Vonnegut says that individuals need to fight only to make his hero a power-hungry godlike creature, being both an unreachable ideal and unreliable threat. Vonnegut is implying that individuals are powerful but that does not mean every individual deserves to have power. Accordingly nothing can change unless individuals force it, but that individuals too often lack courage and strength, even if one individual has everything needed, he might be corrupted when
Although unrelatable and underappreciated in the eyes of modern history, George Washington shows his greatness through his character. Contemporary culture often neglects to recognise Washington’s greatness. Sadly, he has become a figure so far removed from the ideals and lives of modern Americans, that his name often provokes boredom. Nonetheless, his character proved to be perfect for what America needed during his life. His greatness was largely due to chance.
All great leaders need to have the confidence and determination to speak their minds and effectively guide a group. However, many confident leaders allow their confidence and determination to become arrogance and an inability to compromise. This kind of mental inflexibility can ruin an otherwise great leader, because communication, compromise, and team work are essential to a good leadership. President Gerald Ford once said, “Compromise is the oil that makes governments go,” and mental inflexibility, or stubbornness, prevent the possibility of compromise. One of the best examples of the effects of an inflexible mind set is Julius Caesar.
He provided alternative solutions to governing, a republican government and a constitution. However, some may argue that although it was a major influence it didn’t influence everyone’s minds, the loyalists. Thomas Paine was an American patriot that understood that independence was inevitable but the ultimate question was when (source 1). Paine was a person who fought for the average person against unfair monarchy systems (source 4). He always had the people in mind.
He wanted to believe that the colonist would eventually give in but that was never the case. King George III was a smart man but let his power hungry personality get in the way of his rational decision making. Killing England gives the readers insight on what was actually going on during the time of the American Revolution. Many people such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and many others paved this road for us today to live in this great nation. Their hard work and sacrifice is something honorable to look at.
The situation called for a leader the audience could relate to and be on a personal level with. King fit those characteristics as he knew what the people were going through. Over time, King’s following would grow greater than Thoreau would have ever hoped for. Although both essays create distinctive arguments based on similar principles, their perspective differed greatly. In Thoreau’s essay, he discusses that government rarely proves itself as a reliable government and the only way they have the greatest following is because they are the strongest.
The Anglo-Saxons were a complicated people with an even more complicated society but they are nonetheless a very interesting people’s. Beowulf swiftly implied since the beginning that “courage” is the ultimate form of “greatness”(“shmoop”). Bravery and heroism comes first in the Anglo-Saxon culture because they used it to prove how worthy they were of power and if they didn’t show it they feared that they would be punished or shunned this can be shown when I Beowulf it is stated that “ Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked.” Beowulf shows courage and bravery when he fights Grendel by ripping Grendel’s arm off with his bare hands knowing he could die while trying to do this. As stated by Axel Lazno “Everything Beowulf does is a direct link to courage. Beowulf is a perfect example of an
Mahatma Gandhi is a world known leader that inspires people every day with his story of fighting for freedom. He once made this claim about leadership, “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.” This quote relates a lot to the character of Bernard in Ender’s Game. Bernard leads by using his body size in order to make the other kids feel small and powerless, but his method doesn’t exactly work out. The science fiction novel, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card is about effective and ineffective leadership and reveals that a person can’t be placed in a position of leadership, true leadership must be earned over time. According to Card, being a leader does not involve bullying for power.
Out of the three that are listed here I think that his part in the American Revolution was the most important. Without him we wouldn’t have a leader, nor would we have continued to fight on. This was the first step to our new nation and without him we would have given up/still be under British rule. People like Washington have given people a voice and has motivated them throughout the years. He had kept our hopes up whenever we felt the need to give up and because of his role/actions we are our own
There is a natural instinct to survive, no matter the cost, but Beowulf doesn’t seem to have that instinct. Throughout the epic poem, Beowulf constantly tempts fate just for a better story to tell around the table. Beowulf values glory and riches over his own life. Beowulf shows heroesque characteristics by performing brave deeds, risking his own life for glory, and being glorified for his actions. Beowulf first shows his heroism by performing brave deeds.