Comparing Heroism In Fredrick Douglass And October Sky

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” (Arthur Ashe). I agree with Mr. Ashe that to be truly heroic, one must not be concerned with glory, but focused on self-sacrifice. It is striving, without faltering, to reach your ultimate objective. I believe that heroism is realizing the needs of you or someone else and trying your hardest to fulfill those needs, that it is showing dedication to your quest, and that it is not giving up, even when it is believed the odds are against success.
Heroism is trying your hardest, no matter the obstacles, to fulfill the needs of yourself or others.
In the poem Moco Limping, by David Nava Monreal,
His heroism inspires people who know him to go after their own dreams. As well as Homer, Fredrick Douglass is a man who never gave up in what he believed in. Fredrick Douglass worked for the fair treatment of all people. This shows heroism because even though he had setbacks, like being physically beaten, he will always be remembered for working his hardest for the welfare of all people.
Heroism is not giving up after you have failed a few times. For example, in the book Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, is stuck with his men in a cave with a ferocious Cyclopes. Despite his fear and the overwhelming odds against him, he does not give up and let him and his men be killed by the monster. Instead, he uses his wit to come up with a plan to get out, “The rams were fat with thick fleeces. . . The middle one was to carry one of my men, with the other two on either side to protect him”
(SB 37). This is a heroic plan. Because of his unrelenting efforts, he saved his men’s lives. In life,
Ana does not give up and bemoan over her hardship, instead, she gives her family hope by her indomitable will to survive despite all odds against her survival.
Contrary to popular culture, heroism is not all about gaining glory as sometimes portrayed in the media. Heroism can be as personal as fighting one’s own struggle to defeat cancer, trying one’s hardest to fight the disease, never giving up in the hope of finding a cure, and showing dedication to pursuing treatment despite setbacks . In studying all of these heroic acts, I realized that the performance of heroic acts not only benefit the people for whom they were performed, but also the individual who performed them. The “hero” will see life differently, not because of the fame, if any, gained from the act, but knowing that they are capable of performing a service to either themselves or others that is meaningful. This empowers them, making them recognize their strengths and ability to problem solve when others have failed, or given up, before even trying. I hope that I have the courage to rise to the level of heroism if ever I am called to do so as were the individuals in fiction and real life I