There are many heroes that have existed throughout the history of man. Some are larger than life characters that live only in the stories we tell while others are the real thing, doing the things that most people wouldn’t. While non-fictional heroes seem hard to come by, there is one man whose life that helped changed the world for good. That man is Vaclav Havel, a real hero. Vaclav Havel was many great things in his life. He was last president of Czechoslovakia[->0] and the first president of the Czech Republic[->1] (Vaclav Havel). He was a writer and dissident whose stand against Communist rule helped to destroy it in revolutions such as the tearing down of the Berlin Wall (NY Times). He was a humanitarian who helped give power to the powerless (NY Times) and was the Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation (Vaclav Havel). Vaclav Havel won countless awards for his deeds and accomplishments. Some of his most prestigious include the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Indian Gandhi Peace Prize and the Czech Order of the White Lion prize (Vaclav Havel). To be considered for such awards, the recipient must be truly heroic indeed. These awards are never given away lightly and the fact that Vaclav Havel received so many just proves how much of a hero that he is. Vaclav Havel had quite a successful life, and according to the article American Heroes, heroes today are people that have a life well lived. The article also states that a hero is rises above their self interest to help others. Vaclav Havel did this when he spent much time in prison for going against the government; demanding reform. American Heroes claims “Heroes are individuals who exemplify some part of the culture’s moral code: they act the way they ought to act” which Vaclav does throughout his lifetime as he stands up to an unjust government while so many others do nothing, but as stated in American Heroes “We can’t all be heroes. Some of us have to stand on the curb and clap as they go by.”
Some may claim that Vaclav Havel was just a celebrity; born into wealth and privilege. But it is a person’s deeds that make them a hero. American Heroes also tells us that heroes are separated from celebrities by their motivation. Vaclav Havel’s motivation separates him from celebrities because he did things for the greater good, not for fame or fortune. He acted as he did because he is a hero.
The life of Vaclav Havel is similar to the path of the article The Hero’s Journey. Vaclav Havel had a sort of Call to Adventure, when he was old enough to understand what the communist government was doing. He crossed the First Threshold when he helped with Charter 77 to call for human rights against the government (NY Times). He was quickly arrested and jailed for four and a half years, a sort of “Belly of the Whale” in which he knows the consequence of future action and a time of reflection. Once released, Vaclav Havel begins his Road of Trials in which he begins to write and unite people to his cause. He now is determined to bring democracy to his country. This becomes his Ultimate Boon, the thing he seeks to share with his people. Eventually after years of fighting unjust communist government Vaclav Havel had his prize. A mere eight days after the fall of the Berlin wall, communism was being thrown out of Czechoslovakia (NY Times). This is a sort of Refusal of Return, because now that there is democracy, Vaclav doesn’t want to go back to communism. Vaclav Havel eventually became president of the now democratic Czechoslovakia.
Later, as Czechoslovakia began to break up, Vaclav Havel resigned as president rather than preside over the split. This is a sort of Master of Two Worlds. He had both beaten communism and secured democracy. After the Czech Republic is formed he becomes its first president (NY Times) and continued his quest for freedom of man for the rest of his life. This becomes Vaclav’s Freedom to Live. He is now a man whose understanding cannot perish and whose presence benefits the world.
Vaclav Havel led a life well lived. All of his accomplishments were deeds that demanded heroism. He isn’t a mere celebrity, but someone who stands for the greater good and his life story parallels the Hero’s Journey. Vaclav Havel is a real life hero.

Works Cited
Milum, Lynne. "Hero's Journey." Mythic Hero. N.p., 2003. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

Pamplin, Robert B., and Gary K. Eisler. American Heroes: Their Lives, Their Values, Their Beliefs. Thorndike, Me.: Thorndike, 1995. Print.

Reporting., Dan Bilefsky And Jane Perlez; Alison Smale Contributed. "VACLAV HAVEL." The New York Times. The New York Times, 19 Dec. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

"Valclav Havel." Wikipedia.com. N.p., 8 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 Dec. 2012.

[->0] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_Czechoslovakia
[->1] - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_Czech_Republic