Dana Reeve

A true hero is one who finds the courage, willpower, and passion to help others in their character. Once these three characteristics are met, any individual will have the strength in them to endure even the toughest challenges life can throw at them. Welles Crowther certainly had all three aspects of character. As reported by witnesses of Crowther’s actions, and as stated in “Saved on 9/11, by the Man in the Red Bandanna,” “He used it to put out some blazes and assigned a woman, Ling Young, to carry it down the stairs while he carried an injured woman on his back. He led a first group to the 61st floor, then pulled his bandanna over his mouth and told them he was going back up to guide down others. He later joined firefighters who had a tool to free trapped victims” (Kilgannon 3).. Without a strong, inner motivation to help the people around him, Welles Crowther would have never accomplished what he did that day. It is unbelievable that a person would be willing to go back into the wrecked floors of the South Tower and subject themselves to significant risk. However, Crowther, as stated in the quote, came back for more survivors and also helped firefighter rescue groups. Although he could have easily left the South Tower without saving anybody but himself, Crowther understood what was the right action to take for the benefit of society, and mustered the courage to keep going. Crowther’s actions didn’t just save the lives of ten people, but had rippling effects on society. In…

Kyle Maynard, born with no arms or legs, persevered to become second in the state wrestling competition and the first amputee without any prosthetic limbs to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. This book, No Excuses, by Kyle Maynard is an autobiography of the fighter, who believed he could be equal to everyone else and strived to be. Kyle Maynard was born on March 24, 1986, in Georgia with a disease called congenital amputation. This disease causes birth without certain limbs but rarely caused children to…

Being Extraordinary Willie Burton is an extraordinary and an inspirational person. Willie faces cerebral palsy where he stutters when he talks. His lower body is numb and isn’t able to walk. Willie is inspirational because he faced a congenital disorder of movement, and posture which cannot be cured, treatment may help, but that didn't stop him from what he loves doing which is wrestling. Even though Willie wasn’t the best, he kept pushing and didn't let cerebral palsy get in his way and gave…

What Does It Take to Be a Hero? Heroes are often portrayed as crime fighters or saviors. However, anyone who shows courage, selflessness, and virtues qualifies for the hero archetype. Steven Spielberg’s 1982 film E.T. the Extra Terrestrial narrates the Taylor family's efforts to illegally house an alien long enough to escort E.T. to it’s mothership for a return to the species planet without seeking attention from scientists or police. The main character and protagonist Elliott Taylor relates to…

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Similarly, in Avi’s novel Crispin: The Cross of Lead, Crispin, like many other true heroes had to overcome his fears and exhibit extreme bravery, courage and strength to save his mentor Bear. However like most hero’s Crispin, also known as “Asta’s son”, was scared and engulfed with fear at first. Fear is something we all experience, especially when we are faced with dangerous…

Villainous Heroism The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes a hero as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” This definition can be applied to any person who embodies it, no matter the extent of their actions. What does it really take to determine a hero? How can a topic as massive and controversial as heroism even begin to be measured? These ideas have been debated for many centuries, yet none have given a scale, formula, or any concrete way to determine a hero. In…

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” (Christopher Reeve). This quote by Christopher Reeve touches on what a true hero is supposed to be and is. Hero’s are supposed to have traits of selflessness, perseverance, intelligence, bravery, ect. One amazing hero is the son of Zeus and Danaë, young demigod, Perseus of Olympia. Perseus’s intelligence, bravery and selflessness is what ultimately carries him through many…

Heroes can acquire various characteristics. Some people may consider their hero to be superman, a family member, or even a famous writer. To me, a true hero is someone who is fearless, selfless, and forgiving. Someone who possesses all of these qualities is Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete and World War II survivor. Throughout his life he faced many challenges, and with those challenges came accomplishments. The amount of dauntlessness he displayed all through his life can not be compiled…

Kyle Carpenter What makes a hero is three important traits. By doing an act voluntarily without being asked or expected to, doing it for someone else without expecting any type of gratification, and performing an act knowing the risks and consequences that may follow. Kyle Carpenter was a corporal in the Marines who risked his own life to save the life of his colleague by throwing himself on top of a live grenade. He is a hero because the act he performed was voluntary, he did it specifically…

Hero vs Hero There are many people in the world that can be portrayed as a hero, but what really is a hero. The dictionary states that a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” In the book The Odyssey, Odysseus was portrayed as the hero who saved everyone from the trojan war. Another hero who saves people and cares about others and not just himself is Iron man from the movie Iron Man(2008,2010,2013). Both of these heroes put…