Heroism In The Things They Carried

The Revolution of Heroism

In modern times, people toss around the word hero, but the idea of heroism through the centuries has never perished. What is exactly as a hero? A hero is not someone that can fly or has super strength. A hero maybe someone who is fighting for their people, to someone that crushes fear, or to an average person that sacrifices themselfs for people in need. Overtime, the evolution of a hero has changed drastically. The essence of heroism is shown in literature and in modern life to the poem, “Beowulf”, to The Things They Carried, and through a doctor named Jim Withers. In 700 A.D., the explication of a hero is differential to a modern day hero. In the poem, “Beowulf” found in Prentice Hall Literature , the Anglo-Saxon

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. government used conscription to establish a military. Tim O’brien was one of the men that got selected to fight in the war. In the book, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien does not portray ideal defined heroism because he does morally believe in what the war is fighting for. However, O’brien almost flocked to Canada, but decided to conquer his fears. His choice to go into war was viewed as heroic. Tim O’Brien did not want to face continuous mortification by his fellow neighbors. He was too humiliated to sanction to Canada. (“O’Brien”) Tim O’Brien stated, “I couldn’t tolerate it. I couldn’t endure the mockery, or the disgrace, or the patriotic ridicule. Even in my imagination, the shore just twenty yards away, I couldn’t make myself be brave. It had nothing to do with morality. Embarrassment, that’s all it was. And right then I submitted. I would go to the war—I would kill and maybe die—because I was embarrassed not to” (O’Brien 57) O’Brien might as well neglected the opportunity to go into the strife, but he choked up enough grit to become a solider. Going into war is not a walk in a park and soldiers have to have great courage to enter into

However, ordinary people can accomplish a substantial movement. A doctor, Jim Withers dressed as a homeless people gave aid to homeless people living on street. Mary Schneider, a writer for Family Practice News wrote in an article about doctors leaving their day jobs to help unsheltered people. Dr. Withers created a program called Operation Safety Net in 1922 and has inspired volunteers across the country to alleviate the homeless. He leaves a legacy in Pittsburgh and it creates a worldwide phenomenon. (Schneider) Dr. Jim Withers does not this for acknowledgment from society or proprietary, but for the defenseless citizens on the street. The term heroism has continued to change through the span of time. In “Beowulf”, heroism is defined as loyalty, honor, and bravery. In The Things They Carried, a hero is detailed in conquering fears. Jim Withers is a ordinary doctor that seeks to see happiness in others. Heroism transformed strikingly from 700 A.D, to the 1900s, and now to modern times. In today’s society, any ordinary person can be defined as a hero. Centuries ago, heroes had to be atrocious, but now heroes are characterized as everyday