Heroes and Heroism

Before this project, we discussed heroes and their journeys within different pieces of literature. Every hero's journey includes some type of hard obstacle, and each hero overcome it. In The Odyssey, Penelope displays characteristics of a heroic woman by being loyal and courageous. Penelope is forced into the chaotic atmosphere of suitors attempting to court her, and she is unsure whether or not her husband is dead. Even though Penelope is unsure of a lot of aspects in her life, she chooses to remain loyal to Odysseus. Penelope is courageous because she is not afraid to stand up to the many suitors in her home. Penelope's challenges and determination showed that anyone can be a hero. When I was younger, I used to look up to the Disney Princesses. I used to admire their ability to be proper and beautiful, even though they each faced their own hardships. Mulan was my favorite princess. I praised her courageous ability to disguise herself as a male warrior and fight in battle. Though I do not still think of Mulan as a hero, considering she is a factual character, I still think of a hero as a kind, loyal, and courageous person. Today, the term hero is used too often. Many people are considered heroes for many reasons, and many heroes are controversial.  Some heroes can only be heroic if they successfully solve their dilemmas. For example, the pilot of the plane that performed an emergency landing in the Hudson River. The landing was risky, and it could have potentially ended badly. "As the situation began to settle Thursday evening, the flight's pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, emerged as a hero, with praise being heaped on him by passengers, officials and aviation experts." (a quote from the article) Sullenberger was named a hero due to his success and not his risk. If the landing would have ended badly, it is controversial as to whether he would still be called a hero.