This document discusses cultural heroes in mythology and literature. It notes that the qualities exalted in heroes reflect a society's beliefs. Though hero qualities differ across cultures, the principle remains the same - heroes have superhuman abilities and courageously save others. The document then provides examples of heroes from ancient Indian, Greek, and American cultures to illustrate this point, discussing the heroes Rama from the Ramayana, the Greek hero Heracles, and Jack Shepherd from the TV show Lost. It argues that despite differences in time and place, these heroes all demonstrate great strength and courage in saving others.

1. Cultural Heroes Essay
The literature of a culture is a reflection of its beliefs. This is true of its mythology. In a fantasy
setting, the qualities that a society exalts in a protagonist, here the hero of the myth, can be fully
manifested, without being restricted by reality. Although these qualities differ, the principle remains
the same throughout these cultures. Despite the differences chronologically and geographically
between India, ancient Greece, and modern America, their heroes are similar in their superhuman
abilities and courageousness. As heroes, they find themselves obligated to save others who cannot
save themselves. The burden of their heroic status is to take on challenges and defeat them.
The Ramayana is an ancient Indian myth and a basis of...show more content...
Heracles is directly the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, Alcmene. His heroic power over normal
human strength and ability draws from his half–divine status. However, his humanity is what
endeared Heracles to the Greek people as a hero. As one of their own, performing god–like deeds, the
Greeks were able to feel a part of Heracles' victories over the trials.
While the show is known for having a large cast of characters, Lost's protagonist and hero is Jack
Shepherd. Before the central event of the series' exposition, the plane crash that strands him and his
fellow survivors on a desert island, Jack was a gifted spinal surgeon, graduating from medical school
a year early and performing miracle–like surgeries during his career. He meets his wife Sarah after
performing the surgery that led to her full recovery after a car accident, when her condition initially
appeared to be such that she would be paraplegic. After the crash, Jack became the de–facto leader
of the survivors, not only because of his medical skills and his findings of shelter and fresh water,
but because of the speech he gives that inspires hope and convinces them to work together.
Jack, like Rama and Heracles, is a superhuman figure, despite his lack of a god infused birth.
Although he has no divine powers, he is an "important" figure in the series' universe, a fact
expounded upon later in the series, as he begins to unearth the fact
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

2. Acts of Heroism Essay
What makes the acts of heroism different from the daily life of others? To people the act of
heroism can be from their favorite sports player or an actor. But, to some they could be there
family member. Each heroic act in the society is faced with great challenges but the hero never
backs down. In addition, heroic acts have many different purposes in our society. The acts of
heroism are considered as an inspiration to others and a reference but, it takes certain attribute such as
courage and selflessness.
Acts of heroism done by heroes demonstrates leadership and to make our society a better place. For
instance, Mohandas K. Gandhi helped gain freedom for the colored without violence but giving
speeches. This demonstrates that Gandhi...show more content...
This quote also demonstrates that if you don't break the rules then the community wouldn't know
about the injustice. The people who break the rules to get equal rights didn't think about themselves,
instead everyone else that was facing the same problem and Martin Luther King was one of them. It
shows that they aren't selfish and willing to stand up to be a leader. In conclusion, heroism
contributes to our society in a positive way.
The acts of heroism are never selfish or foolish but instead are fearless and valiant. Acts of
heroism done by heroes are never afraid to die or to face whatever lies ahead. They aren't the
people that don't stand above others. For example, in October Sky Homer did many things that
most people wouldn't have done which were to build rockets. He keeps on doing it even though
most people had doubts that he would succeed. Homer was favored to be a coal miner like his
father, but he doesn't have any interest in it. Homer showed no fear to his principle and to his
dad. The act was never selfish, it benefit a great number of people because he gave hope to his
society by proving that anything is possible. Homer's idea got his friends to become a person that
they have never thought of. Furthermore, his actions weren't foolish at all because he got in to a
good college and later worked for NASA. What Homer accomplished during his life explain the
idea of heroism and his act of heroism shows what heroism shouldn't be. Moreover an example
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

3. Examples Of Heroic Quest
Heroic quest pattern
1. Ordinary World– Ordinary world is the start of a heroic story, which the hero lived before being
a hero. This is were some of the most essential and personal information is given to the reader and
where the sub pots are formed. Ordinary world helps relate the reader to the hero and his or her
lifestyle.
2. Call to Adventure – The main protagonist of the story the hero, is called into action, ordinarily by
some evil force that threatens his well being and lifestyle. Also it may be something that doesn't just
threaten him but the whole entirety of the world. Which causes the hero to take forth a quest to stop
and quench this threat.
3. Refusal to Call – The hero realizes the difficulty of the quest and begins...show more content...
Ordeal – Ordeal is were the hero must face a challenge which is a battle for life and death. This trial
demands of the hero to use all he or her have learned in order to survive this ordeal and if he or she
fails the the world as he or she knows it will be destroyed.
9. Reward – After overcoming the battle for life and death, the hero will emerge as a new person. A
person who has overcome his or her's most challenging obstacle. The hero has defeated the threat
and usually gains a reward to some extent.
10. The Road back – The hero has finally triumphed and returned home with his or her prize. The
hero is thinking whether everything is as it originally was since he left. In some cases the hero is
required to complete one last task before home is within his or her grasp.
11. Resurrection – The climax of this quest, were the hero faces his or her most prominent
encounter with death. Which contains every single emotion, where people will be left behind and
some will be lost. The world will be destroyed if the hero fails. Although at the end of every quest
the hero emerges victorious.
12. Return – The hero must decide whether this world is right for him or her or if returning to his
own world. At the end of every quest there is a reward this reward may be literal a materialistic
item, or metaphorical. This is were the hero finally feels like he has accomplished his
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

4. Characteristics of a Hero Essay
Characteristics of a Hero
"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself" (Campbell 1).
When we think of heroes most of us think of movie stars or professional athletes, but it's not
always about your popularity or talent it can also be about how you help society. What I think
make a great hero is someone who is able to overcome his or her obstacles in life, is highly
motivated, and has plenty of bravery.
Overcoming obstacles may be one of the hardest parts of being a hero. I think it's the hardest
because a lot of people are blocked from doing something and just quit. A great example of thistrait
is Jackie Robinson. He was discriminated against because he was African–American. Even though
...show more content...
In order to be a successful hero you must be a highly motivated person. Without motivation you
would not be very successful because you would have no ambition to try and make a difference
in the world. I think Rodney Dangerfield is a great example of this because he started he career at
just 15 and he died while he was in the middle of a movie. Also when his wife tried to make him
quit he just blew their many years of happiness and divorced her. In one of his quotes he stated, "At
twenty a man is full of fight and hope. He wants to reform the world. When he's seventy he still
wants to reform the world" (Dangerfield 3).
Bravery is a great trait for a hero to posses. I think bravery is a key quality because you don't always
know what lies ahead of you and you have to be brave to continue. A good example of this is
Charles Lindburgh. He was the first person to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. I believe that took a
great amount of bravery because no one had ever made it across, so he didn't know what lie ahead
of him. One of his many good quotes he said, "The most effective way to do it, is to just do it",
(Lindburgh 1).
So as you may see overcoming obstacles, being motivated and being outstandingly brave is key to
becoming a great hero.Like overcoming obstacles was very hard for
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

5. Heroism Essay
What is heroism? Things preformed Superman, Batman, or The Flash? This is what most people
think about when they hear the word hero or heroism. Although these characters show heroism, the
definition of heroism does not have to be narrowed to the stereotypical hero. Many people have
different concepts on heroism. Ahero can be a ordinary person like a firefighter or cop. Heroism is a
attribute that a person can obtain but they have to choose actions that help others like a fearless
firefighter or cop helping others. Heroism also does not call for a reward for being heroic. Heroism
is a quality or an act in all of us that a person uses to benefit for the good of other people even if
there is a risk. Heroism makes society a better place....show more content...
It also shows heros care for others shown in sociocentrism instead of being egocentric. This means
that a hero is more concerned about others instead of having egocentrism and only caring for their
own wants. Heroes tone down the evil in the world by being taking more action and caring for other
people instead of themselves.
The quality of heroism can be shown in the everyday life and people. George Bernard Shaw a
playwright and a public figure said,"Every reasonable man (and woman) is a potential scoundrel and
a potential good citizen. What a man is depends upon his character; what a man does, and what we
think of what he does, depends upon his circumstances" (Shaw). When you see your peers they
might not look special or have superpowers that can save the whole galaxy from an evil demon.
Although they can still show heroism that you might not see or notice. In addition to heroism
being in most people it can also be faint. Arthur Ashe who was a inspiration to many from being
the first black player selected to the United States Davis Cup team states,"True heroism is
remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the
urge to serve others at whatever cost" (Ashe). This quote displays that heroism can be a subtle act
that doesn't have to expressed greatly but puts others before yourself. This also shows that heroism
does not have to be publicly announced. This quality
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

6. What is a Hero? Essay
What is a Hero? There are many types of heroes (such as the ones in comic books, myths, movies,
or even just everyday life heroes) but all of them have perseverance when they're going through a
conflict. Heroes are role models and they're people that we look up too. They all have unique and
special qualities that make one another different from each other. For example policemen battle
crime everyday and when they're overcoming a conflict they have determination, courage and other
traits that people admire them for and that make them as a hero. Typically a hero is admired for their
achievement/actions and qualities. There once was a speech made, from a man who was admired
and looked up too by many people. His name was Martin Luther...show more content...
Many of us thought he was a very inspiring and wonderful man because he had achieved his goal
by showing everyone that all of us are equal. If it weren't for him, there probably wouldn't be
different races here in the world getting along together today. Another idea of a hero was when
Gandhi had stood up for his country; India. "Gandhi led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty,
expand women's rights, and build religious and ethnic amity" plus he had "spent a number of
years in jail in both South Africa and India". In other words Gandhi never gave up showing
everyone how India should be independent. Gandhi had stood out his way by leading marches to
declare independence. Gandhi had been admired for his bravery (when he was thrown in jail a
few times), his confidence (he never showed any sign of weakness) and perseverance (he had
never gave up). Heroes are not always people who lead marches or do things for their country. For
example policemen, firefighters, nurses, lifeguards etc. are heroes everyday because they take the
time to save lives. When they're going through a challenge or trying to overcome a conflict they
always have courage. These people risk their own life to save someone else's. To be more specific
Dr. Ginger Holt from Dallas had saved a little boy's leg. She was confident and determined to finding
out what went wrong in the boy's leg and went through many procedures looking at the tests.
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

7. Heroes Speech
When I was a kid, my super hero was Superman, I kind of admired him because I thought it would
be cool to be able to fly and to have super–human strength, but the main reason why I liked
Superman is because he helped people, no matter what.
According to Times Magazine, we have become a society that is centered on self, self–gratification,
self–motivation, self–indulgence, and it has been a driving force in developed countries since
decades now; and as a result, we are witnesses to the slow death of the Hero.
Today I want to tell you a little bit about how we define what a hero is , what it takes to be a hero,
and how you and I can help refresh the effects of heroisme.
So lets start with how we define what a heroe is.
The definitions...show more content...
For me a hero is someone who touches our lives in a personal way and does not do it for themselves.
Now more than ever we need heros, we need to be those heros.
And if we start looking for those opportunities and start stepping forward and taking that initiative.
We can make the difference.
Heros come and heros go, heros die and some heros have grown old, for someone you know and
someone you don't be that
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

8. Traditional Heroes
Heroes are sought after in stories because they are what the audience looks for in their actual lives.
Everyone wants to be a hero in some way. Perhaps not for recognition or glory, but for the
knowledge that they have done good in their lives and helped others. Even for those who prefer
following the villain through the plot, the role of the hero is needed to counteract the sense of evil
that the traditional villain provides. Regardless of the outcome of the story, both good and evil
sides must be present to create a conflict. The audience will always look for the lesser (or greater)
of the two evils to establish where they stand and better relate to the story.
In addition to being role models, heroes also provide a sense of hope and security
Get more content on HelpWriting.net