The hero is the man - rarely the woman - who inspires children and adults, and reflects the finest qualities of man even if the stories are fantasy. He is recognized as an inspiration, seen as someone engendering man's best qualities. It is not that the hero represents most if not all men; it is that most, if not all men are happy to have him as their representative (Britannica). Heroes are very important and necessary symbols of the hopes and dreams of man. Heroes are not gods. They are flesh and blood. But when the test comes, heroes react in extraordinary ways, often rising above the ordinary and surpassing the expected. Heroes inspire, because they dream bigger, they reach higher, and they are able to endure longer.

Heroes should be watched and seen in order to be understood. Real heroes are not always super human. They are sometimes the guy sitting on the bus or living next door. Heroes are not born. Circumstances often make heroes out of ordinary men found performing heroic acts. Police officers and fire fighters, federal agents and everyday people are regularly commended for committing acts above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes are necessary because they set standards

Perl, Lila. It Happened in America. Henry Holt and Company: New York, 1992

Mythical heroes like Superman or Batman have super human powers, including super strength, the ability to fly or the ability to face danger and overcome the bad guy. These larger than life heroes are liked because they let men dream and live out their fantasies. People can listen to these stories and become that hero in their imaginations. They can tell the stories to their children and give their children something to reach for. Without dreams, man becomes stagnant. If man believes that the possibility of becoming a hero is a reachable dream then he has something to strive for life becomes more bearable.

Louis and Clark were heroes in their own right. When the Naz Perce tribe planned to kill the entire expedition, it was Sacagawea, a young Shoshone girl, who persuaded them that the expedition was peaceful. She told them that if they were a war party they would not have taken along a girl and her baby (Perl, pg.54).

Shenkman, Richard, and Reiger, Kurt. One-Night Stands With American History. New York: Quill, 1982

"Encyclopedia of Britannica. 15th edition., Vol.5, Chicago, 1993 ed.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Frank Nazis, Britannica Heroes, Robin Hood, Superman Batman, Shenkman Kurt, People Heroes, Jessie James, Delano Roosevelt, Jewel India, Davy Crockett, robin hood, leave mark world, heroes own, heroic acts, louis clark, super human, real heroes, mark world, world beyond, rich poor, people heroes,
Approximate Word count = 1426
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)