Growing up, we are all faced with images of Superheroes. Spiderman, Superman, and my personal favorite, Dash from the Incredibles. A superhero is described by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary online as “: a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers; also : an exceptionally skillful or successful person”. I can say that I have met a real life superwoman. She changed my life and taught me such an impactful message that I decided to share with you.. Born to a teen mother, this superhero in the making faced challenges from the day she was born. My mother experienced things that most of us only hear or read about. As a toddler she tragically encountered extreme levels of cruelty and various forms of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her father, someone who was supposed to protect her. This played a significant role in her image of who she was. This person, who was supposed to protect her, called her names and berated her as early as three years old. By the time she was a teenager, she did not look like anyone’s hero. My superhero was angry. My superhero was betrayed (or confused?). My superhero was hurt. Of course, on the surface, everything seemed normal. You see, her mother worked at LTV Steel and her father was a laborer with General Motors, when he wasn’t preaching as a minister on Sundays. My hero’s mother stressed the importance of reading and made sure that she traveled while she was young in order to expose her to a world of choices. I guess with this beginning it seems natural that she would find her way on the path to becoming what I consider a superhero. See, most of us spent our preschool years and elementary school years playing dress up or taking dance lessons or for you lifers, running around... ... middle of paper ... ...y mother, my journey won’t be as difficult as hers. I will never have to know the resolve or resiliency that it took to turn a life destined for disaster into a life of love and influence. And the fruit of her effort is evident. Case in point, I’m graduating this year, my sister is graduating this year, and my grandmother is graduating this year and starting a Master’s program in the fall. And my mother? She managed to graduate from law school and is completing the vision she envisioned for herself. But for my superhero, that is not what she would deem her greatest accomplishment. In her mind, her greatest accomplishment is that there is expectation for the generations who will follow us. She believes, as do I, that her decisions will affect my children and my children’s children in such a way that attending a school like Laurel or going to college is normal.
Tiffany is an associates of the arts major, and was born on a military base in Little Rock, AR but grew up in Beebe Arkansas. One of her favorite hobbies is spending time with her family. She sees spending time with her family as peace time and time to unwind. Another one of her hobbies is participating in a worldwide group that helps people with anxiety and depression. Speaking to Tiffany, she explains that she loves helping people that can’t really find the courage or drive to help themselves. Her hobbies actually shape a lot of her accomplishments also. Tiffany received a flag of honor for saving a classmates life in 2012. This was one of the accomplishments that she still thinks about everyday as she still grows as a person. She also finished all four years of JROTC in high school. Tiffany explained she learned a lot of discipline and self-respect by finishing the program in high school. The last accomplishment tiffany achieved was finishing high school and getting her diploma. She plans one growing and being a better person every day; and getting her diploma and now attending school she feels like she is doing that. Tiffany main goal is to get her degree from National Park and transfer to Henderson. She knows she can accomplish this goal if she stays motivated and keep her eye on the real prize. Another one of Tiffany goals is to keep waking up every day and doing positive things to help other people. She has experienced
In the days leading up to her graduation, she was so excited about receiving her diploma for her academic accomplishments, even though she hasn’t accomplished a lot in life by experiencing a little bit of it. She felt like the birthday girl with her pretty dress, beautiful hair, and the presents she received from Uncle Willie and her mother. She felt like it w...
The word hero as defined as an “individual who has the courage of conviction to perform feats that benefit the general populace, acts as a soldier of virtue, and has an altruistic spirit that urges him or her to act against evil and defend the greater good at all costs, even sacrificing his own well-being or life.” (Harrison 2). Although heroes can come in any shape and size they are commonly found in stories we read, movies we watch, or people we look up to. We do not think about it much but even our own life is made up of many hero’s journeys. We never realize that our hardships and how we overcome them is exactly what a Hero’s Journey is about and why we relate to and enjoy these stories so much. I will be going into the depths of a Hero’s
A stereotypical "hero" is someone with superpowers, such as the ability to fly or superhuman strength to save citizens from dangerous situations, is good looking, and flawless. However, a true hero is someone who, although flawed, can overcome his or her struggles in order to better his or her own life and others’ lives as well. They have a positive influence on people they come into contact with, and are able to enact change across society. History has shown that unexpected "heroes" have been able to challenge stereotypical views and enact economic, political, and social progress. A prime example is Helen Keller, a woman who lived in the 19th century and became blind, deaf, and mute when she was just an infant. Caused by an mysterious illness, these devastating disabilities seemed to be insurmountable obstacles and seemed incompatible with living a "normal" life. However, with the help of her persistent teacher, Anne Sullivan, Keller worked hard to become educated and successful, paving the road for others with these life altering disabilities. Despite her own illness and struggles to mentor Keller, Anne Sullivan remained loyal to Keller and persisted in providing her with support and a proper education when no one else would. Although Anne Sullivan and Helen Keller are not the traditional "heroes" most people envision, they represent groundbreaking American heroes and have made a lasting mark on American history because they have overcome major struggles and discrimination. They have positively impacted future generations by creating schools for the deaf and blind, and have established organizations that fight against discrimination and unfair treatment against the disabled and others who lack a ...
... who actually care enough to get them out of a bad situation. The people, who cared about her future, wanted her in school because they knew she could do great things, and she did. Carissa had to go through tough times like; marriage and divorce, an engagement terminated, and health issues to get to where she is in life now. You have to go through things to find out how strong you are and what you’re able to put yourself. Mrs. W got her to love math again and she ended up going to law school because she wanted to help people like her. She was most successful when she actually was able to tell her story and made it into a documentary.
In conclusion, throughout the heartbreaks and suffering I have been through I have attempted to stand strong and persevere in life even if life is not perfect I can still succeed. Throughout the years I've learned that I don’t need a mother in my life to make me feel special and loved, I could do anything and be successful even if I grew up without no mother
I gazed into his bluish-green eyes while crying tears of joy. I could not believe that something so beautiful had grown inside of me. With a new found independence, I finally found happiness. In school my grades improved, my attitude was positive, and I figured out that my career choice was going to be to pursue a doctorate in pharmacy. My son has inspired me to excel in everything that I do. With him now being 3 years old, I have accomplished more with him than I would have without him. I have learned that sometimes we face obstacles in life that seem too much to bear. In comparison to Kincaid’s short story the tough love from my mom molded me to be the woman that I am today. Some might say that the mother in Kincaid’s story was too assertive, but I feel that the mother was only trying to give her daughter the tools in life that she
motivated to go to law school. She holds onto this idea into her adult life, showing how devoted
Being able to fly, to defeat all the villains of the world, and having supernatural power are just some of the supernatural characteristics of a superhero. However, these characteristics are the personification of what society would indicate to be the perfect man; or, depending on what superhero, a woman. I grew up admiring and idolizing Superman. From wearing his underwear to owning every one of his videos, I yearned to become Superman. This, however, was obviously impossible. Superman can fly, create a laser beam from his eyes, and he can lift the heaviest of objects. Thus, not being a totally clueless kid, it was the ideals of being a man, that superman possessed, that I tried to copy: having incredible strength, being flagrantly courageous, and being heroic. This, through my admiration of Superman, is what I thought a man should be.
In “The Accidental Supermom: Superheroines and Maternal Performativity, 1963–1980” by Laura Mattoon D’Amore, the idea of the supermom came from the emergence of the superheroine, whose characteristics involved strength and independence. Wonder Woman was adopted as a symbol for American feminists and eventually American mothers. After the introduction of Wonder Woman in the Ms. Magazine, the rhetoric surrounding women during their movement began to shift. Superheroines were considered a fantasy. Comic books were used to maintain the social order within a family, especially when it came to gender roles. Superheroines were seen as maternal because she was protective and nurturing yet there were only a few superheroines, one being Invisible Girl,
There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.
Batman, Superman, and Ironman are prominent superheroes in the media who are primarily admired by innocent boy and girls. These fictional characters fight injustice with bravery and selflessness, providing a false image of real heroes to children. How many of these idolized figures are still thought of in the same way after 10 or 15 years? While these fake perceptions of heroes sustain an income for our entertainment industry, everyone should be praising those who truly sacrificed for the benefit of the community. The real heroes are often neglected as we obsess over these imaginary characters. Although the media often recognizes a hero as a flamboyantly dressed man in some suit with a logo, the true heroes are the altruistic and motivational people who overcome personal desires, accept the challenge, and dedicate their life for the welfare of others by overcoming the difficulties of the challenge.
In 1859 Henry Ward Beecher said, "the mother’s heart is the child’s schoolroom." I believe that statement because of experiences I’ve had with my own mother. I have learned more about life from her than from my 15 years of schooling. Over the last 20 years my mother has taught me many valuable lessons just by being a living example of compassion, thoughtfulness, and generosity. She is an angel that has protected and carried me throughout life.
When I needed to talk, she listened. When I was ill, she healed me. When I was hungry, she fed me. This frail woman whom I call my mom was a superwoman while I was growing up. With wisdom, she guided; with tenderness, she spoke; and with love, she raised me. Although we were very poor, my mother made it a point always to give me a present on my birthday.
Heroes always change in our mind as we grow. As a child, we think Hercules, Xena, superheroes, imaginary friends, comics', and cartoons' heroes as the real heroes. As we grow older, our opinions keep changing from time to time.