Saving the Day

A hero is not necessarily someone who saves the world or kills someone who is dangerous as perceived in movies and in comic books, rather a hero is someone who does good things for others, someone who shows courage when faced with problems, and someone that is there to comfort others during difficult times. In Heather Waldorf's "Grist" sixteen year old Charlena had learnt to keep her emotions to herself now that her dad had a new girlfriend and her best friend and crush Sam had gone to Australia. She was also having trouble with her literary talent, according to Mr. Polen her English teacher. She decides to go to Lake Ringrose to her grandmother. While in Lake Ringrose Charlena unexpectedly finds a boyfriend who changes her life forever, in a way that she could never have expected. Regardless of all the things Charlena goes through she is a hero, but what makes her a hero? She persevered through her problems, she bonded her family together and she helped others in certain ways.

Charlena is a hero because she was able to persevere through her problems and this however is a valuable heroic quality. "May I submit this instead" (Waldorf 227). This quote shows that even though Charlena's writing was rejected at first, she persevered through her writing troubles and in the end submitted her good copy, she had the determination not give up. Days after Charlena found out that her new boyfriend was her own brother she said: "Does it gross you out? What we did? I still can't bring myself to look you in the eye but I still love you, even more now that you are my brother" (194 -195). Regardless of what had been revealed to Charlena, she learnt to accept the fact that Kerry was her brother and she continued loving him, in other words she persevered in her love for her brother. Because Charlena persevered through her problem it led to her family bonding together and their healing process.

Charlena bonding her family together saved them from deteriorating and this proves to be another heroic quality. Since Charlena's dad was going to spend time with his girlfriend, Charlena did not want to interfere. "Are you absolutely sure you want to go to your grams tomorrow?" (36). Charlena made the decision to go to Lake Ringrose to her grandmother whom she had not seen in a long time and this resulted in Charlena bonding with her. At Lake Ringrose Charlena found out some shocking things. "Greg Sanderson was your biological father" (173). When Charlena found out that Mike was not her biological father and that Greg was, she was ready to walk out of Mike's life forever but instead this brought them closer together because she realized that Mike had taken care of her all her life and no one else would have done that. "Kerry's your brother" (172). The guy Charlena had fallen in love with turned out to be her brother but this did not break them apart, it

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