Being a hero is not only about saving people and risking your life for others, but it is much more. A hero is admired for his outstanding courage and continuous achievements and someone worthy of our praise. However, heroes are not only those things. Heroes have fear, even if they overcome them, and those fears allow the hero to grow confidence and become better. All heroes are very smart and cunning and can work themselves around anything and everything with the best end in mind. In The Road, the father is a hero because he is very smart and courageous, he overcomes his fear of giving up where others would, and he puts himself through excruciating pain in order to keep the child and himself alive.