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...son feels that nothing matters anymore and nobody should care for, or about him. By befriending Jefferson during his time of need, Grant does his best to give Jefferson a sense of self-worth before he dies. He accomplished this by listening to Jefferson and allowed Jefferson to express himself in a personal diary. In the end, Grant breaks through Jefferson’s defeatist wall of shame and allows Jefferson to die with pride and honor as a man. This is Grant’s heroic act in the novel. In Grant’s own words he defines his actions toward Jefferson as depicted in the following quotation, “A hero is someone who does something for other people. He does something that other men don’t and can’t do”(191). In our society there are many modern day heroes. Our most recent natural disaster, the Tsunami that struck parts of southern Asia, has produced many contemporary heroes. Countless people worldwide have provided relief in the form of money, food, medical supplies, and precious time to aid those afflicted by the devastation. One example of a heroic person is Aminullah Usman. Usman, a forty seven year old banker in Indonesia, took in 230 refugees into his modest two bedroom summer home after the disaster. Of the refugees he provided shelter for, many were injured and approximately one-third were children. In a recent interview Usman was quoted saying, “I told them all, ‘You are my family now. This is your home. Stay as long as you like.’” Usman reminds me of Grant Wiggins because he demonstrates heroic humanitarian qualities. They both found it in their hearts to reach out to others during their desperate time of need. Usman and Wiggins are common everyday people whose inte...