Essay/Term paper: Heroes

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Expository Essays

Heroes

A hero is a brave and strong person, who is also very human. A hero feels fear
and every other emotion that we do. A true hero is a person who does something great
and does not expect to be given any thing in return. A hero does something that effects a
large number of people. A hero thinks more of others than he or she thinks of him or her
self.
The characters in the poem, "Women", and The Odyssey are both epic heroes.
Odysseus is a strong and brave man, but I think he lacks one of the major characteristics
of a hero. I think he thinks of himself more than of others. I think the characters in the
poem, "Women," are better heroes because they can be related to easier.
I don't think the poem characters are like an epic hero because they are less into
them selves than an epic hero. They also seem to have done lesser things, I mean epic
heroes always do something so great, like take twenty men on, or lead an army to victory.
Everyday heroes seem to be more realistic and do something that's great, but its not
written up in every news paper in the country.
Odysseus is a brave man that did great things. In The Odyssey he conquers a
monster using smarts and strength. He also looks out for his crew mates. He is faithful to
his wife, well, in his mind he is. He kills many men on his own in a battle at his home. He
cries a couple of times in the story, showing sensitivity. Overall, Odysseus is a brave and
caring human that is a little too conceited He is also very smart, like in the book when
Odysseus said, "He thought he'd find out, but I saw through him."(on page 750 line723.)
Also like most epic heroes Odysseus is physically strong, like when Odysseus said, "I
rammed it deep in his eye."(on page 751 line 843.) Odysseus rammed a large spike into
the beast's eye.
The poem "Women" was a great description of black women in the mid 1900's.
They had many of the traits that Odysseus had, like in the poem the author wrote, "How
they knew what we must know." Saying that they were smart and knew that they had to
make a better life for their children. The women were also strong, but calm, like when the
poem read, "With fists as well as hands." Saying that these women had fists to fight with
and hands write with. These women had a hard time, but they continued to do great
things and do things that were never done by a black person before. These women were
true heroes.
Odysseus and the women in the poem have many similarities. They are both brave
in how they faced things that nobody had ever faced before and conquered it. Even
though they were brave they still had a human flaw. They feared. They would conquer
things, but they were scared through the whole thing. I think the one thing that separates
these two brave and strong characters is the way they see them selves. The women seem
to do things without any recognition, they do the great heroic acts for someone else, like
their future children. While Odysseus seems to go out and do things expecting people to
fear him and love him. He does most every thing for him self.
I thought both of the characters, Odysseus and the women, were both heroic and
human. I think Odysseus is a brave and strong person, but he seemed to be into himself to
much. I think the women were much more heroic in the way that they did so much even
though there was so much against them.
I think the women characters are more of a role model to kids today. Kids need to
be told true stories of hope and bravery. I think Odysseus was too violent and conceited.
The women tell children to respect their moms and to go and do something that you want
even though people say you can't. The real message is if you put your mind to it you can
do anything.
Odysseus and the women are both great heroes and I think that they are both role
models for children of today and yesterday. I think the women are much greater heroes.
And they are true, unlike Odysseus who is a fictional character. Both of these characters
are great and brave and heroic, but The Odyssey is more likely to be put on Saturday
morning cartoons than the "Women."