...language. These changes can range anywhere from the rules that individual languages are based off of or even the definition and use of a word. This is possible because there are so many words and each language is so versatile that over time, words can begin to take on new meanings based on the context that they are used in. An example of this would be the word “brave.” Stemming from the Old Spanish and Old Italian word “bravo,” the use of brave was first recorded in the early sixteenth century by Henry VII in State Papers (Merriam 3). After its evolution from Old Spanish, the original meaning of brave was “to defy or to challenge (Photo 1).” Shortly after making its entry into language, brave became a word that was often used in the fine arts. Less than fifty years later, brave was being used in plays written by Shakespeare and many other English playwrights. Once again though, the meaning of the word had changed and was no longer intended to be used when challenging or threatening somebody. First seen in Shakespeare’s play Henry VI, the word’s definition had once again evolved and was now being used as an adjective. At this point in time, the use of brave had completely changed and was used to describe a person who was courageous, daring, or intrepid (Photo 1). Although there are many rules in every language, it is still constantly changing. The way that the use of brave has changed over the last five hundred years is just one small example of how much language can change over...
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...My hero is my grandpa because; he is brave, thoughtful, helpful, wise, caring, and sentimental. He is the true definition of a hero in my opinion. He has guided me through life and has helped raise me. I am proud of everything he has done. That is why I call him my hero. He is brave because, he fought in WWII. While he served he worked the tanks. He was the guy to come in when they called him, drive the tank, and take out the enemy and leave. He was a big deal in the army. He is thoughtful because he loves to help people. If I or my two brothers, my family, his wife or his friends need his help he will help them in anyways possible. He is willing to help where ever he is needed. He volunteers at local places when they need help. He volunteers at a store right down the street sometimes when they are short staffed; he does it without pay because he likes helping people. He is VERY wise. He has directed me down the right path throughout my whole life. Even as a child I would sometimes ask him if what I’m doing or about to do was right or wrong. My grandpa is caring. When I was little my mom and did divorced, so, when my mom had to go to work he would take care of me until she got back to pick me and my brothers up to go home. He always loved spending time with us and still does! He is also sentimental. He received a lot of medals while he was in the Army. He passes them down through the family. Right now my dad has them and then he will pass them down to one of us and so on. ...
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...According to Oxford Dictionary, the word, brave is defined as someone who shows courage, and the word, companion, is defined as a person or animal with whom one spends a lot of time with. Together, these two definitions define a brave companion as someone who shows courage with someone that they spend a lot of time with. And that is exactly what historian, David McCullough’s book, Brave Companion is about. There are 17 essays included in the book that profile men and women in the past and present, whom despite their variety of interests and achievements, had a lot in common. They each had a unique perspective that continues to influence us today. McCullough who is a skilled portraitist, is able to give his readers a vision of the real person, not their story that has been passed down as a result of publicity. The greatness of this book lies in the characters that McCullough brings to life, who all had their part in shaping the United States. Courage is obviously a common theme through many of the stories collected throughout Brave Companions. Courage is an unavoidable part of accomplishing what one desires. Theodore Roosevelt and Frederic Remington are both Brave Companions to each other, who both display courage in their love for the Old West. Theodore Roosevelt and Frederic Remington quickly developed a deep love for the West and its disappearing world of cowboys, Indians, and open spaces. They both went to the West to capture it before it receded. Roosevelt spent his time...
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...Seth Wilson Barrick English 9/ Period 1 3/13/12 Odysseus Hero Essay We consider heroes as crime fighters like Spiderman, Batman, a soldier, or a cop. Someone who does something courageous. My definition of a hero is someone who does something that no one or a few people would do. Even if it’s something small like quit smoking to save money for rent like my mom did, or something big. A man named Leonard Skutnik was just walking home from work and witnessed a plane crash straight into the ice covered waters of the Polomac River, an as people watched the passengers start being rescued they noticed one woman start to drown, and that’s when Leonard jumped into the freezing water...
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...What is a hero? Superman and Wonder Woman are common figures that may pop into a person mind when they think of someone who may be considered a hero. Superman and Wonder Woman saved cities and defeated villains on a daily basis, which by definition would most definitely make them heroes. However, in the non-fictional world what would define a hero? Does an individual have to wear a cape and fly over cities using their superpowers, and risking their lives for the good of mankind in order to be considered a hero? Living in the non-fictional world hero’s exhibit much different characteristics and super powers. A person may sacrifice his own safety or life in order to save or better the lives of others, this would be the act of a hero. A hero is an individual that is courageous, brave, loyal, and selfless in a way that they are continually sacrificing their own needs and well-being for the best interest of others. A hero is an individual that is courageous and brave. Having the ability to face adversity, pain, and danger without fear of hesitation is courage and bravery. Throughout history there are numerous brave hero’s that didn’t wear a cape in order to save the day, Martin Luther King, Jr. is the epitome of a courageous and brave hero. In an article written in the Seattle Times, King is described as “the stoic who faced injury and death before howling mobs, and the single figure of his period and ours able to articulate to whites what blacks wanted and to black what would...
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...Jorge 10/03/2013 How’s your Hero? What is your definition of a hero? Someone you look up to? Someone that does heroic acts? Or just someone that is fictional? These are the questions to consider when trying to define a hero. People today have their own unique definition of a hero as we do not live in ancient times. In ancient times heroes were suppose to be of divine ancestries, who were endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for their bold exploits, and who were favored by the gods. According to Merriam-Webster today, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. Throughout history tall tales have been told of ancient heroes like Hercules, Beowulf, and Moses of how they helped their people overcome difficulties in their society. Although most of these ancient heroes are fictional, many may be regarded as great and heroic in literature. In the last 300 years or so there have been influential that have change the world or contributed to make the world a better place, and therefore earning the right to be called heroes in their society. Many tend to look up and define as a hero who they think are worthy of such a title. Parents may be consider as such as they always support and do their outmost to help their children succeed. This is the case in “The Train from Hate” were the mother consoles her son while teaching him a valuable lesson about after being kicked out of the train. Teachers, policemen, or even friends can be considered...
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...Throughout history, society has become accustomed with what they believe a hero should be but as each generation passes, this thought has shifted. Whether an immortal God with superhuman abilities or an average person who is giving everything they have to defend his or her people, heroes will rise when needed. The stories of Beowulf, Achilles, and Aeneas provide the reader with an example of what society of that time viewed a hero as and how they can compare with one another. Homer’s Iliad shows the reader whom ancient society believed a hero to be. It was written in a time when society relied on those strong enough and brave enough to rule the people. This was perfect for the character, Achilles, because in the Iliad he is described to be “godlike” (Iliad, 131) and “swift-footed” (Iliad, 121) suggesting he had superhuman traits such as strength and speed. These qualities worked to his benefit in battle and give him the “Hero” title he deserved. His story tells of his success on the battlefield and his defeat over Hector. Even though Achilles was seen as a hero to his people, he was not always emotionally sound. Achilles once gave up his wife, Breseis, to stop the god Apollo from sending a plague upon the Greek army. When the plague stopped, the battle roared on but Achilles did not participate. He was angered that his wife and prized possession was taken from him. It was not until his best friend, Patrocius, was killed that Achilles, out of complete fury, joined back in...
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...Dillon Dale English 101 Definition Essay Have you ever had to look fear in the eyes, thought your life was in danger, or even just felt so scared that tears began to appear? What would you do? How would you react? For those of you that do not know what bravery is, according to the Webster dictionary, bravery is a mixture of courage, valor, and magnificence. Bravery to me, however, is an instinct. It is when someone displays courage when they are faced with obstacles that look too big to climb or are too overbearing even when fear is standing in their way. He or she will also do the right thing or maybe even overcome a fear to do what’s right. Several people hold a common misconception about bravery. They believe that bravery is not having fear. But being brave and being fearless are two completely different things. Many people skydive, bungee jump, begin a new relationship or just do something completely insane and dangerous, not because they are unafraid but because they are willing to overcome this fear. Or perhaps they are willing to do anything despite the butterflies in their stomachs. To some, this is an unfamiliar concept that controls them and holds them back from trying new things. However, others understand that bravery is being terrified and doing it anyways. Overcoming obstacles and showing courage while doing it means that when a dangerous situation is placed in front of you, you do not quit or just sit down and give up. You take action and...
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...Hero: a four lettered noun; the dictionary definition of the word 'hero' states that a hero is a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character. Most times when people think of the word hero, the first thing that comes to mind is superhuman fictional heroes such as Superman, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman, but a hero does not need supernatural abilities to be considered a hero. There are two types of heroes, fictional or nonfictional, and there are a plethora of different heroes in each category. Greek mythological heroes like Achilles and Oedipus Rex would be an example of fictional heroes and Vietnam War Veterans and Holocaust victims and survivors would be an example of nonfictional heroes. Although the two differ in realness,...
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...decision, sometimes one more than the other. Throughout this braided mass of time, the human species secretly yearns for “Community, Identity, [and] Stability”(1). These basic principles are brought to mankind in Aldous Huxley’s groundbreaking novel, Brave New World. This novel raises the questions; how can people achieve these secret goals of society? And how will we ever get to the point of a worldwide community? A sense of identity? And a stable society? The answer is swirling around the world, every second of every day. Time. In order to achieve these ideals, people must learn from the past and prepare for the future, only when the two elements are combined will “Community, Identity, [and] Stability”(1) be prominent in today’s world. One major lesson adults try to implement into children from birth is that one must learn from prior mistakes. In the novel, the people of the World State prosper because they have learned from their past mistakes. War, famine, morals, and other concepts of the past are eliminated from society to insure stability. When the leaders had to make the choice between “World Control and destruction. Between stability and”(48) chaos. In the past chaos has been proven to live up to its definition. Due to their choice against disorder, the World State proves that people need the past to learn from their mistakes. One such example is John’s attempt to free the people from soma. The Savage attempts to cause a revolt amongst the Delta workers...
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...know what an odyssey is; for some each day is an odyssey and for others life is The Odyssey. For Odysseus, returning home to his land and his loved ones is the Odyssey. In scenes of deep sorrow, crying serves as a personification of Odysseus’s honor. Furthermore, Odysseus’s sobbing is a vehicle to memorialize the honor of his comrades. In moments depicting this grief, Odysseus illustrates a hero must have legendary achievements and noble qualities, but above all, Odysseus shows a hero must value honor. We will now examine passages depicting Odysseus sorrow in this epic, and through these passages we will show honor as the most important feature of a hero in the Odyssey. We commence our reading of the Odyssey with a common dictionary definition of what the word hero symbolizes in our mind. According to Merriam Webster, a hero is one with distinguished...
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...others look up to and wants to become when they are older. However, overtime the definition of a hero has changed simultaneous with the values, morals, and challenges of humanity that now a day hero’s face in everyday life. The the story of Beowulf, Beowulf himself is thought to be the hero of the story. The pagan hero appears to have certain characteristics such as bravery, loyalty, and altruism, which portray him as a hero. It is interesting how most modern day heroes like soldiers in the Army show equal qualities as Beowulf....
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...Everyone has a different definition of heroism. Heros could be brave, courageous or audacious, bold, and good-looking. According to Atticus Finch, heroism is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” When I think of a hero, I think of someone who is willing to take bold risks. Many qualities of a hero are overlooked, like courage, honesty, bravery, selflessness, and the will to try. You don’t have to kill anyone, conquer forbidden land, or take crazy risks towards your life to be a hero. Anyone who influences anyone else by saving or helping save his or her lives is a hero. Although he is not Superman, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a hero who changed many people’s lives during the Great Depression by creating the New Deal. Even a parent can be a hero to his or her child by leading them in the right direction. All teachers are heroes when they make it their job to teach a child anything that will help them in life. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus mentions to Scout that Mrs. Dubose was a hero because she wasn’t afraid of death and worked so hard to stop her addiction to morphine. You do not have to go to great lengths by risking your...
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...I’m going to talk about the idea of progress. First of all I would like to give a definition of this notion : the idea of progress is the theory that the different advances in technology, science, and social organization can produce an improvement in the human condition. That is, people can become happier in terms of quality of life (social progress) through economic development (modernization) and the application of science and technology (scientific progress). Progress implies change and evolution and throughout history most advances have been positive. However the rythm of progress seems to have accelerated over the last few decades and the technological breakthrough and scientific developments are causing some people to question this progress. Should we fear progress ? To answer this question I will present three documents. The first document I have choosen is an excerpt from “O brave new world” by Aldous Huxley. O brave new world is a dystopian novel which anticipates developments in reproductive technology, sleeplearning, psychological manipulation and classical conditioning that combine profoundly to change society. The extract is about reproductive technology. The D.H.C (Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning) is talking about the Bokanovsky’s Progress to a group of students. Humans grow in incubators. Before this progress, they only grew one by one in incubator but with a bokanovskyfied egg it’s possible to make 96 humans grow. Later in the excerpt he ...
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...vampires symbolize, but in modern society vampires are a symbol of a contemporary popular lifestyle. However, during the middle ages, vampires were seen as a real threat to humankind. Vampires can symbolize and represent many kinds of definitions, but according to Atara Stein’s article “Immortals and Vampires and Ghost, Oh My!: Byronic Heroes in Popular Culture” vampires are considered to lack social skills and the inability to connect with other people. A vampire is also considered to be a loner, an outcast, arrogant, bad-tempered, cold, ruthless, overbearing, and most importantly emotionless. On the other hand, in the article “Why Vampires?” by Sonia Levitin Edward, another vampire, is seen as handsome, strong, brave, determined, and passionate. While reading the articles “Immortals and Vampires and Ghost, Oh My!: Byronic Heroes in Popular Culture” and “Why Vampires?” many different definitions can be associated with aspects of the articles. Throughout the articles, one can see many definitions, actions, and emotions being displayed, which can relate to a variety of examples in the article. Although, vampires may be seen as arrogant and bad-tempered or strong and brave vampires go more in depth than just a simple myth. Overall, three definitions that symbolize and represent vampires are power, rebellion, and desire. Vampires symbolize and represent power because vampires have the ability to get what they want. Most of the vampires in all types of movies, books or TV series...
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