What Makes a Hero?
The term "hero" has always carried an almost magical connotation in the western world. This title is by most considered the highest compliment one man can give to another; a "hero" is someone truly without equal. Young children learn to idolize their favorite superheroes: Batman, Spiderman, Superman, and the ninja turtles. Adolescent males have ambitions of becoming firefighters and police officers, whose jobs are now viewed at differently after the September 11th tragedy. The armed forces attempts to lure recruits by advertising the heroic nature of their branch of service. The men and women who have died for our country are often viewed not as greater than human beings, instead as something greater- heroes.
It is hard for most of us to put into words what exactly a hero is; our definition of a hero becomes more sophisticated as our experiences expand (Pierson 11). Perhaps more importantly...
English: Photograph of Rosa Parks with Dr. Martin ...
English: Dr. Martin Luther King giving his "I Have...
Martin Luther King leaning on a lectern. Deutsch: ...what makes heroes who they are? What characteristics, innate or learned, earn them the right to be labeled as a hero? Are heroes born, or made? It is the goal of the research paper that follow to answer the above question
Defining a hero is, naturally a difficult, not to mention highly personal task. A hero is best defined not through the transient words on this paper but instead by action; examples from life.
Whoever our heroes are in life; they reveal a great deal about who we strive to be as individuals. For most of us, a hero is someone that we look up to, a figurehead that we strive to achieve. A hero epitomizes the qualities that we value most. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, perhaps a policeman, star athlete, or the president. Heroes can include Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, or Maya Angelou. Perhaps your...