The Leap Short Story

She is able to look towards the sky, and notice the skyline. This is the first time in her life that she has seen buildings so tall. She is leaving her old life behind and sees the opportunity ahead of her, she is more optimistic. When finally reaching the

Many times, titles provide more information that the reader originally anticipates. Titles are specifically chosen by each author, whether to summarize the main idea of present an idea in itself. Often times, titles can provide further into the insight of the author, and the specific purpose behind what they have created. A particular example of this is the story entitled The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Flannery O’Connor. This story is about a meeting between an armless man, an old woman with no teeth, and a beautiful deaf girl. In the end, the man marries the girl but abandons her while making off with the family’s automobile. This plot line doesn’t particularly fit the title when initially analyzed. However, after careful critical analysis, it can be determined that the title represents the overall theme of this story.

Ernie has always been a little messed up, he has lived in Missouri for the 32 long years of his life. On the day that changed his life forever, November 22, 1996. Him and his family were driving to the mall and they got into an accident. His Mom and Dad both died and Ernie was very depressed. He got the notes, of what made the car accident happen, an inspection failure with the Engine. He did not know what to do with his life. He almost committed suicide, but then out of rage, the decided he was going to make the person who caused the car accident. He went searching for months, and finally came to the conclusion that the person that last assessed the car was Eddie Thompson.

Sacrifice for the greater good is the natural inclination for heroes and protagonists in stories; however, in order to subsidize and materialize the profits for forfeiting one's humanity which is a drastic step towards lowering one's abilities and the perception other people have of that individual. A false hero practices charisma, a desire to succeed and the need to be placed on a pedestal adorned by arbitrary individuals. These practices serve as the root for this “Hero” to forward his ideas on those closest to him, even if those close individuals are regarded as rational and clear-minded. These followers hurl themselves at the whims of the “Hero” willing to sacrifice their dreams and aspirations for the “Heroes” own gratification and elation.

Homer’s The Odyssey tells the story of young Telemachus with the task of finding his father, Odysseus while also finding himself. As the hero of this journey, Telemachus develops into a noble, brave, and strong man, through complications inflicted by others’ mental endurance. By overcoming these obstacles Telemachus develops into the universally known stereotypical hero. However, the same cannot be said for the heroes of William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying and Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland. At the end of their journeys, Jewel and Alice become different kinds of heroes; instead of becoming a stereotypical plucky adventurer, they each develop different traits to benefit themselves along their journey.

They are shaped by their circumstances and desire to change. Heroes have commonly been viewed as mythical beings filled with strength and wisdom. However, it is also true that a hero’s journey is a perpetual part of the hero's identity. Through this journey, the hero is put through difficult circumstances that shape their character, as

Sacrifice for the greater good is the natural inclination for heroes and protagonists in stories; however, in order to subsidize and materialize the profits for forfeiting one's humanity which is a drastic step towards lowering one's abilities and the perception other people have of that individual. A false hero practices charisma, a desire to succeed and the need to be placed on a pedestal adorned by arbitrary individuals. These practices serve as the root for this “Hero” to forward his ideas on those closest to him, even if those close individuals are regarded as rational and clear-minded. These followers hurl themselves at the whims of the “Hero” willing to sacrifice their dreams and aspirations for the the “Heroes” own gratification and

Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Cat Woman; when you hear the word hero or heroine that is who you think of. The most famous heroes of all time, as well as the not so famous heroes such as Hazel, fit the archetype of a hero; they are all courageous, resourceful, and strong-willed. Most people don’t notice that almost all action/adventure movies and novels are the same. All of their stories fit the archetypal pattern of a heroic quest. A heroic quest consists of twelve steps that the hero completes throughout his or her journey. In this essay, I will be explaining the parallels between Watership Down by Richard Adams and the archetypal pattern of a heroic quest; as well as the parallels between

In life, heroes are everywhere. They fight crime, save lives, and basically just do good deeds. Heroes follow their journey, which, when written, is actually very cliché. A hero follows a set of events in their journey that are rarely changed. In this essay, two hero’s are examined, Santiago from The Alchemist, and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. These two stories seem very different, but in the end, are actually very similar. When examined closely, one may find that their journeys are very similar, following the events of a hero’s journey. This seemingly simple set of events is found in almost every heroic story. First is the problem. The hero is in a not quite perfect way of life, and needs to fix it. Then there is the refusal, the hero is called up to fixed the problem, but refuses for whatever personal reason. Then they are forced to go, and meet a mentor. This mentor gives them the wisdom that they need to get through the journey. It may even be what the hero is striving to be. Then they cross the threshold from their ordinary world to the new special world. The fifth and sixth parts can be interchangeable. Trials and allies/enemies, either can come first. Then they reach what they have been striving for, the liar, the cave, the final destination as a normal person. Once the hero reaches this part, they will be forever changed. At some point in this final destination, they will be killed and reborn, whether it is metaphorical or literal. After this they will fight

Another admirable quality of Marissa’s is her extreme courage. When she was three years old she volunteered to go first on the balance beam in her gymnastics class. When the rest of her peers cowered in fear, Marissa rose to occasion and gracefully walked across the beam suspended two inches off the ground. Inspired by Marissa’s courage the rest of the gymnastics class crossed the beam. It was Marissa’s courage that allowed her to lead her fellow gymnasts to the other side of the

“But that night she was like the little tottering, stumbling, clutching child, who all of a sudden realizes its powers, and walks for the first time alone, boldly and with over-confidence. She could have shouted for joy. She did shout for joy, as with a sweeping stroke or two she lifted her body to the surface of the water.

...she vaulted sheer over the turbid current by the shore, on to the raft of ice beyond….The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her weight came on it, but she staid there not a moment. With wild cries and desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake;--stumbling—leaping—slipping—springing upwards again! Her shoes are gone—her stockings cut from her feet—while blood marked every step, but she saw nothing, felt nothing...(Stowe 94)

hero's journey is not solely “applicable to fiction but also to the journeys that everyone goes

In the story “The Bicycle”, written by Jillian Horton, the hero Hannah goes on an extremely defining journey. She is compelled to make decisions that will change her life forever. How do heroes like Hannah make these decisions? In this story, Hannah faces internal and external conflict, by being persuaded to confine herself from the outside world. Later in the story, Hannah realizes her options and gains control, which introduces the idea of freedom to the story. Although many factors contribute to the outcome of a hero's journey, the amount of freedom and confinement the hero is given will significantly change their outlook and the outcome of the story. Firstly, Hannah started playing piano from a very young age. Her whole life revolved

How can a few words tell a whole story? The author Gabriel García Márquez wrote a short story titled “A very Old Man with Enormous Wings: A Tale for Children.” While reading the title of the story people tend to start to process and predict what's the story is about before reading it. The title of the story has to be able to tell someone about the story without giving away the suspenseful, intense cliffhangers. When the author picks out the title for their story they put a lot of thought into it, for example, how are they going to make it intriguing, how will it connect to the story and things in the story. In this short story the title gives away a strong important element in the story while still making it a page turner for the readers, even though the readers already know it has to do with an old man with enormous they still read it to gather the rest of the contextual items in the story that fully relate to the title of the story. Marquez’s choice of title for this short story connects directly to the main characters, the historical context of the story, and the contemporary experience the story brings.