The Role Of Heroism In Oliver Stone's Where I Find My Heroes

When we think of heroes, we think of either dashing princes slaying dragons or rescuing princesses from evil wizards, or we think of superheroes flying in the sky, swooping down to save the day. Our definition of heroes wildly differ from person to person, but our definitions always share at least one similarity. These similarities may not be present in all heroes, but they are there to some extent. The definition of a hero greatly varies from person to person, but heroes are almost always willing to risk their lives for others, are selfless, and don’t have to have to be prepossessing, intuitive, nor do they need an extraordinary background just to be a hero.

Heroes put others before themselves and will do anything to ensure that thing’s safety. Many people have either risked their lives or have loss their lives due to trying to save others. An example of this would be the man in the red bandana or Welles Crowther. Crowther was working in the twin towers as planes were crashing into them. Crowther could have ran away from the other people when the planes hit, but he chose not to spare himself, but to save others and sacrifice his own life. In the documentary, The Man in the Red Bandana, which talks about a common hero who gave up his life to save others, it states,” Instinct grabbed him and he immediately tried to save lives.’’ This quote shows how Crowther, by nature, helps people. Also how he

Heroes, people say don't be them, because it risks your life and it is not worth it, you don’t get paid, you don’t get powers, you're just you by the end of the day and do something some people call dumb. But being a hero is not just Rafael at a fair to become one, to be one is to do what’s right even when everyone is not. Do it for the better of life, not for glory, but for anything that drives you to keep going.

Debi Mazar is an actress who stated, “A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tried to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really, deeply cares.” Heroes are relevant to everyone, because at some point, everyone has had a hero. Sadly, today’s society degrades the meaning of the word “hero”. Heroes are an important aspect of life, but famous people are not always heroes. Scott LaBarge’s essay “Heroes: Why Heroes are Important” is well written because he effectively uses pathos, logos, and karios when explaining heroes to his audience.

The American person has no true ideals, or beliefs that make him or her up. Americans are free to believe in what they want, think what they want, preach what they want, and most importantly say what they want . Authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman show in their texts such as “Self-Reliance” , The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , and “I Celebrate Myself” that there is no true definition of the American identity. The American identity can be seen in the many aspects of peoples lives, and a a quality that many Americans portray is the ability to have individual thoughts and emotions as well as the capability to not conform to society because they stand up for their own individual rights.

If anyone can be a hero, then why isn't the world full of heroes? Who wouldn't want to be a hero? I don’t disagree with the theme, but truthfully I think that although everyone has the potential to be a hero, heroes are a rare and unique minority. Not everyone can be a hero, if this was false the word hero would hold little meaning, a hero is something special, something out of the ordinary. But back to my original question, why isn't everyone a hero? This leads to my topic, which is about what stops people from being heroes, which includes our moral choices, circumstances and ability to sacrifice. Specifically, I want to discuss what makes a hero, but more importantly why most people are unable to become heroes.

After careful examination of the article, “Where I Find My Heroes” authored by Oliver Stone, it became apparent that Stone uses the rhetorical devices of examples and imagery to help convey his definition of a hero. To help portray his image of a hero, Stone provides examples of heroes all throughout his lifetime. For example, he later stated that as a child, “My heroes were always people like George Washington and General Custer and Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Men, generally, and doers” (Stone 1). Then as he talks about what he believes fits the definition of a hero now, one can see that he has mentally evolved to that of someone who should be honored for sacrifices made, not actions that led them to fame. Now he views those who

Heroes are not defined or created by people or events that shape who they are but they are born to make a change. Throughout history there has been several heroes born to make a change. Heroes can be traced throughout history and still continue to exist. Heroes are born with a greater intention for their futures than mindlessly working through life; they are born to be leaders. Real heroes are born to set standards for the future and to lead the present.

Writer and lecturer, Joseph Campbell once said; “A hero is someone who has give his or her life to something bigger than oneself”. In addition to this quote, the significance of heroes in this modern society is growing, but these heroes exemplify various traits that are bold and noticeable. In fact, heroes portray simple, yet gallant traits that most things don’t have. Accordingly, today’s inspirations are highly unique, and they deliver ideals of courage and motivation to many.

Heroes take action and to the most they can. They do not stop halfway and say “Well, I tried.” No. They stay in the fight and never give up. And when they have to stop, heros should think, “How can I improve for next time.” As an example, on September 11, 2000, a plane hit the

To begin, a hero is humble, they show respect and are modest about To begin, a hero is humble, they show respect and are modest about their status in society. To put it another way, heroes are ordinary people, they don’t go around boasting the fact that they are heroes, and that they are better than anyone else. In fact, they often don’t even think of themselves as a hero or anyone special for that matter. An example of this would be Malala Yousafzai, an average Pakistani girl who is in fact quite humble. In an excerpt from her memoir, “I am Malala” she demonstrates this, she explains how her, and her best friend came about each other. “We’d lived on the same street when we were little and had been friends since primary school. We shared Justin

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to preserve and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”- Christopher Reeves. This represents how in life a regular person can turn into a hero just being able to find strength within themselves and “endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” The author is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The main characters are Kambili, Jaja, Mama, Papa, Aunty Ifeoma, and Amaka. At first Kambili was timid in the beginning of the book, but became more confident when she confronted Amaka, while still finding her identity she became enlightened when she was baptized. In Purple Hibiscus, Adichie utilizes the character Kambili to prove this idea to be true, but only when people elicit positive talents out of negative situations.

An archetype, by dictionary definition is “an original model or type after which other similar things are patterned.” In film, archetypes are generally portrayed differently than in novels, as it is for the most part easier to spot the “bad guy” and “good guy” in films by the way they are portrayed. The underdog hero is the character who is not likely to succeed in what they want to do. The underdog hero tends to be a character who has gone through some type of struggle and works their way to the top. The outcome of the underdog is usually overlooked in the beginning of the story and slowly developed into something major. One film that shows an extraordinary example of the underdog hero is Rocky, with Rocky Balboa playing the part of this

Throughout the history of literature, authors have portrayed many heroic figures who have performed fantastic and remarkable deeds in all genres of fiction and nonfiction literature. However, in historic literature, a typical hero was a male warrior who put his life in danger for the sake of glory, such as Beowulf from the epic poem Beowulf. However, as society and literature have evolved, the stereotypical definition of a hero has also changed to describe the modern hero more accurately. J. K. Rowling, a modern English author, noticed this change in the definition of a hero and decided that Harry Potter, a young, teenage boy who possesses magical powers, would be the main protagonist throughout the Harry Potter series of books. When looking at the characteristics of Beowulf and Harry Potter, one can clearly see that there are a few similarities and some striking differences between the two characters, but both heroes have a value or a group of people that they have the desire to defend. Therefore, in today’s society, a hero may be best defined as one who bravely seeks to accomplish

According to Aristotle “A man doesn 't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall." In Aristotle’s terms, a hero must suffer more than he deserves, is noble in nature, but imperfect so that the onlookers can see themselves in him. A Hero must furthermore understand his doom, as well as the fact that his fate was exposed by his own actions - Additionally, a hero should be physically or spiritually wounded by his experiences, often resulting in death. Ultimately, a Hero 's story should arouse both fear and empathy. Specifically looking at figures in the Civil Rights Movements in both South Africa and America, there is no denying that it is generally agreed upon that Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are considered to be some of the world’s most admired heroes. They have no doubt played a role and influence in the struggle for black human rights. However, on a broader spectrum, one