February Monthly Connection

It seems like this month the topics we debated varied greatly, and it was very hard to pinpoint something to get into. But, after writing the thesis paper for heroes, I have finally found something I think is worthy of talking about. In class, we have learned about the multiple varieties of the hero. I dont think "hero" should be categorized into something with so many different forms and definitions. I dont think a hero has particular qualities, especially not physical ones. To me, there is no modern hero, epic hero, tragic hero. A hero, be it a warrior from 3000 years ago, or a man saving a young child from being hit by a car, has only two traits; the desire to serve, and acting upon that desire. The deire could stem from their family, a stranger, their country, or an ideal, but it needs to come from somewhere unselfish. I believe that if the primary goal of a person is not to serve, then they are not even eligible to be considered a hero. However, wanting to help simply isnt enough. That person needs to act. Their actions, whether successful or not, are going to be what fully enables them to become a hero, even if it is just in one person's eyes. Im going to use the extremely cliched but extremely effective example. Hitler, one of the most evil men known to modern man, was considered a great hero by the Aryan nation, and much of Nazi Germany. His only goal was to serve his people, to protect them from what he thought were the evils of the Jewish race. Compare him to another World War figure, Audie Murphy. His only goal was in the service of his country. Both men had different ways and ideas of serving their country, but both had the idea, and both acted upon it. That makes both of these men heroes. While I believe that his actions were wrong, I can confidently agree that Hitler is indeed a hero, because he was devoted to an ideal, and to serving his people. I think the point I am trying to get at is that there should be no need for distinction among heroes. There is and there is not. Beowulf is the equal of Hitler and Osama Bin Laden. Their personalities dont qualify them to be different levels of hero. To me, the role of hero is a plateau, not a mountain. Once you are on it, there is not degree of variability, it's a flat plain that contains everyone.