Heroes

I had read the five articles about the explorers. First is Burke across Australia. Second is David-Neel in Tibet. Third is Bering across Siberia to North America. Forth is Scott’s race to the South Pole. Finally is Kingsley who was a Victorian woman explored Africa. After I read these compositions, I was think about they were heroes or not ？

In my opinion, there are three ways to identify the person who is a hero. First, I believe the person who can really do something good for human being. For example, the inventors invented something or new medicines that can improve or cure the life of mankind. Second, people who can protect and save the other peoples’ life or properties recklessly. For instance, both polices and soldiers are the persons who always protect and save the other people of their own country. Finally, the persons who can give their favor promptly even though they don’t know each other. The volunteers are the kind of person who spent their time willing, and give their love to help someone without remuneration. Therefore, according to these three ways to identify the five explorers. I think they aren’t heroes.

The five explorers were not really did something good for human being. For example, Burke wasn’t finished his expedition, and he died in the journey across the Australia. Ackert note, “Aborigines helped the last man who was still alive, and a search party found him in September 1861. He was half crazy from hunger and loneliness.” Therefore, the last man probably can’t provide correct information from the exploration. David-Neel was European and forbidden to be Tibet, but she still cross the border and reach the famous city of Lhasa, and break the rule of Tibet. She perhaps had contribution for European, but I don’t believe the Tibetan praised her. Both Burke and David-Neel weren’t did something really good for all of people.

I don’t think they’re heroes because they didn’t protect and save their members of the expedition they lead. They even can’t protect and save themselves. For instance, Bering, the leader of whole expedition, left St. Petersburg with almost 600 people. However, lastly many members were died from scurvy, so was Bering. Furthermore, Scott organize an expedition to make a complete scientific of Antarctica, but he really wanted to be the first person at the South Pole. In journey, he made a serious mistake to result in all people were died finally. Ackert wrote, ”This was probably his most serious mistake. He had a tent big enough for 4 people and only enough food and fuel for 4, but now there were 5.” I feel Bering wasn’t a good leader to protect his expedition; likewise, Scott didn’t have enough experience to lead an expedition.

There aren’t have any message about they give their favor to help someone in the journey from the articles. For example, Kingsley traveled in Africa, although African accepted like as a friend. However, we didn’t get the information if Kingsley treated African like as a friend. We didn’t get any message if Kingsley had ever helped African, either. Moreover, Ackert note, “Kingsley traveled with only six African to help her……She had a gun, but she never shot anyone.” I feel Kingsley didn’t trust African, and she wasn’t thought the African and European were the same rank. The situation in Burke’s journey, we didn’t know if Berke helped anybody in the article. We just knew the aborigines of Australia helped Bueke a lot when Burke’s expedition had troubles. Therefore, the aborigines were really heroic, and they could helped the people who needed help.

I believe explorers have unusual adventurous spirit. But it isn’t meaning all of explorers are heroes or people who like adventure are heroes. We must to evaluate their activities were correct or not if they affected other people or whole mankind. The heroes are the person who really good for human being, and they can give their favor immediately, and they protect or save the life of other people recklessly. In summary, according to the three reasons to definite what is a hero. I think the five explorers weren’t heroic in the evaluation.

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