Hero Comparison Essay Odysseus vs Gandhi - 1619 Words

Hero Comparison Essay K A K 16/12/2011 A hero, a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability (Merriam-Webster). There are two types of heroes, epic heroes and modern heroes. Odysseus, one of the most famous epic heroes ever, will be compared to Mahatma Gandhi, a modern day hero, to see if there really is a large gap separating the two types. However, one thing is certain, modern heroes can be identical to epic heroes if they are larger than life, embody the ideals of their culture, embark on a perilous journey, and possess super-human, prominent characteristics. Epic heroes are always larger than life; however, modern day heroes can achieve amazing feats too. Odysseus, an epic hero,†¦show more content†¦Lastly, when Circà © didn’t warned Odysseus Odysseus that he has to lose six men in order not to get sucked into Charybdis, a whirlpool, Odysseus may have never returned (Applebee, 930-931). Gandhi has gone on a long journey too, the journey to give his country independence. Gandhi began to think of ways for his voice to be heard, but not to hurt anyone. He immediately had followers that joined him in his passive protests. Gandhi’s protests didn’t always go as planned. In fact, he was imprisoned on numerous occasions, including the years 1922, 1930, 1933, and 1942. Just because he was in jail didn’t mean he would stop fighting for his rights. One of Gandhi’s most famous protests was the Salt March from March 12 to April 5, 1930. Gandhi and thousands of Indians marched 400 kilometers to produce thei r own salt. This was a major statement because any money spent on salt that was bought in India went to Britain. After his march, thousands of people were jailed, but were later freed when Gandhi and Lord Irwin negotiated a deal. Finally in 1947, India declared independence from Britain (Myhero)(Thenagain). Both Gandhi and Odysseus embarked on long, perilous journeys, proving to us once again that a modern day hero can have similar experiences with an epic hero. One trait Odysseus shared with Gandhi is leadership. Odysseus shows his leadership skills countless times in â€Å"The Odyssey†. One of the times it was most apparent was when he saved his men