how I obtained the knowledge of heroism over one semester
For the one-pager of how I obtained the knowledge of heroism over one semester, I attained two quotes from talented people that explain how courage and the act of being selfless are valued traits in the interpretation of heroism. I chose a quote and the scene of Polyphemus vs. Odysseus from the Odyssey that shows courage in a valuable way. “Courage-no panic, no one hang back now!… I dragged the stake from the flames… straight into the monster’s eye…However, I was already plotting…” (223-224). Throughout the Odyssey, the main protagonist (Odysseus) tries to return homeward after fighting in a ten-year-old war, but as legends go, the path was not straight. He had to go through many obstacles and was tested not only physically but also mentally. To overcome these challenges, Odysseus inhibits a considerable amount of courage and uses it to challenge monsters and not to give up. To demonstrate this, I placed pictures of the sinister journey back on the border to show how difficult it is to be in his steps. An example of this is when he uses courage to talk to the cyclops and deceive him, having the world see him as a heroic archetype. The second part of this one-pager is a quote about being selfless said by one of the most influential people in all of literature, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself”-Joseph Campbell. A hero is someone who would be willing to do something humanely and eventually end the day with a reasonable conclusion. Still, sometimes the person must be ready to do whatever it takes to ensure other’s safety, including sacrifice. What Joseph Campbell says here is that sometimes the hero must be willing to die for a more significant cause beyond themselves. This quote of selflessness stands confirmed and backed up with real-life situations, whether it is first responders sparking the flame to being selfless to others or small things like a parent giving up their time for their child. Therefore, the trait of being selfless is one of the most valued parts of being a hero. Many people may see a hero as someone who trains their whole life for a moment, or others see them as random people doing the right thing, but it mostly depends on how they think and how they apply it to situations. Nevertheless, the world sees it as people who dare to speak out/act, and people who are selfless and do things for the right reason are traits that label them as heroes.