Webster’s dictionary defines a hero as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities; a person who is greatly admired; the chief male character in a story, play, movie, etc.” Looking at the list, Winston only fits one of these criteria. Winston is not a hero, even though he is the protagonist in this story. His actions and behavior throughout the book is unbecoming of a hero, and in the upcoming paragraphs, I will discuss what discredits him as a hero. Winston breaks, plain and simple. When it mattered most, his final stand against O’Brien and the oppressive powers of big brother, he is unable to withstand the onslaught.
Throughout the book there are many instances which prove that he is more anti-hero than hero. The protagonist displays acts of heroism but is it enough to consider him a hero? Is Winston an anti-hero because he does not always show the complete signs or look the way that a typical hero would. Winston looked at the world of 1984 through an intellectual eyeglass. He wanted freedom and he broke laws that were set.
Winston is not a person someone can admire, but he does deserve sympathy and pity. His vulnerability makes him so very human. If anything is to go about, Winston is an anti-hero, but at the same time, he is nevertheless the protagonist of the story and an "Everyman" type all at the same time. Julia and Winston both believe that at first, that their minds and their hearts are inaccessible. O'Brien then shows them that they are both wrong at the end and that everything Winston did is the worst type of crime.
Throughout the entire book, Winston claimed his hatred toward big brother and acted out in direct rebellion. By the time he was released from torture, he stated that, “He had won the victory over himself. He loved big brother”(Orwell 298). The Party’s use of torture ended up being enough to change the entire base of his morals, and removed his love for independence and rebellion. They conquered his real feelings, and were able to keep control over him in the end.
This definition of the term hero applies to people today and one example of this kind of hero is J.K. Rowling (Boyd). She is considered a hero because of how she inspired a generation of children to read (Boyd). In the epic poem, “The Odyssey,”
Heroes have always been a major aspect of the literature world, with men taking on challenges beyond their limits, bravely saving the things around them, courageously helping someone, or numerous other heroic deeds. Millions of stories, whether they be new, old, fiction or nonfiction, have been published with a hero as the main character who endures struggle and glory through their journey. Over time, though, the hero archetype has changed drastically due to the change in the world and humanity. A hero from today’s day in age might be considered a hero, when back then hundreds of years ago, he/she would have been merely considered someone who has done a good thing. The archetype has undergone numerous changes considering the “hero’s” personality,
A hero doesn’t have to be Superman or Batman. A hero can be a homeless person or even a complete stranger. My opinion of a hero is a person who faces danger and overcome it, help someone or even themselves in a time of need, would die for someone, and sacrifice. To be a hero that mean you show that you care and have love for that person or persons. Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally are all heroes they face danger overcome it and they all sacrificed something.
Many of the women in these stories are portrayed as strong, independent women who, in many cases, are the hero themselves. Women in Chrétien and La Motte-Fouqué’s stories are given strong roles in order to highlight and emphasize the important virtues of peace, bravery, and power which ultimately transfers the role of the hero from men to women. In order to understand why the women in Yvain and The Magic Ring are considered to be the true heroes, the definition of a true hero must first be fully defined. Many will describe a hero as a character who performs deeds to remove people from danger. While that is correct, a “true hero” possesses many qualities that prove they are more than just a character who saves others from danger.
He is considered a hero because he fits under each of these qualities. He risks his life and is courageous because he fights off the monsters. He is goes the extra mile for Hrothgar by going to kill Grendel's mother and the dragon. This is what makes a hero a hero. The first commemoration asked by Beowulf to have done is to have a tomb made for his body.
Introduction This assignment was to write an essay on anyone who is considered a hero and evaluate them on their heroism. For this assignment I have chosen Winston Churchill the ex prime minister of Britain during the second World War. I decided to choose Winston Churchill as my hero because he was a very famous figure from recent european history. The research question I chose for this assignment was: what were Winston Churchill’s major achievements from 1893 to 1944. The point of this assignment was to evaluate a hero on their heroism which is why I have made some assessment criterion to assess my hero.