“The world needs a hero”- Megadeth

In Webster’s Online Dictionary, the word hero is described as “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, one that shows great courage.” A modern day hero would be represented through the soldiers who are fighting in the Middle East for America. Those men and women are putting their lives in danger to benefit millions of other people. That is a heroic act that should not go unnoticed. In Maya Angelou’s autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, she describes many people whom she felt depicted the word “hero” in all of its glory. I chose to write my essay on three of these main characters in her life: her older brother Bailey Johnson, her mother’s boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, and the central character Maya, or Marguerite Johnson.
Mr. Freeman is a counter-example of a hero, and the only example that deals with false heroism. Maya never had a father figure in her life, and Mr. Freeman was the only man who ever made her feel wanted. Maya showed her weakness for ...