sectwohistcchmLY2010

Group 4

What is makes a hero?

Heroes are people who are willing to risk his or her life for their country. They never falter in front of any threats and never succumb to their enemies. heroes are people who display courage and are willing to sacrifice themselves for a purpose.

Are heroes only those who achieved what they want to achieve or did they rise from some 'special' circumstances?

It is not necessarily so. Heroes are borned through the recognition of the people. It must be through a certain incident whereby they displayed extraordinary qualities such as compassion and courage despite rough circumstances that have made people be thankful and proud of them, whereby they become a hero. They may not have achieved what they set out to do, but their acts have gained people trust and recognition, making them a hero too.

What challenges does a hero face?

A hero faces:

1. The challenge of being brave and courageous- as she/he must have the courage to risk their lives and save the country

2. The challenge of being strong emotionally- because when they see their comrades passing on, they can’t break down

3. The challenge of being able to endure- so that when their enemies make life hard for them, they still won’t give up

4. The challenge of leading tougher lives compared to the rest- as they might need to lead their life hiding and sneaking around everyday

5. The challenge of losing their stand when no one supports them anymore- and this will be very disheartening for them because all the effort he/she put in to save the people may not be recognized.

How does his/her qualities enable him/her to overcome challenges?

By using the qualities that him or her has, the hero is able to acquire trust from the people. the people would also feel safe to entrust their lives or properties with the hero. with all this trust and faith from the people, the hero will be able work towards his or her targets without having other worries. and it is also because of this that the hero will be able to concentrate on overcoming obstacles.

An example:

Elizabeth Choy was lured to the YMCA in Orchard Road on the promise of seeing her husband. She was to spend the next 193 days and nights there in a cell no bigger than three by four metres with only a narrow air-vent on one wall and no windows and she shared with twenty other people.

The interrogations were frequent at first and could take place any time of the day or night. She was slapped, kicked and spat at, but it was the electric shock that was to leave her with a life-long fear for electricity. "During the torture, it was impossible to show defiance and be brave; it was impossible to suppress the screams, or to stop the tears and mucus from streaming down her face." But she refused to confess. To Elizabeth Choy, "she could not confess to something she knew was untrue. It would implicate others. It was not right and she could not do it. Not even if it meant more physical abuse at the hands of her jailors." No matter how severe the torture, she always managed to walk back to her cell with as much resolution as she could muster. Typically, she was far more concerned about the welfare of her cell-mates than her own suffering. Her compassion and selflessness, as well as the fact that she remained undefeated to the end won her the admiration of her fellow detainees

Elizabeth Choy overcomed the challenge of succumbing to the kempeitai and never confess names. she knew that it was only wrong and unmoral to frame someone else just for the sake of her own welfare. She never gave in and no matter how she was being tortured, she never gave up hope and went back to her cell, with all the determination she could muster.