Thesis: After the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 in 1982, a man risked his life in order to save his fellow passengers from freezing to death in the Potomac River. In the end, this man lost his life. He was remembered by Roger Rosenblatt, who wrote an article for Time Magazine called, "The Man in the Water." He explains what happened in awe, and how heroic the man in the water was. His main message in this article is that no man is ordinary and any man can become a hero.
Support 1: Rosenblatt describes people's actions after the plane crash, to point out that no man is ordinary. He describes what Lenny Skutnik, employee of the Congressional Budget Office, an ordinary man, did after the crash. Lenny jumped into the water to drag an injured
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Rosenblatt points out that the man was seen clinging to the tail of the aircraft with five other passengers, while appearing to look alert and in control. The man passed the lifeline and flotation ring to other passengers every time it was lowered down to him. In the article, this man was described as ordinary. He was an ordinary man, doing ordinary things until the crash. Rosenblatt stated that this man is proof that no man is ordinary.
Support 3: Rosenblatt points out that we forget that we are not ordinary. That we as humans, think we are practically powerless in this world. We need to be reminded that we are not powerless, and that's just what the man in the water did after the crash. He reminded us through his actions. He is a hero, because he, an ordinary man, sacrificed his life to save others. Anyone can drop what they're doing to help others, even if it risks their life, so long as they are up to it.
Conclusion: Roger Rosenblatt wrote this article to remind everybody that they are not ordinary. He wanted people to know that no one is ordinary. He used the man in the water as proof to back it up. Any man can be heroic when the time comes. Rosenblatt's main message in this article is that no man is ordinary and any man can become a hero, and that's what he wants the reader to take away from this
The article “ No Firemen at Ground Zero This 9/11” written by Michael Burke and published by the Wall street journal is a persuasive piece about first responders at 9/11 who died are not being properly honored at the 10th anniversary ceremony. He uses narration and tone in his piece to achieve his goal of persuading the influential readers of the Wall Street journal that they should stand up with him and give the mayor heat to involve every person who sacrificed their life to help people on 9/11. The way Burke changes the tone halfway through the piece is an important part to this article. This article starts out as an emotional writing meant to make the audience remember an event that happened 10 years ago.
With this, he aims to sway his audience towards a different perspective, one that pushes the audience to resist against humanitarian impulses. He paints a picture of a lifeboat that seats fifty passengers and has a total capacity of sixty, allowing enough room to accommodate to ten more (para 6). Those in the lifeboat represent the rich, while those swimming outside represent the poor. However, the passengers on the boat are faced with the decision to admit only ten others when they are surrounded by one hundred people begging to get in. They cannot narrow down the pool to just ten people when everyone’s needs are the same, nor can they take in every pleading individual.
After the crash several men perished while few survived: Louie, Phil and Mac, stranded on a cramped raft. Phil appointed Louie in charge. On a second’s notice, Louie climbed from a follower to a leader: “Louie knew that he had to get Phil’s bleeding stopped, but if he went to him, the raft would be lost and all of them would perish” (131). Louie is now the one who has to make critical decisions in order to keep himself and the other men alive. Using the items provided in the safety provisions box in clever ways.
Although these issues sound incredibly awful for a human being to endure, many of the men he helped along the way survived because of him. A member of the United States Air Force, the chance of crashing on a mission became inevitable, and Louie’s aircraft plunged into the ocean; a difficult decision soon faced him when a member of his crew was injured during the crash: “Louie knew that he had to get Phil’s bleeding stopped, but if he went to him, the raft would be lost and all of them would perish. He swam to the raft”(131). Louie’s fast actions and quick-witted solutions ultimately saved himself and his remaining crew from the danger-filled Pacific. For instance, Louie’s decision to rescue the raft from floating away ensured the men had some type of protection from the elements.
In addition, the brilliant ending of the speech casted a strong impression on the people. He quoted a phrase from the poem “High Flight” written by John Magee, “…to touch the face of God.” It leads the audience into viewing the positive outcome of the accident and gives the speech its
For this week’s discussion, I instantly thought of my grandfather during World War II saving the lives of his crew in the south pacific, my mother as my childhood hero, and of course all those action movie heros. I decided to choose an every day “hero”, the kind that truly defines what it means to be a hero. The story and clip I found is a combination of the movie clips and the story of Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano. It is about a man that swam for five hours to save the lives of four members of his family. He willing put his life at risk, because he knew that it was what needed to be done.
In Richard’s depiction of life on the Juggernaut, he reflected real life situations of injustice and inequality. Ultimately, the theme “Individuals have the power to create massive change” has been represented in many ways throughout the book. This situation can also have been linked to real life. When people discriminate against one another, it takes individuals with great courage to change the situation in a positive way. Change can be violent and nonviolent and it is up to the individual to decide what they are willing to do and how they do it, but in the end, it is always a change for the
Laurie Colwin (1944-1992) was born in Manhattan, New York. She was a prolific writer and her very first works were published in the New Yorker. Her first short story collection was published in 1974. Her stories were written about love, relationships, and being happy in general, however, this story “The Man Who Jumped into the Water” is quite a bit different from the others. Hiding behind a persona to get away from reality can lead someone to a breaking point because a person 's troubles catch up to them.
Tim O’Brien views heroism much differently than most. His comrades in Vietnam may base a hero upon his accomplishments in war; however, O’Brien’s version of a hero comes in the most casual aspect. O’Brien’s message on heroism communicates the simplicity of wisdom through the rhetorical elements of diction, tone, and ethos. In O’Brien’s acceptance speech, he uses effective diction to describe his hero, Elroy Birdall.
Heroism Paper Angela Steele Atlantic Cape Community College Technical Communication Professor Barbieri December 5, 2015 Heroism Paper Would most people put their lives at risk to save others or even those they had never met? According to Campbell (“The Hero’s Adventure https://www.youtube.com”) a hero is someone who has given his/her life to something bigger than himself or other than himself. Someone who has found, achieve or done something beyond the normal range of achievement or experience. This person possesses courage and has the ability to contain and overcome their fears. They are dedicated and focused on the outcome and achievements of the task at hand.
In the nonfiction article by Lane Wallace, “Is Survival Selfish”, she experienced different reactions that came from other people in an unanticipated crash. “ I remember reading the account of one woman who was in an airliner that crashed on landing. People were frozen or screaming, but nobody was moving toward the emergency exits, even as smoke began to fill the cabin.” (Wallace 2). Therefore, this quote indicates that the people that were on the ship were really frightened and thought their lives were coming to an end.
This scenario reminds us that although something is dangerous, or unnecessary, doesn’t mean it is wrong to do. This scenario was all about having the courage, bravery, and empathy that makes one a good person towards
During Richard’s mid-life he joined a lifesaving station in Pea Island. While he served there, he and his crew saved a great multitude of lives. One job was especially spectacular, the saving was of the E. S. Newman. This specific wreck is spectacular because during a hurricane the weather was so terrible that Richard had called off the normal siting of shipwrecks. Though from the watching eye of Theodore Meekins, a surfman, he saw a flare and immediately notified
Louie and two of the other men that survived the crash had a journey ahead of them that would shape their lives forever. The men floated on the open sea for 47 days
Scott LaBarge’s essay “Heroes: Why Heroes are Important” is well written because he effectively uses pathos, logos, and karios when explaining heroes to his audience. When something goes wrong or we feel like we cannot continue, we could all use someone to step in and change our situation. Everyone needs a hero. LaBarge gives an excellent example from his high school days; Thoreau inspired him and became his hero. The high school period of one’s life is a difficult period.