Hero Definition Essay

An American mythologist, Joseph Campbell, once said “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” Heroes can be defined in many different ways, and people can have many perspectives of what defines a hero. Heroes should always be courageous or brave when it comes to certain situations. If heroes fail at what they do, they look at it as a space for improvement. They have to persevere. Heroes have to be determined to complete the task and finish what they started. To add onto the many components of what defines a hero, selflessness is important as well. Heroes should put others first and care about them more than they care about themselves. Since heroes put their lives at risk for a greater good, they make …show more content…
Heroes do their deeds from the kindness of their heart, and not for the gain of fame. A hero is not cowardly. A hero is brave, but they are not fearless. A hero is never selfish. A hero cares less about themselves, and puts others first. For instance, in the poem called “Frederick Douglass” by Robert Hayden it states “this man, this Douglass, this former slave, this Negro beaten to his knees, exiled visioning a world where none is lonely, none hunted, alien,” (Hayden). This tells me that Frederick Douglass was a very selfless man due to his actions. Frederick Douglass who was a slave who had escaped, had thought about other people living a life when freedom is instinctual, and no one would have to be worried about losing their freedom, also a place where peace was present. Some extra information about Frederick Douglass is that he joined an anti-slavery group and made many people believe that slavery is cruel and wrong. This showed selflessness because he risked his life to fight for ending something that made his early life miserable. Frederick Douglass could've been caught and fought serious circumstances, but he didn't have that mindset. Therefore, this is why Frederick Douglass is considered a hero in today's day of age, due his lack of cowardice and

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