We often have influential figures present in our lives that impact the decisions we make every day. For some, they may consider those figures as their hero. Many characteristics make up a hero, but there are essential characteristics that must be present in a hero such as mindfulness, confidence, and patience. A heroic character should be attentive to details and optimistic because without these traits, a hero would not fulfill all of their responsibilities and a passion for helping others would not exist. An excellent example of an ideal hero would be David Strorm from John Wyndham’s The Chrysalids.
Mindfulness is one of the many crucial characteristics that should be present in a hero. We see David portray himself as a hero in The Chrysalids when he can’t help but question the religion of the Waknuk society. He constantly questions why the society he lives in is so intolerant and the impact this intolerance has caused. As David matures throughout the…show more content… In the book, we see that David is a little hesitant about rebelling against the Waknuk society at first. However, he later realizes that standing back is not an option and is determined to make a change by escaping to the Fringes with everyone. Most of David’s loved ones are concerned for each other because the possibility of someone being in danger made everyone feel uneasy. This sense of doubt is natural and the society the telepaths and mutants grew up in has made them feel nothing but fear. When we witness the escape plan succeeding, nothing but happiness and relief is felt. This is the result of David and his telepaths being confident in their plan. Since the major theme in this book is the danger of intolerance, it is no surprise that everyone feels a small sense of doubt. In the end, David’s confidence in the plan overcame everyone’s uncertainty with the plan. With that being said, confidence is not the last trait that is needed in a
