Heroes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Heroes - Essay Example Moreover, a level of discussion will also be appropriated with regards to what typically defines a hero and what does not. Finally, a discussion of the motives for this level of hero creation and the ultimate societal effects that this has on different groups will also be discussed. Firstly, with regards to the idolization and near canonization that many individuals within our society seem to be labeled with on a more and more frequent basis, one must categorize this into the ultimate need that key shareholders within the process view to exist. For instance, as was the given case with the firefighters of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the nation, the media, and the government were eager to find anyone or anything to idealize as a means of restoring a fundamental faith in the foundations of the nation; so thoroughly shaken by such a hideous act. This type of societal, governmental, and media response to a crisis and the need to quickly find heroes is not a new concept. Although many of the readings that have informed this essay helped to paint the picture for how civil servants and other non-heroes are regularly cited as heroes by the media, the fact of the matter is such a practice of placing titles on individuals merely perform ing their jobs has existed for much longer than just the few brief years since 9/11 (Welch 42). One need look no further than the Doolittle Raiders to see the primal importance that a small band of men sworn to fulfill their duty and perform missions at the behest of commanding officers in a time of war were quickly labeled as heroes in a country that desperately craved such examples at such an abysmally dark period of the United State’s engagement in World War II. What should be realized first and foremost is the fact that our society’s current definition of hero and heroism has