Eddie Aikau: Examples Of Tragic Heroes In Literature

In many pieces of literature and in life, there are examples of tragic heroes. Tragic heroes are characters or people that hold great, virtuous traits who eventually face a tragic demise. From our previous reading, we were introduced to a tragic hero by the name of Brutus, a man who killed his best friend for the presumed good of Rome. Brutus faced a downfall in the end of the story and suffered, losing his wife and his life, and knowing that his actions were all for nothing. However, everything he did had good intent, making him a hero who had a tragic downfall, a tragic hero. For this text-to-world connection, I have decided to compare Brutus to a local hero and lifeguard, Eddie Aikau. Both of these heroes had the courage and commitment to dedicate their lives towards protecting their communities. In the end, their lives’ work ended up bringing about their demise, which in this

He was a descendant of a high priest named Hewahewa and the second oldest in his family. Ever since a young age, he had a love for the ocean and the people. He learned how to surf at a young age on the shorebreak of Kahului Harbor before moving to Oahu in 1959. He was hired as a lifeguard by the City & County of Honolulu and was tasked with covering all of the beaches on the North Shore, between Sunset and Haleiwa. He was more known for his work at Waimea Bay, becoming the first lifeguard of that beach and having saved the lives of over 500 people. It is also important to mention that over his career, he never lost anyone. Eddie also challenged himself by competing in many surf competitions including the prominent Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship for several years, and having won first place in 1977. His daring actions and bravery for riding 20 to 30 foot waves and saving people out in the ocean created the phrase, “Eddie Would Go.” The phrase would then grow and spread throughout the