A Long Way Gone Superhero

What makes someone a hero? The dictionary defines a hero as “a person who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model.” In the book, A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah’s life of living in fear and the uncertainty of whether or not he would have food to eat and also survive the night is something that no one should have to experience. In my opinion, if Ishmael were to look up to a superhero and a hero, then he would look up to Batman and Rosa Parks. Both of these heroes overcome the impossible and work to make the world a better place. Batman is a superhero because he fights crime and makes the world a better place. As a child, he lost his parents and then grew into the superhero he is today. Even though Batman does not

Whenever Ishmael was separated from his family and was unsure if he would get to see them again, he could have used Park’s courage. Another time her courage would have been useful to Ishmael was when he watched his friends die. It is hard enough to lose a friend but to watch them die is another story. Overcoming his addiction to drugs and facing the memories of war and losing his family are things that take courage, and Ishmael could have used Rosa Park’s courage to help him get through those situations. Superheroes and heroes possess characteristics that humans often envy. While Batman is fictional, he has the attitude of never giving up when fighting crime and that is something that Ishmael would look up to. Rosa Parks was courageous and helped change the way blacks were treated in the United States and Ishmael could have used her courage in the hard times in his life. Courage and the never give up attitude are two characteristics that Ishmael would envy. However, in the end, Ishmael was able to overcome the difficulties by talking to other people about his experience and learning of their