Mother Teresa's Heroic Hero

After she saw India’s poor and had an epiphany, Mother Teresa heroically devoted her life to serving the needy. As she opened many clinics and shelters, Mother Teresa demonstrated that she had the capacity to serve. She had a moral objective and brought “solar light” into the world. According to Joseph Campbell, these characteristics would contribute to her achieving the status of a hero. In his book, The Power of Myth, Campbell states that a hero must undergo a transformation of consciousness. In 1946, Mother Teresa claimed to have received a “call within a call” to help those suffering in poverty. Joan Clucas, wrote that Mother Teresa was instructed “...to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To
According to Louise Slavicek, the Missionaries of Charity run 600 schools, missions, and shelters in 120 countries (90-91). In the eyes of many, this amount of service was extraordinary and her work expanded significantly! What was, even more, amazing was that Mother Teresa’s excellent work was recognized by many organizations, countries, and famous celebrities. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan awarded Mother Teresa the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to honor her work among the impoverished. Years earlier, she was awarded the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize. In the following years, numerous organizations honored Mother Teresa’s work on behalf of the poor (Sebba, 80-84). The recognition of Mother Teresa’s work and the international expansion of the Missionaries of Charity showed that her mission was very extensive and
She revealed, to the world, how much the destitute suffered. The international community, and even Mother Teresa, was shocked upon seeing the living conditions of the poor. She wrote, “Today, I learned a good lesson… I thought how much they must ache in body and soul, looking for a home, food and health,” (Spink, 241) Mother Teresa’s work inspired others to help the needy, because she truly loved and assisted them (“Mother Teresa of Calcutta”). She devoted more than 45 years of her life to those who are stricken with poverty, dying, or unwanted around the world. Many believed her never-ending love of the poor brought “light” into the world. Joseph Campbell’s criteria for a hero can be a useful way to understand what the idealization of one is. Mother Teresa possesses many of these characteristics. She underwent an epiphany and gave her life to “something bigger.” In addition, she had a moral objective and a capacity to serve, achieved monumental goals, and brought “solar light” into the world. In these aspects, Mother Teresa is a heroine. But in the eyes of the poor, she was a beacon of hope and a helping