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Heroism In The Odyssey

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“So there you go-heroes are everyday, common people. Most of what they do goes unheralded, unappreciated. And that ironically is heroism: not to be recognized” (Stone 1) is a quote from Oliver Stone’s article, titled, “Where I Find my Heroes.” In this article, Stone is pointing to the fact that most heroes appear around us everyday. Although heroes are in every book, movie, or other media, those fictional heroes show the same overall traits as everyday people that make them a hero. A hero is someone who demonstrates traits of being selfless, courageous, and determined in situations and towards others. One important characteristic that defines a hero is being selfless towards others. There are two characters in The Odyssey that demonstrate …show more content…

An example of someone who demonstrates the trait of being courageous is Jackie Robinson, who is mentioned in Hank Aaron's article, titled “Jackie Robinson.” In this article, Aaron says, “Somehow, though, Jackie had the strength to suppress his instincts, to sacrifice his pride for his people’s. It was an incredible act of selflessness that brought the races closer together...” (Aaron 1). This quote shows that Jackie Robinson wanted what was best for the whole entire African-American community. He was courageous in the fact that with all the scrutiny and harsh criticism that he suffered throughout his work, he never backed down and continued onwards to achieve his community’s goal. Along with Jackie Robinson, Odysseus also demonstrates the trait of being selfless when his crew encounters the Cyclops. When this happens he says, “Come with me when I give the word, hoist it [the flaming staff] onto my shoulder, then push from behind. I’ll aim it into the soul of that creature’s life” (Armitage 93). In this scene, Odysseus didn’t cower in fear in a frightening situation. He was courageous in how he protected himself and his crew by stabbing the Cyclops’s eye, which allowed them to escape. Persevering in situations, where fear is the only other thought, perfectly shows courage in a

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