Hero
It isn’t too easy to know what makes people heroes and antiheroes but there are some traits that can help differentiate the two. Through the second semester as a class we have read some stories about heroes and everyone of them had been heroes to many people in many different ways. Throughout these stories there has been three traits that have been consistent. These traits are bravery, selflessness, and caring.
In the article “Surviving SEAL tells story of deadly mission” the main character Luttrell tells his story how he survived in his close encounter and show bravery. Luttrell makes a fatal mistake during the beginning of the story which ends up causing a huge battle between five marines and what seems to be an endless amount of enemies. Throughout this encounter Luttrell keeps calm and orders his three men to do their best. Even when his team his team is slowly picked off by the taliban. If Luttrell was not brave he may not have left the battlefield alive. Even though Luttrell could not save any of his men he still tried his hardest to keep them alive. He ran through the heat of battle and did his best to aid his comrades. Luttrell had done more than a regular person could have done because of his bravery making him a hero.
Another character that proved his heroism was Fred Collins by expressing his selflessness in the heat of battle as well. During the civil war Fred was in a camp taking a well needed rest with his fellow comrades. During this time his fellow comrades notice that they are extremely thirsty and are in dire need of water. His fellow comrades tell him to go get water for them. After a whole bunch of feelings swaying back and forth whether or not he shall go he decides to take the risk and go get water for his brothers in arms. Fred selflessly runs through the center of the battlefield. He swiftly maneuvers his body so he does not get hit by the incoming bullets and cannon balls. When Fred gets to the well he pulls up a bucket filled to the brim with water and starts to run back to his men. When he is running back he sees a man pleading for some water in half dead state. At first Fred runs past the man, but Fred turns around while still being shot at and gives the man some water even though it probably would not have helped him in his condition. The man passes away and Fred runs back to his men and give them the bucket without taking a drink out of it. Fred is a very selfless man and has placed others before himself in two instances. He had helped the dying man on the battlefield with his dying wish and he helped out his fell comrades. Fred is a hero because of this trait.
In the book Another River Another Town the main character John is placed in many situations where he displays a heroic trait of being a caring guy. John is a tank gunner in world war two, and he is responsible of taking out other tanks, buildings, and infantry. This is a big job for one man. During his time in the war he learns about what the nazis have done to the jews he is appalled, but he does not think of them as complete monsters but still as human beings. Later that night he prays “I wish for every soldier allied or not to be safe and to go home soon.”(pg 147). John is a very caring person to pray for his enemies because in the book they have set up traps, used children to fight, ambushes, and some guerilla war tactics but he still prays for them. THis shows just how caring a person is when he can pray for those who have cause him so much pain.
In conclusion there are many different heroes but they all are caring, brave, and selfless. Heroes are everywhere in life whether it is a battlefield or in a park; there is always someone there that could be considered a hero.