many other Marvel characters who display unattainable superpowers. However, heroes are prevalent throughout the world. A hero can be anyone who has the desire to help others, brave in dangerous situations, and does not look at exterior gain from helping others.
Douglass who was of course a slave, not only represents an individual who was able to overcome the horrors of slavery, but also preconceived societal notions, individual pain, and tribulations. Whether it be his drive to learn by paying local boys with bread to teach him, or that when he lived with Mr. Covey he seemed to have lost his drive for personal growth; which he later regains. A sentence that strikes me in a profound manner is “You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man”(Douglass, 39). Soon after this Douglass for his own well being travels into the woods against the will of Covey. Throughout the rest of the autobiography we see the growth of Douglass, who states at the end “From that time until now, I have been engaged in pleading the cause of my brethren-with what success, and with what devotion, I leave those acquainted with my labors to decide”(Douglass, 69). We see that even Douglass contemplates the fruits of his own labor and the degree of his success. Which in hindsight, I, as do many, view as being a key to the abolition of slavery, and progress of African Americans in this nation. What made him successful, though was most definitely not the situation he was born into, but the strive he had to make a better world, to better himself, and his insatiable thirst for
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.
What is a hero? That is the question that has many different answers depending on who you ask. There are some pretty popular answers to that question. One of those answers is; “A hero is someone who helps other people, or helps to make other people's lives better.” Another is; “A hero is a person who tries to make the world a better place.” or “A hero is a person who does something that is more than what is expected.” Still others are “A hero is someone that doesn't do something for his or her own problems but for the benefit of others” and “A hero is a person that doesn't want to be a hero just to be famous.” Those were just some statements about what people think a hero is, but what about the qualities a hero should have?
There are many types of heroes (such as the ones in comic books, myths, movies, or even just everyday life heroes) but all of them have perseverance when they’re going through a conflict. Heroes are role models and they’re people that we look up too. They all have unique and special qualities that make one another different from each other. For example policemen battle crime everyday and when they’re overcoming a conflict they have determination, courage and other traits that people admire them for and that make them as a hero. Typically a hero is admired for their achievement/actions and qualities.
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.