Characteristics Of A Hero In Chris Crowe's Mississippi Trial

As humans, we tend to idolize people from all over the world for their remarkable qualities, bravery, actions, skills, leadership or ways of life. These people are often referred to as heroes, whether it is a leader, Superman, or a local community hero, they all share something in common, and it’s not a cape. What makes each of these people heroes? Their extraordinary character traits set them apart from their less noteworthy peers. While there is a myriad of traits that heroes possess, the most significant ones are their bravery, their willingness to ask for help, and their strength to always do what is honorable. In Chris Crowe’s, Mississippi Trial, 1955, all three of these qualities are possessed by Hiram Hillburn, an unknown hero. Bravery is undeniably a necessary quality of a hero. Without bravery it is nearly impossible to put others first, because putting others first often requires putting oneself at risk. Hiram shows bravery countless times throughout the novel, however the most notable occasion was when he saved Emmett Till, a young boy of color, from drowning. Emmet, being from Chicago, was not familiar with Mississippi’s southern ways. Hiram, also had forgotten the southern traditions, having lived in Arizona for many years. Furthermore, neither boy was familiar with the fact that in Mississippi, white men were not to interact with, or help, black men. However, Hiram did just that, risking his own life to save the life of what many peers would consider to be