5 Secret Tips On Writing A Hero Definition Essay

1. The structure - one of the most important secrets when writing a hero definition essay is to make sure that you follow a specific structure. Depending on the length and depth of your essay the following structure can be followed for either paragraphs or sections.
• Introduction, setting the scene, defining a hero in everyday terms
• The role or purpose of the Hero within a story, novel, or culture.
• The role or purpose of the Anti-hero or villain within a story, novel or culture.
• Examples of comparable heroes beyond your introduction. Compare and contrast qualities.
• Conclusion. Review and draw inferences.
2. What makes a Hero?
• You could just start your essay with a simple introduction, but at this point you really need to grab your reader’s attention. You need to draw them into your essay so they can appreciate why your choices and they can draw parallels with their own heroes.
• Try starting with a quote. The quote can be from the hero themselves or from work by one of their contemporaries.
• Question who are our heroes and what do they do for us? What is your definition of a hero? Who are your heroes and why? These questions can be answered on many different levels.
• Describe a heroic scene from a story or movie.
• Have the qualities of heroes changed through history?
3. Culture Bound?
• Make the focus of this part about the fact that heroes are not culture bound and nor are they bound by class or race. Give examples, to give your reader the opportunity to expand their knowledge.
• Is there such a thing as a stereotypical hero? If we relied on stereotypical traits why are they not accurate when considering real life heroes? Remember to give examples.
• Apart from movies and stories what other places can we find out about heroes?
• Is there a comparison of traits that belong to heroes of particular cultures?
• Do we alter our perspective of heroes as we age?
4. Define Hero – what makes a hero a hero?
• What are the some of the traits that we admire in a hero?
• How do fictional heroes compare to real life heroes? Use examples, for several sources – history, legend, religious works, novels as well as real life.
• How does a personal hero differ from a national hero? Do they have different qualities? Are there different levels of heroes?
• Are all heroes human? If you are tackling this area, you need to qualify your statement with examples.
• When reading a book is it easy enough from the onset to pick out the hero of the story? Is it the same in real life?
5. Tackle the evidence.
• If we know what a hero is, surely we should be able to apply this information and use it in our own lives? You need to tackle issues such as situation and skills that can be applied in any given scenario.
• Are Heroes born or are they moulded through their experiences. Give real life examples as well as examples from books and novels.
• If we know what qualities a hero has, then we should also be able to write about what qualities do not make heroes. Are all non-heroes villains?
• Why do our personal heroes change as we get older?
• Conclude your essay by drawing together all the aspects you have covered to give a definitive answer about what makes a hero?