SAT Essay

Assignment: Should heroes be dened as people who say what they think when we ourselves lack the courage to say it? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Heroes have always been the mythical and legendary dei ex machina who save the day, usually in a self-sacricial way. Through the path of ages, modern needs have changed and heroes are no longer deemed those who use the power and force of their body, but that of their mind and tongue. Many such people appeared during the Age of Enlightenment and small acts of heroism occurred during the life of the famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven and the not so famous Igor Stravinsky. During the French Revolution many put their life on the line, but the true heroes where those behind it, the philosophers and scientists of the Age of Enlightenment. They did not fear rejection of their evolutionary ideas neither by society nor by the Catholic Church. They were tired of believing whatever the Catholic Church supported and opened their minds and those around them to new, ground-breaking ideas. Such people were Diderot, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Voltaire and many more. Modern science, philosophy and even the very fabric of society are the way they are today due to the courage of those people. One little known incident during the life of Ludwig van Beethoven happened during his meeting with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Beethoven was introduced to Mozart as a prodigious young musician and performed a piece so that Mozart could decide whether to receive him as a student or not. When Mozart rejected him due to being very cold, Beethoven not only persisted, but asked to perform one of his own pieces. After the second performance, Mozart was so astounded that he remarked: Mark that young man; he will make himself a name in the world!. Beethoven showed bravery when he was not taken down by Mozarts words, but insisted and believed in himself. He proceeded to become one of the greatest and most famous composers of history. Another musician who did not care about social rejection was the little-known Igor Stravinsky. He is widely considered one of the most inuential composers of the 20th century. When one of his works, The Rite of Spring, was performed, the audience rejected his work completely and started throwing vegetables at the scene after 10 or so minutes. However, they did not realize the power of Stravinskis music. After a while, when they were completely under his spell, they were acting like barbarians preparing for a battle. The evolutionary rhythm Stravinsky had invented awakened a beast in each one of them. A critic claims that for a long time the person sitting behind him was banging his sts on the

critics head, without neither of them realizing. It is obvious that Stravinsky did not care about the crowds rejection and supported his work, earning a long applause at the end of the performance. In conclusion, heroes nowadays are not those who sacrice their lives for the well-being of others, but those who support their opinion, not fearing rejection by society or the ones they admire. At the end of the day, heroes are everyday people, just like you and me, who restore our faith in humanity.