'Hero In City Of Thieves'

Hero. A misused and overused term all across the globe. Take the most iconic hero for instance: Superman. Is he a hero? Yes he may have saved many lives, but is that what makes a hero? So, the only way you can be a hero is to save lives? These things all revolve around your definition of a hero. Everybody has a different interpretation of a hero, but is there a right one? People always jump to conclusions that there is just one definition that has to be right but that is not the case. A hero is too broad to have one definition but that is okay. In my opinion, someone who defines a hero is a person with the right intentions to ‘do good’ in a certain place. Although, others can still have another interpretation of a hero that they believe is
An example of this was when he and Kolya were walking to a man’s house that supposedly had eggs. Right when this man opens the door, Lev gets an automatic feeling of concern for him and Kolya. He is very cautious at first, not wanting to go inside this strangers house, trying to sign Kolya that it might not be the best idea. Going off of levs nudges, Kolya states, “I don’t do business in a stranger's apartment,” (56). After a brief chat with this man, Kolya, the quick one, decides it is safe to go in. When I say ‘quick one,’ I mean he is very quick to judge certain situations which could be a good thing, but it can also be something that leads him and Lev into a great deal of trouble. As Lev was concerned, this was not a good idea, but he still had faith in his partener. You find out later in this chapter that this man who could’ve had eggs, was a cannibal and Lev’s gut feeling was correct. In these chapters, Lev definitely showed heroic intentions, trying to make sure that he and Kolya don’t get into a bad situation, which is why he is a great example of a hero. His heroic intentions include when he was nudging Kolya that maybe they should get out of this strangers house because it was very risky. Also, Lev’s overall concern for Kolya shows how he cares for others. These actions are heroic because it shows lev’s intention to help people and he was trying to not dive into a
Another prime example of Lev’s heroic actions was in the beginning of the book where you experience Lev as a more confident person. He thought it was right to stay in Leningrad to help Russia during the war. “I would defend my city... and without Leningrad... what chance did Russia have?” (9). Lev was also a firefighter in his part of the town because he believed it was the right thing to do in order to help his country. You also read that he saves Vera, one of his dear friends. “I knew that I could not live with the memory of those eyes pleading for me... I jumped down from the gate, lifted her to her feet, and hauled her to the iron bars,” (16). Lev knew that if Vera was caught, she would be in a great deal of trouble by soldiers, so he saved her anyway even though it left him in a tough situation. In these different experiences, it shows Lev’s desire for helping others because he is empathetic. Because he is empathetic, he falls under my definition of a hero, but under someone else's definition, he might not be. Someone else may emphasise on the motivational part of being a hero and how much motivation it takes. In this same scenario, Lev says he hated her for pleading to him because he didn't want to have to live with the guilt. This would then show that Lev is not a hero in their lens because he wasn’t motivating himself to do it. You can see how different these definitions are but it is still okay to have different opinions, knowing