How Atticus Finch and Elie Wiesel Demonstrate Heoric...

According to Umberto Eco, â€Å"The real hero is always a hero by mistake†¦.† In other words, one doesn’t act heroic as a lifestyle, but by surprise when the time comes to do so. To be heroic means to put others before you in a desperate time of someone else’s despair. Two works of literature that agree with the critical lens are the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee and the memoir, Night, by Elie Wiesel. Atticus Finch and Elie Wiesel both demonstrate heroic actions unintentionally. Atticus Finch from, To Kill a Mockingbird, is characterized as a wise man that is an exceptional father to his children and always teaches them the right perspective about life and the people around them. He was appointed to the lawyer for a†¦show more content†¦Atticus was like a wise owl, he continuously strived to teach his children the way he taught himself how to deal with daily conflicts in life. When the father of the girl who was raped spit i n Atticus’ face, he said that he would take getting spit in the face as many times as it saves the girl from getting beaten by her father. Another scenario, is that when men rioted at the jail the night before they moved Tom, he said although they were mad they were still good people. Atticus symbolized a hero; he always wanted to give everyone else the benefit of the doubt. He always looked for the good in everything. Elie Wiesel was the protagonist of the memoir Night who overcomes many obstacles while in the Holocaust. Elie was fifteen when he was put in concentration camps. He was separated from his mother and sisters forever; they were immediately sent to the crematoriums. All Elie had was his father who never showed much emotion or affection. Elie lied about his age and said he was older so he could stay with his father as he was advised to by a stranger who was also in the Holocaust. Elie was worked, almost to death, for one year. He also maintained to keep with his father and keep him motivated and hopeful till the very end. Throughout the year he watched his father be beaten, stripped down, and nearly dead. Elie had also been beaten; he had been especially victimized by a â€Å"Kapo† named