Should Heroes Be Defined

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SAT 高分写作 英雄伟人类—— 北大附中学生成文
Prompt: Should heroes be defined as people who said what they think when others
lack the courage to say it?

Definition and features of heroes can never seem to be universally agreed on.
However, in today’s world where people are growing more and more influenced, if
not threatened by their surroundings, those who speak honestly and bravely are
definitely to be defined as heroes.

Heroes are different from common people in that they dare to challenge established
orders and to voice out loudly what they believe is true. In Gorge Orwell’s 1984, the
protagonist, Winston Smith, finds himself trapped in a world of lies, disguise and
violence. The ruling party rigidly controls every person’s thoughts and behaviors
through telescreens and thought police. Moreover, the party also alter the history and
instill people with the same thoughts, believes, and allegiance to its non-existing
leader known as Big Brother. Winston is aware of the political terror that the nation is
experiencing: People are deprived all freedom of expression, or even any form of
individuality. He resist this terror by writing “Down with Big Brother” in his diary,
engaging in an illegal love affair with his colleague Julia, and keeping in connection
with an anti-Party organization called Brotherhood. Later he was seized and tortured,
but insists that “two plus two is four, not five, not even Big Brother says it’s five”.
Although Winston eventually fails to change the party, nevertheless, he made his own
mark so that other people know that there is, after all, rebelliousness against
oppression, and freedom of thoughts against manipulation.

The world Orwell described is fictional, whereas the story of the movie The Cove is of
reality. In 2010, the movie won the Academy Award for best-featured documentary.
The director, Ric O’ Barry, a former dolphin trainer, and his filming team showed the
audience that, by speaking out the truth, one can contribute to the promotion of social
progress. The Cove exposes the slaughter of more than 20000 dolphins and porpoises
off the coast of Japan every single year and their meat, containing toxic level of
mercury, is being sold in food markets all across Asia. Almost all the officials of the
Japanese government knew about this fact, but they all chose to be silent. Barry is the
one who stood up against this atrocity. Upon release, the movie called great attention
from audience all around the globe. As a result of public outcry, the Japanese
government commanded a temporary ban on bottlenose dolphins killing. Besides,
residents in many towns of Japan were tested for mercury poisoning. In addition,
some other countries also started to pay more attention to the living conditions of wild
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animals and established relevant institutions to protect them. Had Barry not
undertaken such painstaking efforts, with what confidence should we look upon wild
animals’ living condition, given the record of the majority’s long standing silence?

Winston and Barry are well deserved to be called heroes because they were
courageous enough to say what they truly believe. Were there more people like them,
our society would be much closer to democracy. After all, it is through the expression
of new ideas that social progression is made and humanity is preserved.

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