The Heart And The Fist Character Analysis

Inside of us all lies ambition, passion, and power— ambition to accomplish a task we never believed possible, passion for the values that are important to us, and the power to make a difference. In Eric Greitens’s novel, The Heart and the Fist, Greitens exemplifies these three characteristics of ambition, passion, and power through his journey to different trouble spots worldwide as he embarks on a humanitarian effort to help those in need. Through Greitens’s experiences at Oxford he became exposed to new ideas about the world, opening him to the possibility of traveling and eventually becoming a Navy SEAL. Similarly how Greitens’s experiences shaped his passion for entering the Navy, the coursework I have taken throughout the years as well

Yes, I was told the meaning—that I may serve—but at the time I was not quite sure of the implications of Ut Prosim on my own life. However, upon reading The Heart and the Fist I realized Virginia Tech’s motto goes beyond just trying to help out your fellow man. Ut Prosim is a way of life. It is about living every day to the fullest by fulfilling your role in society in order to shape the world into a better place while helping others along the way. A scene in Greitens’s book that inspired me occurred at the end when Eric returns to visit wounded soldiers at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Upon asking a Marine who lost both of his legs what he would like to do if he could not return to the Marines, the Marine responded by saying, “‘I think maybe I’d like to stay here at Bethesda. I want to find a way to help these other Marines recover, let them know there’s hope for them’” (Greitens, 2011, p. 289-290). Ultimately, the Marine’s duty as a soldier taught him to put his fellow men before himself. Although his physical state may keep him from doing what he loves, it does not stop him from continuing to make a difference. While he may not be able to fight off enemies across the world in combat, he is still able to make a difference by being the voice of comfort to those in a similar position to his own. Instead of letting the incident ruin him, the marine grew from the experience and became a stronger, more empowered individual. Overall, in helping others, we can find a piece of ourselves that may have been