The word hero is usually applied to the individuals who are dedicated to make difference in their life, community and the world. Therefore, committing heroism through being a hero is viewed as a comprehensively valued characteristic. However, heroism is frequently viewed as a rare and inherent characteristic, and hence does not exhibit in many individuals. This heroism train is portrayed by the in A Separate Road and Paul’s Case. A Separate Road is an autobiography that represents the life of Richard Wright. The book explains the Richard Wright’s journey from innocence to experienced life, where he overcomes the insidious effect of racism. From the beginning of the story, Richard seems to be brave to extent of playing with fire where he burnt down their houses (Wright 189). He was firm to struggle even with poverty and racism. To earn his living, he was used to be a ditch digger, dishwasher, and hospital worker and delivery boy. All these activities were hard and required someone who is ready to be tolerant and brave.
Richard seems to comprehend that his life does not depend upon his learning but upon getting into other people’s world. Though his education is ruined and disrupted, Richard seems not to give up. Instead, he is more strong and ready to conquer all his life’s challenges. In Richard’s life, the hardest challenge is racism, and it is a problem among many other black people during that period. A Separate Road, however, discovers racism not only as a loathsome belief held by hateful people but also as an insidious challenge that has fabric roots in the society. For Richard, he discovers that the challenge of racism does not simply exist but its roots are so deep in the American culture. Richard seems to be ready and prepared for the usual problem during his first day in the school (Wright p.194).
In the first day, Richard is seen surrounded by White boys who harassed him by putting a stone over his shoulder. However, what only Richard does is to hesitate for a moment but later reacted; he brushed a rock from his shoulder, and ducked onto the boy. He later grabbed him about the legs and dumped him into the ground. Consequently, there was an eruption of a volcano of scream from the observing crowd. He gathered courage and besides the yelling crowd, he jumped onto the boy and started pounding him. The fight had begun because of disagreement between Richard and the boy over Richard’s straw hat that was on the ground, and subsequently another boy attacked Richard. The other boy intervened yelling “Don’t you hit my brother!” (Wright 190). This shows some of the racism tribulation Richard was going through but he never gave up.
The fight lasted for a while, but Richard scooped up a handful of brickbats that were scattered around him, and the two boys started backing away. He took an aim as the boys surround him, and he took a move as if he was to throw, but the boys run for their safety. Richard believed in bravery not fear and was it not for his bravely the boys could have beaten him to death. Another aspect that proves Richard is a hero is the fact that it was individual versus the multitude. He was brave to join the society in his terms rather than being forced by anyone. He struggled and fight for his freedom against dominant white culture in many ways (Wright 192). Neither black nor white culture recognizes how to challenge a strong-willed, self-respecting, and brilliant black man.
On the other hand, in the literary work of Willa Cather, Paul’s Case provides an insight of Paul, a character who thought his problem would be solved by money. He is not brave enough to face day-to-day challenges. Ho portrays a lack of heroism and believing in oneself (Cather 115). Paul is seen as a selfish person who is focused on humiliation of those who have little money. Moreover, he believed those who possess lots of money wield the power of money. Paul could never become one of the most prosperous men whom he thinks are royal and prosperous. This is because since he was young he did not comprehend the relationship between money and work. This is a failure and sign of a coward who is not willing to work in order to achieve his ambition.
Contrary to Richard, Paul lacked sign of being a hero, recall when his English teacher arrived in the class and Paul got annoyed, but he had no otherwise. However, he consoled himself with the facts that his teacher had not dressed appropriately, so she created a fancy avenue. After turbulent education, Paul began the art work, while his passion for music grew stronger. With time, he becomes a hero in the field of art. As he listens to music, he feels full of life and recognizes his heroism (Cather 129). His passion of music gave him a chance to travel ti the New York to pursue his music to earn his leaving. Apparently, in New York no one knew him and he decided to practices traits that are for the losers and those who have given up in life. This reveals that he had no heroism as his trait unlike Richard, who worked very hard to convince the community that he was a different person who they could never be thought of.
Paul travels by the train that was traveling during the night, and arrives in New York. At arrival, he bought clothes, shoes, and hat. In addition, during this first day he bought a gun indicating the birth of new life of a gangster. He went to Waldorf and pays a room in advance, there before he had bought silver at Tiffany. He entered into another world of robbery whereby he deteriorated his dignity, and he could never be a hero. He said that the eighth floor was perfect to him and what he was missing was the flowers, and he sends the doorbell boy out to buy (Cather 125). He was a lucky man and fortunately, he got a job that he utilizes inappropriate. One day he was sent to the bank to take a deposit to the bank. He deposited only the checks and stole 1,000 dollars in cash. This was a fund that he used to sponsor his spree and enjoy himself in New York.
The things that Paul was doing were opposite to hero’s traits. He entered into the world of drugs and ruined his life. At New York, he got a nap and later during that night he takes a carriage ride up to 5th avenue, he discovers banks of flowers. At the hotel, he eats food while he listens to music. He meets another man who the following day they spend the night together on the town until the dawn. The story tells that the night started well and in a happy mood, but it ended to be a bad one. The trend continues, and Paul continues ruining his life, a week passed and Paul discovered that his theft was exposed in the Pittsburgh newspapers.
According to the tale, Paul’s father has paid 1,000 dollars, which helped him to travel to New York to look for him. Paul appreciates and cherishes one last dinner at the Waldorf and by then he had forgotten the potential that was in him. In the following morning, Paul wakes up with hangover and painful throbbing in his feet and head. In addition, he observed at the gun he bought on his very first day in New York (Cather p.132). In the end, he takes taxi to travel to railway lines in Pennsylvania and jumps in front of a train that was coming towards him and committed suicide. Before he dies, he distinguishes the foolishness of his swiftness and imagines of the places that he will never see.
However, in the end both characters realized the heroism that were in them, hence emerge to be icons in literature. In them, there was the power of art. Starting with Richard, he made it in fifth grade, and he was ready to join seven grades where passion of literary work shown a sign. On the other hand, Paul took nature of art like a drug where he become addicted and help him to end his problem. In the tale of Paul’s Case, it concluded that the attitude that was in Paul causes his downfall. Paul thought that he deserved the money without working for it, this obsession of money cause his failure of accepting the situation. This all were signs of a loser who could never be a hero. In A Separate Road, later in the story, Richard wishes to remain a person who feels connected to the rest of humanity. This makes him a hero on the spiritual level and becomes notable artist. In the end, he came to use art to convince and struggle to show compassion to the communities that rejected him. It is a difficult mission; nevertheless, everyone learns to accept him at the end of the novel.
Works Cited
Cather, Willa. Paul's Case. Logan: Perfection Form Co., 1980. Print.
Wright, Richard. "A Separate Road." A Seperate Road. New York: Info-base Publishing, 2009. 189 to 199. Print.
